Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake

If you’re looking for someplace to explore outside of Lake Placid, we suggest having an Adirondack Experience at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake!

Adirondack Experience, or ADKX, offers visitors a truly unique experience. “With more than 20 buildings nestled across 120 acres overlooking Blue Mountain Lake, our open-air campus offers everyone something to do. Step into the rich history of this region as you browse the museum, row an authentic guideboat, break up a logjam, climb a classic ADK fire tower, or enjoy a family-friendly hike to Minnow Pond.”

Although I’ve driven by it multiple times, this was my first time visiting Adirondack Experience. I decided to get to the museum at 10 am when they open, which I highly recommend to anyone planning a visit for the first time. It was much less crowded than in the afternoon, plus it gave more time for wandering around. It’s only a little over an hour drive from the Golden Arrow, so you don’t have to get up crazy early either! Keep reading to see how my trip at the museum went and check out some photos of my favorite exhibits. 

When you arrive, you will enter the Visitor’s Center where you are greeted by a giant sailboat, the Water Witch. The Water Witch was built in 1900 and is an Idem class sloop designed for racing in the Adirondacks. The museum is home to more than two hundred other boats!

The Visitor’s Center is also where you purchase your tickets. It’s $23 for adults, $14 for youth (5-17), and $20 for seniors (65 and over). Kids 4 and under visit for free. They also offer multiple membership options that include free admission, discounts in the café and store, and access to members-only events. Don’t forget to grab a map while you’re here! It’s helpful in navigating your way through the museum campus. 

Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake
Welcome to the ADKX
Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake at see the Water Witch sailboat
The Water Witch Sailboat

After stopping by the ticket counter, I headed outside and over to the Life in the Adirondacks exhibit building. This is the largest exhibit at Adirondack Experience and features hands-on activities and culturally rich collections. The building is split into six sections, the first being Wilderness Stories. Here, you can watch a nine-minute video about life in the Adirondacks. It features people who live in the Adirondacks and the things they enjoy doing like birding, hiking, and photography. You also see some insanely beautiful views from the high peaks! Something I found very cool was that any section that video or loud noises, offered visors and noise-reducing headphones for visitors with sensory issues. 

Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake in the Life in the Adirondacks Building
Life in the Adirondacks: the largest exhibit at ADKX

After watching the video, I headed into Call of the Wilderness, which features items about what brings people to the Adirondacks. This section features artifacts like an old carriage, a Model T, and a private rail car. Next to each artifact, you can read about the item’s history. There are also sounds playing near them to give you the full experience of what it was like to ride or drive the different modes of transportation. My favorite part was probably the rail car. This particular rail car, the Oriental, was built in 1890 for $60,000. It was renamed the Louisville in 1897 and 362 in 1933. It served as an office until the early 1950s and was acquired by the museum in 1958. You can even walk through the rail car for a fully immersed experience.  I spent the longest amount of time in this section because it was so captivating and interesting. Because of that, I sped my way through the next two sections a bit. Peopled Wilderness and Roughing It are about the Native people of the Adirondacks and Great Camps respectively.

play I Spy in the Life in the Adirondacks Exhibit
Grab an I Spy booklet!
Stagecoach circa 1840
Stagecoach circa 1840-1850
Model T circa 1921
Model T circa 1921
rail car 1890 - 1950
The Oriental, Louisville, 392 1890 - 1950

The fifth section is Adirondack Tough and features some classic Adirondack careers like ice harvesting, logging, and maple syrup making. The sixth and final section is Our Adirondack Park which is about finding the balance between people and the wilderness. My favorite part of this section is a giant interactive map of the Adirondacks. It features major lakes, rivers, mountains, and towns throughout the Adirondack Park. There is a button for each and when pushed, it lights up on the map.

Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake and walk through the Adirondack Tough Exhibit
Adirondack Tough Exhibit
Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake and play with the light up map
Light-up ADK Map

When you exit this building you are greeted by the beautiful views of Blue Mountain Lake. After taking in the views, you can either head downstairs to the café (and eat outside to keep admiring the scenery) or into the Woods and Water Exhibit.
I decided to check out the Exhibit, which features the history of outdoor recreation in the Adirondacks. This is also where you can explore the temporary NPT Exhibit. The NPT, or Northville-Placid Trail is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2024 and the special exhibit shows the history of the trail, the team who built it, and the trail as it is used today. You’ll find old hiking gear, like boots, bags, and tools, as well as snowshoes and sleds. There is also a section honoring the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics.

Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake and take in the views of Blue Mountain Lake
Views of Blue Mountain Lake
Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake and look at the old tools
Camping Tools from the early 1900s
vintage sleds from the early 1900s at ADKX
Sleds circa 1880s - 1920s
Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake and look at the 1932 Winter Olympic artifacts
1932 Winter Olympic Exhibit
Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake and look at the 1980 Winter Olympic artifacts
1980 Winter Olympic Exhibit

After leaving Woods and Water, I headed over to check out the Reising Schoolhouse; a one-room schoolhouse, originally built in 1907. I then grabbed a bite at the cafe before heading over to the pond. The cafe features grab-and-go items like sandwiches, salads, fruit, chips, and snacks. They also have made-to-order hot items, like grilled cheese, chicken fingers, and BBQ sandwiches.

Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake and walk through the old schoolhouse
Reising Schoolhouse built in 1907
Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake and grab a bite at the cafe
Outside seating at the café

The pond is next to the Marion River Carry Pavilion, which features the Porter engine and one of the original passenger cars that traveled the Marion River Carry line during the early 1900s. What’s fun for kids (and kids at heart) at the pavilion is they can feed the fish! Every day at 12:30 pm, kids can head to the dock and get food to feed the fish. The fish will even jump out of the water! The pond is also a very calm and peaceful place to sit in an Adirondack Chair and enjoy the sounds of nature.

My next stop was the Artists & Inspiration in the Wild, the newest exhibit at the museum. This gallery features the work of artists who found inspiration in the region’s natural splendor and used it to create objects of wonder and beauty. In this exhibit, you will walk through the intro section before entering into the four main sections: Light, Forests, Water, and Mountains. Each section features artwork of various mediums that drew inspiration from the said section. My favorite was Water. It featured a large, lighted, wavy display on the ceiling that brought a very calming presence. When you exit the the exhibit, you can also check out the ADKX Art Lab where you can put your own creative skills to work.

Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake and look at the old train
1901 H.K. Porter Company steam engine
Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake and sit by the pond
Relax by the pond
Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake and explore the art
A feature in the Light Gallery
Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake and explore the art
A feature in the Water Gallery
Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake and check out the art studio with a view
Outdoor space at the ADKX Art Lab

After the Artists & Inspiration exhibit, I checked out the Log Hotel, Kid’s Cabin, Bull Cottage, and Merwin Hill Pavilion before ending at Work in the Woods. The Log Hotel and Bull Cottage show what it would have been like to stay in a hotel or great camp in the early 1900s. Merwin Hill Pavilion has a lot of information on local birds, and the Kid’s Cabin has a play kitchen and old-fashioned laundry set-up. My final stop was Work in the Woods where you can explore the history and traditions of logging.

Before heading home for the day, I of course had to stop and check out the ADKX Store! They have a good selection of t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats, as well as books and home goods.

Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake and walk through the Log House
Built in 1876, the Log Hotel is original to the Adirondack Experience’s site
Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake and walk through the Bull Cottage
Built around 1901, Bull Cottage features Adirondack rustic furniture
Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake and walk through the Merwin Hill Pavilion
Merwin Hill Pavilion provides info on local birds + panoramic views
Go on an Adirondack Experience with us at the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake and check out the Kid's Cabin
Old-fashioned laundry washing at the Kid's Cabin

Overall, I had a great time at Adirondack Experience and would love to go back with my family. I think this is a great day trip for families of all ages. I saw families with young kids and couples in their 70s-80s, all enjoying themselves. If you want to see more on my trip to Blue Mountain, check out our Instagram Stories!

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