Experience Fall at the ADKX

Autumnal fun at the museum 

Fall has found itself again at the Adirondack Experience, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake, and we couldn’t be more excited! We stand in awe as familiar reds and yellows swirl around the property, popular exhibits are accompanied by brilliant flowers of the season, and if you look closely, you’ll find your favorite mountain critters scurrying around the grounds, getting ready to stock up on all their supplies for winter. It’s uncontested that no other place on earth does fall quite like the Adirondacks, and our favorite museum works hard to showcase that. On top of all the beauty that surrounds this transitional season, there’s plenty of events to round out your perfect fall visit. Soak up all the fall excitement with festivals, classes, crafts, and adventures to be had at the Adirondack Experience! 

people visit the entrance room of the Adirondack experience.

Nature walks with Ed Kanze - Thursday, September 21

Step into the outdoors with a nature walk! Join author Ed Kanze for his series of guided walks through the region, from mountain tops to tranquil low-impact trails. For September 21, join in a beginner-level hike up nearby Coney Mountain, a 1.1 mile climb to the summit, where you’ll soar above the towns of Long Lake and Tupper Lake. While you make your journey, you’ll pass by a stand of old-growth sugar maple trees, (if only we had pancakes!) Once at the summit, take in the 360 views of the incredible foliage blanketing the surrounding peaks and valleys. While you’re up there,  join Ed in scanning the skies for hawks, falcons, and eagles, and learn a thing or two about the vast natural history of the area. Ed Kanze is a published naturalist author and adventurer, his essays and articles have appeared in Adirondack Life, Audubon, Birder’s World, The Conservationist, Utne Reader, and many more. His most recent book, Over The Mountain And Home Again: Journeys Of An Adirondack Naturalist brings together stories of nature and adventure in the Adirondack Park.

An older man points to the trees to a tour group.


Paint with Patrice at The ADKX - Thursday, September 21

Grab your paint brushes and get the canvases, you’re about to become Picasso, a Picasso of Adirondack scenes at least. Over a two hour period, Patrice will walk you through creating an acrylic painting on an 8x8 or 10x10 stretched canvas. Perfect for beginner painters, or those simply looking to hone their craft, anyone can learn how to put the incredible scenes of the Adirondacks onto canvas. Supplies are included upon a registration fee. For the September 21 class, the theme will be “Inspired by Forests”, painters of the class will study painting brilliant blue skies, crisp white birch bark, and golden leaves, perfect for some fall decor in your home. 

a woman paints a cold winter scene with evergreen trees on canvas.

Xperience for All - Saturday, September 23

If you’re new to the Adirondacks and a bit timid about getting out into the outdoors and roughing it, the Adirondack Experience has got your back. Xperience for All is an all-day event, and serves as an official introduction for newbies to come explore the Adirondack Park safely and confidently. A quintessential celebration of outdoor recreation, the experts of the ADKX are ready to introduce the broad opportunities for outdoor enjoyment for those who are unfamiliar or not yet comfortable exploring the region’s woods and waterways on their own. The Adirondack Experience will be free for all on the day of the event, so bring your friends! The day will feature workshops, games, demonstrations, and presentations, all in the spirit of providing museum visitors a foundation to safely pursue recreation on their own.

A tour group stands in front of a grand lodge-style building on a sunny day.

Quilling with ADKartrise Saturday, September 23

So now that you’ve mastered the canvas, how about you try your hand at quilling? Julia Fatato from ADK ArtRise will be at the Adirondack Experience to teach you just that! Quilling is the art of rolled, shaped, and glued paper that results in creating a unified decorative design. Think swirling shapes that can craft dimensional creatures, scenes, plants … anything! In this class, participants will create a pair of earrings. All materials are included upon pre-registration. 

a birch tree with yellow leaves juts out onto a blue lake.

FallFest - Sunday, October 1 

Finally, the crown jewel of the Adirondack Experience’s fall season, FallFest! The campus will be filled with traditional pastimes like apple pressing, autumnal crafts, and fiber arts demonstrations. Walk the grounds and experience live music all day! This family-friendly day is packed with activities, games, and much more. Sit yourself on a Horse-drawn wagon ride, prep your tastebuds for cider tasting and other delicious goodies, and take home your own painted pumpkin. There is fun for all ages at this fiery fall event, so come join in!

people congregate on the back porch of a building that connects to a pond.

Feast on fall fun

The Adirondack Experience is ready for all the fall fun this season, are you? Stop in to festivals, try your hand at making a craft for your home, or simply get in on the fun with the fam! Hike any of the beginner-friendly peaks in the area, and get outside into the foliage. Around the region, experience all that the fall season has to offer. From cozy lakeside restaurants to campfires on a crisp autumn night, you’ll find out why we’re so excited for this colorful season.