There’s a bottle museum hidden away on Milton Avenue/Route 50 in Ballston Spa. You may have seen the sign for it while driving up to Saratoga Performing Arts Center or to Saratoga Spa State Park one summer day, but have you ever bothered to actually stop in for a visit? You should. Not only is this a bottle museum, but it’s THE National Bottle Museum, and no where else will you find such an enchanting and varied selection of bottles for all purposes and from all periods of history.
You might not think that a bottle museum sounds interesting, but that’s where you’re wrong. You’ll love this unique little museum and you’ll leave with more knowledge and joy than you might imagine before stepping through its door. Read on to learn more about the National Bottle Museum and plan your visit today!
Glass manufacturing was our nation’s first major industry. Saratoga - just a few miles from Ballston Spa - was famous for its spring water in the mid-1800s and as a result, millions of bottles were made in this area to bottle it. The National Bottle Museum exists to celebrate the place of glass bottles in our nation’s history.
ScenicTrek/TripAdvisor It opened in 1978.
The shelves on the first floor of this historic three-story building hold more than 3,000 different bottles. All bottles were hand-blown until machinery to make bottles was invented by Michael Owens in 1903. The National Bottle Museum showcases bottles made both before and after this development. As you can see, bottles come in many different colors.
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Bottles also come in many different shapes and sizes.
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There are very large bottles on display at the museum.
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And there are very small bottles for you to view as well. These are vintage liquor bottles.
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Many of the bottles here are quite intricate. Bottlemaking is not just useful, but it’s an art.
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Bottles were and are made all over the United States.
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You can also learn about the methods people used to make bottles in the past, and how historians figure out how old a bottle is. Older glass bottles were made by glassblowers.
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Later, bottles could be made using a press.
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You’ll be amazed at the variety of unique and interesting bottles that you’ll find at this museum. This collection of bottles all held poisons at one time.
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These bottles and other objects are all made out of uranium glass, which is why they glow under a blacklight.
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On your way out, you might consider paying $5 to Adopt a Bottle. You’ll be given a wrapped bottle to unwrap. Museum staff will take a guess at its age and what it may have been used for - then you can take it home to live with you.
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The National Bottle Museum is fantastic! This is a very unique museum that you should visit if you’re ever in or near Ballston Spa. The staff can’t wait to meet you and show you this giant bottle collection and you’ll learn more about glass bottles than you thought you’d ever know.
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It opened in 1978.
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Are you looking for something else to do in the Ballston Spa area? Try this! Go Llama Hiking Through The Forest On This Unforgettable New York Adventure
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Address: National Bottle Museum, 76 Milton Ave, Ballston Spa, NY 12020, USA
