Tour Road Improvement Project

Duration:

5 minutes, 45 seconds

Check out the updates on the Tour Road Improvement Project made possible by the Great American Outdoors Act! August 4 is the third anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). Passed by large bipartisan majorities, GAOA authorized critical investments in America’s public lands over a five-year period, including here at Saratoga! Watch this short video to learn more about our project to revitalize the visitor experience on the Saratoga Battlefield!

 

A collage of images showing current conditions at various tour stops. Included are representations of cracked and uneven pavement and difficult to read/inaccessible signage.

NPS Photos

If you have visited Saratoga National Historical Park over the past year, you would have seen a lot of construction work as the primary visitor experience of the historic battlefield area received a major facelift for the first time in more than five decades! This work has focused on improving access and updating the overall visitor experience, enabling us to share a deeper version of the Saratoga story. Improvements to the parking areas, trailheads, walkways, seating, and viewing areas along the ten-mile-long route. The last major remaining element of the project, new, comprehensive interpretive signage, will be installed later in 2023. Keep reading to find why the project was needed, what was done, and updates on our progress and schedules.

Why is this work needed?

The Tour Road experience was more than 50 years old. Despite massive efforts by park staff to maintain the aging infrastructure of the road and tour stops, a significant maintenance backlog had developed. Made possible by $6.6 million in funding provided by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund, this renovation has expanded physical access and safety enhancements for more than 100,000 visitors annually and eliminated $4 million of this backlog. It will be instrumental in preparing the park for the extra attention it will receive related to the upcoming 250th anniversary commemorations of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026 and of the battles in 2027. Finally, historical scholarship surrounding the pivotal events which occurred here in September and October of 1777 has significantly advanced. This project is allowing us to reflect this deeper understanding on the landscape.

 

Design of popular tour stop 7 showing accessible paths, signage, and the famous Boot Monument.

NPS

What will be done?

In order to make the park enjoyable for all, parking areas and walkways will be revamped at all ten tour stops to meet universal standards for accessibility, including seating with companion seating. Audio description for the new exhibits will be provided on an app for public use.

Modern, outdoor exhibits constructed of durable steel, aluminum, and bronze will replace existing waysides that are well beyond their intended design life. In addition to being more cost-effective by requiring less routine maintenance, the new exhibits will include replica objects and convey updated information about the battles, the landscape, multiple perspectives, and the roles of lesser-known participants to better connect visitors with the meaning and importance of the site. The design layouts are geared for easier reading; using added color contrast, appropriate fonts and font size, tactile bronze relief maps, braille, and installation heights that are beneficial for all visitors.

 

Construction Impacts on Access

• Waysides will not be available once construction is completed at each tour stop. The new exhibits and signage will be installed in late-April 2024. Our audio tours that can be found using this link can be used to supplement your visit during these periods.

2024 Schedule

• April: Installation of new exhibits and signage is scheduled to begin near the end of the month.

 

Progress Updates

• April 10, 2022: Construction is underway at Stops 1 and 7.
• April 29, 2022: Construction is now underway at Stops 1, 2, 5, & 7.
• July 8, 2022:
  • Stops 1 & 7 are now open!
  • Stop 9 is open, but unpaved so please use extra caution if visiting due to uneven ground.
  • Stop 5 will reopen the week of July 10.
  • Stop 3 will close on July 10.
• August 25, 2022
  • Prepatory work is ongoing at Stop 6, but site remains fully open.
• October 12, 2022
  • Stops 2, 3, and 6 remain under active construction. All other stops are open, although periodic work may occur as finishing touches are applied.
• June 5, 2023
  • Construction work is substantially complete on all tour stops. Interpretive signage is in the final development and production stage.
• April 2024
  • Interpretive signage has largely been fabricated. Installation is planned for late-April. Stay tuned for our Grand Opening!