Petrified Sea Gardens

Petrified Sea Gardens is a protected natural site in Saratoga Springs displaying fossilized Stromatolite formations arranged in circular patterns. These structures cover roughly one acre and formed from ancient marine algae mixed with sediments over geological time.

James Hall, New York's first State Paleontologist, identified these formations in 1825 and started scientific study of these marine structures. The Stromatolites date from over 500 million years ago and record evidence of early organisms.

This place served as a learning center from 1924 to 2006 and drew many people curious about science and ancient life. Visitors could see fossilized marine algae up close and understand how ocean life appeared hundreds of millions of years ago.

The site has been closed to visitors since 2006, so you cannot access it directly or view the formations up close. Nearby Lester Park offers comparable geological features and remains open to the public for exploration.

These Stromatolites were the first of their kind discovered in North America and show the work of ancient marine algae. Their circular patterns formed slowly as these organisms grew and accumulated sediment over millions of years.