About Hollis Palmer:

Our principle guide is Hollis Palmer, an author and Victorian historian. He specializes in the history of Saratoga Springs, having written three books on the City. Hollis has also authored six books that document true crimes in Saratoga and the surrounding areas. All the books are based in the Victorian Era. In most of the stories the guilty party was never convicted and the crime remains officially unsolved.  

His most recent publication, See and Be Seen: Saratoga in the Victorian Era, depicts the people, politics, economics and society in Saratoga from 1856 to 1906. This book won the prestigious 2011 Ruth Emery Award for the best regional history book awarded by the Victorian Society of America.

Hollis’ other books include, Saratoga’s Great Ladies and The Batcheller Mansion. Saratoga’s Great Ladies tells the stories of the houses on North Broadway and Franklin Square, focusing upon the families who built them and made them “homes.” This is the basis of the step-on bus tours. The Batcheller Mansion relates the history of the Batcheller family and the building of their beautiful mansion that the New York Times called “Saratoga’s Crowning Glory” and is the basis for our Tour and a Book activity.

Through his research and writing, Hollis has developed a keen understanding and vast knowledge of the people who lived in and built Saratoga. From these experiences, he has developed an entertaining, yet informative, style for giving tours and telling his stories.