Center for Creative Retirement
We offer more educational and fun classes, trips and workshops to keep you actively engaged.
How to Register
- Register online by selecting "Add to Cart" on the desired course(s) and select "Cart" at the bottom of the page when you are ready to checkout.
- The “Seats Left” information is updated every half hour and when you checkout.
- Other registration options are available.
Don’t see the course you are looking for below? Sign up to get updates and news about upcoming classes.
Courses
- American Mah Jongg
- Annie Oakley: Past into Present
- Bird Watching
- Celebrating 200 Years of the Erie Canal
- Knickerbocker Family Mansion: Ghosts, Tour and Lunch
- National Museum of Racing & Hall of Fame
- Norman Rockwell Presentation
- Senior Exercise Class
- Shakers & Their Adopted Children
- The Saugerties Lighthouse
American Mah Jongg
Whether you are a beginner or looking for a refresher, join us in learning American Mahjong. This class includes basic instruction and the opportunity to play with people of varying skill levels. Let’s play, learn to conquer the card, and delve into strategies. If you have a Mahjong set, please bring it with you. Course fee includes a $30 materials fee.
No class 3/18 & 4/22
Course will be held in Daycare Center, Room B06
Criss Macaione, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesdays, 2/25 - 5/13 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm |
ZSPI-276 600 | 0 seats left | $114 | Section Full Call to be added to wait list |
Annie Oakley: Past into Present
Come enjoy a morning with re-enactor Denise Wright as she portrays the American sharpshooter and folk heroine who starred in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. After the first-person interpretation, Wright will discuss the use of historical interpretation and interactive dramatizations as methods to bring history to life. There will be an opportunity for participants to try their hand at developing a character from the past into a present-day historical experience.
Course will be held in WIL, Room 113
Denise Wright, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, 5/5 9:30 am - 11:30 am |
ZCCR-808 600 | 0 seats left | $15 | Section Full Call to be added to wait list |
Bird Watching
Join a Saratoga Spa State Park environmental educator on a guided walk through Gray’s Crossing, at the southern end of the park, to spot and identify songbirds during their spring migration. The walking route is a level, one-mile loop trail that covers multiple habitats. Bring your own binoculars and feel free to use mobile devices to help identify birdsongs. Possible bird sightings include several species of warblers, sparrows and waterfowl. The program will be conducted rain or shine, so be prepared for any weather conditions. Wear sturdy shoes as the path may be wet and muddy. Bug spray will be provided. There are no restroom facilities at Gray’s Crossing.
Course will meet at Gray’s Crossing, 87 Northline Rd, Ballston Spa
Lea Darling, Coordinator
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, 5/8 9:30 am - 11:30 am |
ZCCR-806 600 | 0 seats left | $15 | Section Full Call to be added to wait list |
Celebrating 200 Years of the Erie Canal
The program will cover the purpose of the Erie Canal, construction statistics, why it was built in New York State, and its effect on New York, the nation, and American engineering in general. We will also discuss the completion celebration in 1825, centennial celebration in 1925, and the planned bicentennial celebration in 2025. Course includes $10 materials fee.
Course will be held in WIL, Room 113
Tom Ragosta, Watervliet City Historian, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, 4/29 9:30 am - 11:30 am |
ZCCR-810 600 | 0 seats left | $25 | Section Full Call to be added to wait list |
Knickerbocker Family Mansion: Ghosts, Tour and Lunch
The Knickerbocker Historical Society will be our hosts as they tell us about the history and ghosts of the Knickerbocker Mansion, which dates from about 1770. They will arrange for historical “ghosts” to give moving firsthand accounts of their lives and experiences, and they will explain the renovations – the not-for-profit Society rescued the mansion from certain demolition and has continued to restore it. Our visit concludes with a chance to tour the mansion and a colonial lunch cooked with authentic recipes, a delicious side to the history of the mansion. Course fee includes $30 materials fee.
