Saranac Laboratory Museum

The first laboratory in the United States built specifically to study tuberculosis

Address 89 Church Street

The Saranac Laboratory was the first U.S. research lab built to study tuberculosis, founded in 1894 by Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau as part of his Adirondack Cottage Sanitarium. The exhibits cover the development of the cure-cottage approach, the medical breakthroughs that eventually produced effective TB drugs, and the village's century-long transformation from health resort to research community.

Original lab benches, slides, microscopes, and patient files are on display. The building is small but tightly curated; allow 60–90 minutes. The museum sits in the Berkeley Square Historic District near the village centre, walking distance from most downtown sights and the trailhead for the cure cottage walking tour. Open in summer; check ahead in shoulder seasons.

things to do museum
A story
Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau came to Saranac Lake in 1873 expecting to die of tuberculosis. He instead recovered, opened a sanatorium, and built this laboratory in 1894 — the first in the U.S. dedicated to studying a single disease. The work done here helped lay the foundations for modern infectious-disease research, and the building is now a National Historic Landmark.

Other places in Things to Do