great camp sagamore national historic park tour

This two hour tour is a walk back in time to the Gilded Age and the life style enjoyed by those with great wealth. Our guide was very knowledgeable and shared the history, life style and the hierarchy that existed between the classes at that time in history. Thanks to the Sagamore Institute for protecting and maintaining this piece of history.

This tour was pretty good. Our guide was a nice young lady who was knowledgeable and clearly loved her job and the camp. I guess I was expecting the "Great Camp" to be greater!! But it was nice. The main lodge looks large, but the living room area is quite small. The setting of the camp is lovely and I loved the architecture and the use of natural building materials, especially tree bark for siding! There is a really lovely "kind of" outdoor bowling alley with a unique ball return system. The history of the camp was interesting and a bit tragic. After the tour, we took the 3.5 mile walk around the lake, which was very nice.

We have very plesant memories of this tour. The young guide whose name I unfortunately don't remember seemed very knowledgeable and enjoyed sharing the information with us. One could tell that she cares about this place and finds pleasure in her work. Never did she push on us or advertise in any way staying at the Great Camp Sagamore. The tour itself is long (it takes 2 hours), but it is very detailed and informative. The grounds and the buildings are beautiful, and the view of the lake is breathtaking. This is the Adirondacks nature and character at its best.

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Great Camp Sagamore on Raquette Lake in the Adirondacks. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and answered every question that was posed. We loved the setting and the background on the architectural design by William Durant that came to be the definitive camp style of the region. We enjoyed the story of the Vanderbilts and how they came to own the property from Durant and expanded it to the compound that exists today. My husband and I recommend this tour to anyone who is interested in the history of the Adirondacks, people, places,and culture!

1. Thursday we drove down the 10 minute dirt road to Sagamore after driving 30 minutes from Olde Forge, but arrived to be informed the tours are ONLY at 10 and 1:30 PM. As we were being informed of this another couple entered the gift shop. They also made the same mistake. While I realize this was my oversight I strongly suggest you make this more obvious on your website. Despite this we decided to return the next day before 10 AM. Just in case we could not make it back we purchased an expensive book by Beverly Bridger about their history.2. The next day we arrived before 10 AM and paid $48 admission for myself, my wife, my older daughter and my PRESCHOOL daughter. When I pointed out to the gift shop clerk my daughter was free, he said she was a child. I can assure you my daughter is not yet in kindergarten. I believe I was overcharged $8.3. The tour proceeded at such a quick pace there was neither time to read many display plaques nor ask questions of our tour guide. 4. As our tour went through the Wigwam house, and all were allowed to look about, we ventured upstairs not knowing it was forbidden. Our tour guide yelled out we were not allowed to go upstairs and added embarrassingly and sarcastically "come on, people really." I do not recall if she said do not go upstairs. Regardless I apologized.5. Our tour guide repeated many times we should come and stay overnight at Sagamore. Since no accommodations were ever shown to us, I would be more enticed to stay if I had seen something (even a picture) of the accommodations. We never saw the inside of a cabin, cottage or any overnight lodging. I felt I was being sold a time share.6. Part way through the tour the guide said there was a question about pictures. Someone had asked if we could take pictures inside the buildings. The guide said no we could only take pictures outside. Don't you think it would be better to announce this at the beginning of the tour? Are we supposed to delete them from our cameras now? I'd post a picture to this review but you know, we are not allowed!While I found Sagamore interesting, I will not recommend such an expensive, limited tour. Don't waste your time.