Creekside Classroom at Saratoga Spa State Park

In June, Commissioner Rose Harvey of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) joined local officials and school groups for the grand opening of the newly constructed Creekside Classroom, in the popular Saratoga Spa State Park.

The building, located next to Geyser Creek in Saratoga Spa State Park, previously housed restrooms. After having undergone a $667,000 transformation, the building will serve as an environmental education center, as well as a warming hut in the winter. The park now has a place to host environmental and docent education programs. The building is also large enough to host school field trips to the park, creating opportunities for students to learn about the park’s history and conservation efforts.

This coincides with Governor Cuomo doubling the funding for the Connect Kids to Parks Program through the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). This program refunds field trip costs for school children to visit a New York State Park, Historic Site, Nature Center, or a Department of Environmental Conservation Environmental Education Center, fish hatchery, or other selected site.