National Bottle Museum facts for kids
Museum building on Main Street in Ballston Spa
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| Established | 1978 |
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| Location | 76 Milton Avenue, Ballston Spa, NY, USA |
| Type | Historical museum |
| Collection size | 2,000 handmade glass bottles |
| Visitors | 3,500 |
The National Bottle Museum is a special place in Ballston Spa, New York. It's located on Milton Avenue, which is also known as NY 50 and 67. The museum opened in 1978. It has a huge collection of over 3,700 old bottles. Most of these bottles were made before 1903, which is when machines started making bottles instead of people.
In 1996, the museum got a special approval, called a charter, from the New York State Board of Regents. This means it's officially recognized as an educational place. The museum also shows visitors the tools that were used to make bottles a long time ago.
Contents
History of the Bottle Museum
How the Museum Started
In 1978, many groups of antique bottle collectors from all over the country joined together. They formed an organization called the Federation of Historic Bottle Clubs. They decided to combine their efforts and money to create this museum.
The idea for the museum came from Bernard Puckhaber. He was a German immigrant and worked as the village clerk in Ballston Spa for many years. Ballston Spa was a great place for making bottles because of its natural fizzy mineral water springs nearby. These springs also brought many tourists who liked to bathe in the waters. This is how the village got its name! Water from Ballston Spa was even sent all over the world. A factory in nearby Greenfield hired hundreds of workers and glassblowers in the mid-1800s.
Moving to New Homes
The museum first started in a historic house called the Verbeck House in Ballston Spa. The bottle collector groups bought this old house and fixed it up to be the museum. Later, the museum moved to its current location.
The new museum building is a three-story storefront in downtown Ballston Spa. This new spot is great because it's close to two of Ballston Spa's original springs that are still flowing today. The old Sans Souci hotel, which was built on one of the springs, is right across the street. The Old Iron Springs, which have water all year, are also very close by.
A house from 1901 nearby was once used to show how glass was made. It even had an electric furnace! But the museum had to stop using it because the electricity bills were too high.
Changes and Recognition
In 1992, the museum moved out of the Verbeck House. There was a disagreement between the museum's leaders and the Federation of Historic Bottle Clubs. The group that ran the museum, called the National Bottle Museum Society, said they owned the bottles. A judge decided that the Federation could ask the Society to leave the house. A year later, the Society found the current museum building and moved in. Later, they reached an agreement that allowed the museum to keep its collection in Ballston Spa.
In 2006, the museum was shown on the Travel Channel's TV show Cash & Treasures. This helped more people learn about the museum. In February 2007, it was named "Organization of the Month" by a local arts group.
Jan Rutland, who loved garage sales, visited the museum in 1986. She started volunteering after going to one of the museum's classes. Jan eventually became the museum's president. She passed away in 2010, which led to the museum having shorter visiting hours for a while.
What You Can See and Do
The Bottle Collection
The National Bottle Museum is mainly in its three-story building. It has a collection of more than 3,500 bottles. Some of these bottles are on loan from bottle clubs in the U.S. and Canada. These bottles were used for all sorts of things! They held milk, fruit, special drinks called bitters, and even soda. The very oldest bottles in the museum are made of black glass. They came from Europe and are thought to have been used for rum or gin. The oldest bottle in the museum is believed to have been made between 1710 and 1725.
Other Exhibits and Activities
Other parts of the museum show the tools used to make bottles. There's also a tiny model of a glass oven. The second floor of the museum has been used as an art gallery. It shows glass art made by local artists. It also displays paintings about local history and other important topics. The museum believes that both bottles and art show history and technology.
There is also a research library at the museum. It has an old pharmacy counter and records that go all the way back to 1904.
Every year in June, the museum hosts a big bottle show and auction at the Saratoga County Fairground. It's open to everyone. Collectors from all over the U.S. and Canada come to this event.
The museum also helps young people find jobs through the Saratoga Youth Center's Job Program.
See also
- List of museums in New York
Images for kids
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Verbeck House, as restored by the museum
