About the National Museum of Dance & Hall of Fame

The National Museum of Dance & Hall of Fame was established in 1986 and is the only museum in the nation dedicated entirely to dance. Located in the former Washington Bath House—a spacious, airy 1918 Arts and Crafts-style building—in the Saratoga Spa State Park, the museum houses a growing collection of photographs, videos, artifacts, costumes, biographies and archives comprising a contemporary and retrospective examination of seminal contributions to dance available to the general public.

One of the museum's permanent exhibitions is the C.V. Whitney Hall of Fame. In 1987, the Museum recognized Fred Astaire, George Balanchine, Katherine Dunham, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Lincoln Kirstein and Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson, among others, as founders and innovators of American professional dance. To date more than thirty dancers, choreographers, teachers, designers, critics and patrons have been recognized for their influence on our dance heritage.

Studio space on the property enables advanced students in the ballet and dance programs of the Lewis A. Swyer School for the Performing Arts—part of the New York State Summer School of the Arts—to enroll in master classes with renowned dancers, rehearse in sessions open to the public and participate in pre-performance conversation with visiting professionals. Education, residencies, and performance on the Museum campus enriches the atmosphere by representing the future of dance, as well as its past.

This grand facility is available for rental by individuals or groups, for catered gatherings and events.

The National Museum of Dance & Hall of Fame is a program of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. The museum is a proud member of the Saratoga Downtown Business Association, the Saratoga County Chamber, Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau, Museums of Saratoga, Partners in Dance, and LARAC.