This article originally appeared on the New York Almanack website.

The primary visitor experience at Saratoga National Historical Park is about to benefit from $6.6 million in funding provided by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA).

Extensive work on the park’s self-guided battlefield Tour Road will begin in 2022 and is expected to result in increased accessibility and visible improvements to the parking areas, trailheads, walkways, seating, exhibits and viewing areas along the ten-mile-long route.

The current Tour Road experience is more than 50 years old. This renovation will expand physical access and safety enhancements for more than 100,000 visitors annually and eliminate $4 million of the park’s maintenance backlog. It will also be instrumental in preparing the park for the extra attention it will receive related to the upcoming 250th anniversary commemorations of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026 and of the battles of Saratoga in 2027.

The parking areas and walkways are being revamped at all ten tour stops to meet universal standards for accessibility, including seating with companion seating, new improved exhibits, and audio description provided on an app for public use. 60 new outdoor exhibits constructed of steel, aluminum, and bronze will replace the existing informational waysides. Read more...