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------- At Ballston Lake was a Schenectady Railway-owned picnic area and park called Forest Park.

----- photo of boat landing, part of Forest Park, an amusement park built by the Schenectady Railway trolley company on shore of Ballston Lake. Also shows walkway along shore.

Forest Park is ideally situated at the head of Ballston Lake and represents a splendid natural preserve. From the rustic station a charming woodpath leads to the lake shore within the park grounds, where adequate facilities exist for boating and bathing. Hundreds of picnickers find their way to its many pleasures. Those who enjoy the water may find the yacht "Comanche" at their service, and a fleet of modern steel rowboats. Abundant provision for the comfort of guests is made at the Forest Park Inn. Dancing in the large pavilion, surrounded as it is by enclosing trees, offers its great attraction. Large audiences hear the concerts given upon the high bluff which overlooks the quiet lake.



In 1902, the area at the south end of Ballston Lake was bought by the Schenectady Railway Co. They began running trolley cars from Schenectady to Saratoga, and then created Forest Park along the shore of the lake. On summer nights, lighted open cars were run on the tracks to the park�with lighted hoops saying �Twilight Special.� A dance hall, restaurant, merry-go-round, picnic grounds, shooting gallery, fireworks were all parts of Forest Park. There were also canoe rentals, guide boats on the lake, and a steam-powered boat named the Comanche. The Park lasted until 1927.