Course will meet at Knickerbocker Family Mansion, 132 Knickerbocker Rd., Schaghticoke, NY
Michele Doodian, Coordinator
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, 5/14 10:30 am - 1:30 pm |
ZCCR-137 600 | 0 seats left | $45 | Section Full Call to be added to wait list |
National Museum of Racing & Hall of Fame
Come visit the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame! Enjoy a docent-led tour that will teach you all about American thoroughbred racing and its rich history in our country. The galleries are filled with paintings, trophies, historical artifacts, and much more that celebrate America’s first national sport. The tour will conclude with an 18-minute screening of our Hall of Fame signature film, “What It Takes: Journey to the Hall of Fame.” Course includes $22 materials fee.
Course will meet at 191 Union Ave, Saratoga Springs
Lea Darling, Coordinator
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, 5/9 10:00 am - 12:00 pm |
ZCCR-816 600 | 12 seats left | $37 |
Norman Rockwell Presentation
Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to learn about Norman Rockwell‘s life, art and character. The presentation includes the historical background of the artist, his family, his schooling, his teachers, mentors and illustrators, his painting approaches, and his most iconic works. We will also hear about his personal life and the way his work ties into American culture, and hear about the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge.
Course will be held in WIL, Room 113
Dan Carubia, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, 4/9 9:30 am - 11:30 am |
ZCCR-684 600 | 12 seats left | $15 |
Senior Exercise Class
Over the course of an hour, students in this class for seniors will work on 18 exercises grouped in three modalities in ascending order of difficulty. Students will be provided with a sheet listing the exercises to use at home as part of a daily routine and will need to bring their own mat and one- or two-pound hand weights to class.
Course does not meet on 4/22.
Course will be held in Brahan Hall, Room 114
Ihor Evanick, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesdays, 4/1 - 5/13 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm |
ZREC-133 600 | 1 seats left | $25 |
Shakers & Their Adopted Children
When the first Shakers settled on land that is now part of the Albany Airport, it was 1784 and there were no organized orphanages or social services of any kind in the area. The indigent had to depend upon help from neighbors and local churches, which were the only doors open for food and shelter. This presentation will open up the world of the Shakers through the eyes of four children who were either brought to the Shakers to be educated and raised or came along with their indigent mother. All four of them wrote detailed accounts of their life with the Shakers, which the class will cover, along with period photographs (converted into slides) of the children interacting with the Shakers.
Course will be held in WILL, Room 113
Marilyn Sassi, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, 5/1 10:00 am - 12:00 pm |
ZCCR-804 600 | 0 seats left | $22 | Section Full Call to be added to wait list |
The Saugerties Lighthouse
Join us at the Saugerties Lighthouse, an 1869 landmark on the Hudson River that now stands proudly as a living museum and a renowned bed and breakfast. Step back in time more than a hundred years to experience the charm and rustic simplicity of life in the middle of the river. The Saugerties Lighthouse Conservancy maintains the lighthouse and adjacent lands for the enjoyment of the public. The restored red-brick lighthouse offers overnight bed and breakfast accommodations, public tours, and special events. Furnished as it may have looked in the early 20th century, the lighthouse contains a small museum, gift shop, parlor, kitchen, keepers’ quarters, and two guest bedrooms. The operational light tower offers a panoramic view of the
Hudson River Valley and Catskill Mountains. Because of its location on the river, tours must be scheduled with tide schedules in mind. The lighthouse can be reached via a half-mile nature trail of dirt and rock paths with wooden bridges and boardwalks and sandy trails. It is at the end of Lighthouse Drive in the village of Saugerties, New York. Suitable, comfortable shoes are recommended as it is a short walk to the lighthouse. Course fee includes $10 materials fee
Course will meet at the 168 Lighthouse Road, Saugerties, NY
Saugerties Lighthouse Staff, Coordinator
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, 5/1 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm |
ZCCR-337 600 | 0 seats left | $25 | Section Full Call to be added to wait list |
Get in Touch
Division of Workforce Development and Community Education
Fax: (518) 629-8103
Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (excluding college holidays and vacations)