The truth in full transparency is I didn't go here as often as I should've. During high school we'd get crammed on a bus and driven out her to see how it was decorated for the Victorian Christmas and such. I remember how they still used the original ornaments from the time period, and lost one every couple years because they were fragile with age. Shamelessly, after school I forgot all about the place. During the community college years I just drove by it, because I wasn't paying attention. What was worse, when I lived in Glens Falls (and only a couple blocks from this very location), it had faded into the background. Hell, I even worked in the building across the damn street from it, and it didn't even register. Many times walking past the place, whether coming back from a hockey game or the pub, it never clicked in my mind. When people would come to visit the area, I'd show them lots of other places, but had overlooked this one. So shame on me, and I'm sorry to the museum for it.
When I was in the area last my brain finally recalled it's existence, and needed to go an see it. The parts of the museum which were the original Victorian house were undergoing renovations, so I wasn't able to see those. They let me peak into the dining room at least, but that was it. The rest of the museum was in the barn-like annex next to it. The information on the local history, and the old city maps, was really enjoyable. I liked seeing the pictures of the way Glens Falls used to be. Those historical items are precious and shouldn't be forgotten.
During the time there, we liked the displays of the turn-of-the-20th Century business machines, especially the telephone switchboard. Yeah, that was someone's work station that they sat at for 8-10 hours each day plugging in on call, and joining another. We don't even have directory assistance anymore, so that was something to think about.
Over in the special collections area was an exhibit on the past commercial signs of the region. It sounds like that would be boring, but it was rather fascinating to see how many of the those signs are still in the area, as well as how things have changed for others. While Martha's ice cream stand remains to this day, the establishment known as "Storytown USA" has been gobbled up by a corporate giant and replaced by Six Flags.
So when you're walking down the street of your city, no matter where you live, and you happen to notice a historical building ... take a second look. And if this is a public place or museum you can enter, do so and discover (or rediscover) some information about where you live.
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