Welcome to August at Saratoga Sips and Scenes! Here’s a rundown of what to expect at the Victoria Pool at Saratoga Spa State Park and how to make the most of your dip (if it’s going to stay so hot this summer, maybe I should rename the blog to Saratoga Dips and Scenes?)
Saturday afternoon at the Victoria Pool
I spent the first day of August with my best friend at the Victoria Pool at Spa State Park. We arrived around 2 and it was pretty busy. I’m not sure I’ve ever been there before, but I definitely remember swimming lessons as a kid at the Peerless Pool!
We lucked out and snagged two lounge chairs but I brought a small folding camp chair just in case. There were a lot of people there – mostly adults and some kids. You’re definitely sitting close to others! We spent most of the time floating around in the deep end where it was less crowded.
The Victoria Pool: Know Before You Go
- 2026 Summer schedule: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM daily June 29th – September 7th
- Location and Parking: View Victoria Pool on Google Maps. We entered the park via Avenue of the Pines (no car entrance fee if you enter there and turn onto Roosevelt Drive) and parked in the closest parking lot to the pool (view parking lot location on Google Maps).
- Fees:
- Adults: $8.00
- Children: $4.00 (if under 10 years old must be closely supervised by an adult 18 years or older.)
- Seniors: $4.00 on weekdays (NYS residents only; reduced rate does not apply on weekends or holidays.)
- Restrooms: Bathrooms, showers and changing stalls available.
- Sun: Bring a hat and plenty of sunscreen and water. If you’re lucky, you may score an umbrella!
- Seating: Seats, lounge chairs, and umbrellas are first come, first served.
- Food/drinks: Small coolers permitted with food and non-alcoholic beverages. 58 Roosevelt Bar and Grill is available right off of the pool, including beverages like beer, wine, cocktails and more. I’ve never been but you can check out the 2026 58 Roosevelt Bar and Grill menu here!
- Capacity: 344
- Learn more about the Victoria and Peerless Pools here at Saratoga.com.
From Dips to Sips: Tacos and Margs at Mexican Connection
We left in time to go to Mexican Connection by the track for happy hour (check out Mexican Connection’s website here). I’ll do a more in-depth post about Mexican Connection in the future, but suffice it to say the margaritas are my favorite in Saratoga! I noticed that the happy hour menu and some full menu prices increased this month (for example, happy hour tacos went from $3.00 to $3.75 and house margaritas from $5.00 to $6.00 – still an excellent deal for a taco and marg!)
Mexican Connection’s Happy Hour Schedule:
Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM in the front half and the bar
Monday: All night happy hour 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM throughout the whole restaurant
Em’s Takeaway
The Victoria Pool is worth the $8.00, especially on a hot summer afternoon! Even better on a Sunday after the Spa City Farmer’s Market (read my recent post about Saratoga Farmer’s Markets here). It seems more adult-friendly but there were kids enjoying the pool as well. I highly recommend a camp chair as backup in case lounge chairs are taken. I haven’t visited the pool in the morning when it opens but I’ve heard lines form early and it’s a dash to the lounge chairs. I will definitely be back before the Victoria Pool closes on September 7th! Where do you like to cool off in Saratoga? Let me know in the comments!