10 Fun Facts That Make Bolton Landing
an Adirondack Gem

While people use the names interchangeably, Bolton Landing is technically a hamlet within the Town of Bolton. When people say, “Bolton Landing,” they usually mean the waterfront community, while “Bolton” refers to the entire town. Historically, Bolton Landing got its name because it was where the steamboats docked on their way up from Lake George.

More than half of Lake George’s shoreline and islands are in the Town of Bolton, which covers 64.5 square miles. Of the 162 larger islands, 125 are on Bolton’s assessment roll. Bolton is also a part of the Kayaderosseras Range, including Cat Mountain, Tongue Mountain, Pole Hill, and High Nopit.  

From 1970 to 1980, Bolton was home to Time Town, a space-themed amusement park that encouraged visitors to “Enter the 21^st century and board the spaceship for a realistic space journey far beyond our own galaxy!” The park featured laser light shows, animatronic performances, exhibits, and rides.

In March of 1799, what we now call the Town of Bolton broke away from the larger Town of Thurman. Curiously, in the first few Bolton town meetings, any official declaration naming the town was never recorded. Historians believe the name is derived from a region in northern England called Bolton.

For people looking for a more laid-back Lake George experience, Bolton is the perfect destination. The Bolton Landing waterfront is less hectic than Lake George Village, and the relaxed atmosphere of upscale shops, restaurants, and beaches is a nice alternative to the summer crowds on Canada Street. In a nutshell, Bolton is less “touristy” and more “artsy” than the Village.

In the 1890s, many of the nation’s wealthy families spent their summers at sprawling mansions, such as Villa Marie Antoinette, along the western shore of Lake George known as “Millionaires Row”. The Sagamore Resort opened in 1883 on Green Island across from Bolton Landing. This luxury hotel quickly became a social hot spot for the Roosevelts, Vanderbilts, Whitneys and Rockerfellers. 

In the summer of 1914, the World Champion Gold Cup speedboats raced across Bolton’s waters. Watching the race that day was a young George Reis, who would later become a local boat racing legend. Reis brought the Gold Cup back to Bolton Bay in 1934 and 1935 where he won with his boat El Logarto. You can learn more about Reis and see El Logarto at the Adirondack Museum.

The Marcella Sembrich Opera Museum was built in Bolton Landing between 1922 and 1924. It was originally used as a teaching studio for the famous 20^th-century opera singer, and after her death in 1935, it was converted into a museum. Now this location is on the National Register of Historic Places and hosts live performances, lectures, and films during its summer festival.

In the late 1800’s, the story of the “Sacrificial Stone” was famously told to guests at the Mohican House in Bolton Landing. According to the legend, a captive maiden was burned at the stake while her lover, a young warrior, was away at war. When he returned, a spectral, ghostly warrior appeared and saved her from the flames at the “Sacrifical Stone” on Mohican Point in Bolton Bay.

One of the first Europeans to view the Bolton, Lake George region was French missionary Father Isaac Jogues. He named the lake “Lac du Saint Sacrement” (Lake of the Blessed Sacrement) in 1642. Jogues was killed in 1646 by the Mohawks, who blamed him for a crop failure. He was canonized as a saint in 1930, and there’s a small memorial to him in Bolton Landing.