Saratoga Springs

 Columbian Spring, Saratoga. (A Family posing in the front.), by P. H. McKernon.jpgThe 95th annual meeting of the American Association for the History of Medicine will be held April 21-24, 2022 in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Local Arrangements Committee for 2022 invites you to visit a town with the motto Health, Horses, History. We hope you will join us and “take the waters.”

AAHM 2022 Final Program and Abstracts

AAHM is offering a smaller virtual meeting (see the virtual program here) for those who are unable to join us in Saratoga Springs.

The conference hotel is the Saratoga Hilton. The conference room rate is $199 with a 7% New York sales tax and a 6% occupancy tax. Parking is available for $10 per vehicle per night. The conference rate is available Wednesday through Saturday, April 20-23 through the online registration portal:  https://book.passkey.com/go/AAHM2022  If you would like to make reservations for Tuesday, April 19th or Sunday, April 24, the conference rate is available but please make your reservations by phone: 888-866-3596. Be sure to mention AAHM2022 to obtain the conference rate. The cut-off for reserving rooms at the conference room rate is April 1, 2022.

Vaccination and Masks: All attendees must be vaccinated. Attendees will be asked to present a vaccine card for visual inspection at the time of registration. Masks will be worn throughout the conference center and hotel.

Getting to Saratoga Springs New York

We will be offering an Airport Pick-up Shuttle from Albany International Airport on Thursday. We will be offering an Airport Drop-off Shuttle from our Conference Hotel on Sunday. The cost will be $30.00.

Driving: For those of you who live in the northeastern United States consider driving to our meeting and indeed consider carpooling with friends, colleagues, and students. Saratoga Springs is located not far from many institutions of higher education. You may well that driving is the most efficient, fun, and economical way for you to come to the Annual Meeting. If you carpool, it will also have the added benefit of being environmentally friendly. You can link up with others interested in carpooling through Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/aahmsaratoga-carpool/shared_invite/zt-14jc8ioqp-7U9KGz_JlgDP5k2iPYrDoA

Train: Secondly, for those of you who live or near New York City, the Ethan Allen Express (Train Schedules & Timetables | Amtrak) departs Penn Station daily at approximately 2:00pm and arrives at approximately 6:00pm in Saratoga Springs. Return trips from Saratoga Springs leave at approximately 1:30pm and arrive at approximately 5:45pm in New York City. If you are arriving from Canada, the southbound Amtrak train from Montreal is still not operating because of the pandemic. Continue to check for changes in Amtrak scheduling as this may well change by March.

Flight: Of course, many of you must fly to attend our meeting. You will be arriving at Albany International Airport (https://www.albanyairport.com/). Albany is served by all major US Airlines (https://www.albanyairport.com/airlines). Approximately 65 flights arrive daily. Flights begin arriving at 8am and continue to arrive until around midnight. The last departures leave before 8:30pm. Do note that if you intended to fly into New York City airports, then you could take the train to Saratoga.

Albany Airport to Saratoga Springs Hotel: We will be offering an Airport Pick-up Shuttle from Albany International Airport on Thursday. We will be offering an Airport Drop-off Shuttle from our Conference Hotel on Sunday. If you are unable to arrive on Thursday, taxis and lift services are readily available from the airport. The drive is approximately 35 minutes. Costs range from $50-$100 depending upon traffic. Car rentals are also available.

Thursday Tours

Walking Tour of Health History in Saratoga Springs (11am and 2pm): A 2 hour guided-walk of the town that focuses on Saratoga’s past with an emphasis on its place in health history, Historic Congress Park (sign), Saratoga Springs, New York.jpg healing waters, and fountains. You will love this. Max attendance is 20 each.

Difficulty: Mild. Some hills and stairs. Wear good shoes or weather appropriate boots.  

Cost: $20

Hiking Tour of Saratoga Springs State Park (2pm). A 2½ hour tour of spa buildings at the Saratoga Spa State Park and their stories. Weather conditions permitting, the tour will include a long hike to the park’s geyser.  Most of the buildings in the park date to the Works Progress Administration that were part of interwar spa culture.

Difficulty: Moderate. Hills, hiking, and distance make this tour moderately challenging. Wear appropriate footwear for trails.

Cost: $25

Saturday Haunted Saratoga Ghost Tour

Ghost Walk (7:00pm; 7:15pm) Take advantage of our free Saturday night to see Saratoga Springs on a guided tour. This tour is as much about the history of the city and the spirits of the characters who contributed to Saratoga’s development as it is about ghosts. The tour takes about 90 minutes. In addition to giving a great introduction to the history of Saratoga, it will be a lot of fun. Go with friends. Grab dinner and drinks afterwards.

Difficulty: Mild. Some hills and stairs. Wear good shoes or weather appropriate boots.  

Cost: $20

Destination Information – Saratoga Springs, NY:

Visit Saratoga Springs, NY | Things to Do, Hotels & Restaurants (discoversaratoga.org)