Historic Saranac Lake is committed to providing the public access to its collections to engage visitors and encourage learning and research. The collections are available for use for all interested parties, and all researchers will be allowed equal access. Appointments must be made through the Museum Administrator, and may be made by phone, email, or in person year-round.

All researchers must provide proof of identity and complete researcher registration forms (except in the case of items in the Education Collection). All access must be supervised by a staff member at all times. All researchers will be required to follow “Researcher Rules” as provided by HSL staff.

Access may be limited in rare cases where use of objects might risk significant damage, if information is restricted by donor or by law, or if staff is not available to supervise use. Staff may also refuse access to individuals who have demonstrated a lack of care for or improper handling of collections objects in the past.

Staff must treat donor contact information as confidential, but information about an object’s history, including donor, creator, or provenance information will be made available to researchers.

Photography is allowed in exhibits and when using collections for personal reference, but all scanning and photography for publication or other official uses must be done by a staff member.

Collections may be used for nonprofit and scholarly work, but commercial use must be approved by the Collections Committee and may incur a fee based on the proposed use.