I am a self defined and described nerd. It has recently been more notable since I have been finding myself searching out more and more historical sites and museums to visit. Especially with how the last year has panned out. Visiting some of these sites allows you to explore on your own and away from a crowd. I have driven past this on so many occasions and never gave it a second thought. With my recent vacation turning into more of a staycation because plans got changed at the last minute I decided why not venture here and check it off my list of things to see and do in our fine state of Pennsylvania. Fort Ligonier sits along busy Route 30, right wear the route converts from two to four lanes. You might as well consider where this sits as the entryway to the town of Ligonier. Makes it look like a grand entrance. Fort Ligonier is actually two things in one...I guess we can call them attractions. You have the museum that has several different exhibits. Then you have the reconstruction of the fort. Each of the two can consume a good amount of your time. Once you arrive and pay for your admission you are given a ticket, or should I say sticker, you wear the sticker as you go through the exhibits. That way that let's the employee know that you paid. The museum portion offers a lot. Within the museum you have the History Gallery, George Washington Gallery, Art Gallery, The World Ablaze, Arthur St. Clair Parlor, and Archaeology and Reconstruction. That seems like it shouldn't fit inside the building that it all does. Because when you pair that with space set aside for educational needs and conference room space, this facility is a lot bigger than it appears. I enjoyed visiting each of the exhibits, I learned something new in every single one. I did not really understand the importance of this fort and the role it played throughout its timespan. There are quite a many unique items inside that you will not find elsewhere. Especially stop in the GW gallery and check out his firearms. The art gallery was impressive with the paintings of famous names from the past. Definitely check out the Arthur St. Clair Parlor, it is an actual portion of a home inside this building. I could go on and on about how much there is to see in here, but if I do that, I will run out of room about the rest of this place. The fort portion is very interesting, and quite the workout. You get to walk about the fort, any and everywhere you want to explore. Make sure that you do explore, I mean inspect every nook and cranny. I wondered everywhere I could and read all the informative plagues that they had. Things to note about this place. The fort is not fully reconstructed You get that when you notice that the walls abruptly stop. Also, the famous Forbes Road runs right through the fort. They even have it laid out that you can walk the path within the fort. After walking in and out of the many buildings on the ground you will run into a staffer that knows so much more information about this place than they had room for. I ran into such a staffer who showed me a lot of the grounds and even pulled out a map that showed where exactly the fort was and how they had to figure out exactly where it was when they started out with the fort/museum. A majority of what you see inside comes from the excavation they had to do. The staffer also informed me about the weaponry used inside the fort. I was informed the distance some of the bigger guns would reach. There is so much to go over with the grounds, I am sure I would miss something. There are so many buildings on the grounds inside the fort that range from a hospital, armory, and soldiers quarters. There are so many things that went into the fort that I had no idea how much of a city a fort really is. The museum store is decent. There are many decent gifts to find within. Of course they are all Fort Ligonier themed. read more

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This is definitely worth a visit. Alot of great history, the museum is very well put together both inside and outside

This is a world class museum dedicated to colonial life during the French and Indian war. Learn about historic figures such as Lafayette, Saint Clair, Braddock, Forbes and of course, George Washington. Artifacts abound to open your eyes about how life and war was waged in the 18th century. A whole art gallery is included in the museum tour as well as a completely rebuilt fort with many out buildings to explore. A must see in the Laurel Highlands. read more

We visited Fort Ligonier in the winter which was probably a bad idea. The museum hours were shorter since it was out of season and exploring the grounds in the brutally cold afternoon made for a quicker than planned visit. The museum volunteers were friendly and told great stories about the history of the Fort and the surrounding areas. The volunteers could see that we were curious about the grounds but reluctant to listen to their tour outside. They told engaging stories from the warmth of the museum and pointed to areas on the grounds to illustrate their points. They talked about their annual reenactment events which sounded interesting. The artifacts were well maintained. The museum is easy to navigate with a stroller or wheelchair. read more

Fort Ligonier - Fort Ligonier, Pennsylvania. - Museums Near Me - Ligonier, Pennsylvania

Great place to visit full of history and plenty of parking. Also don't forget Fort Ligonier Days in October I think the 13th 14th and 15th anyway just check on line to make sure of the correct dates and times and also they put on great demonstrations of historic eras always a fun time and there's plenty of great places to eat try The Kitchen that's my personal favourite I recommend the burger but if you're in the mood for something else there's plenty of variety and shopping in town with some really cool shops and its all like a two minute walk from the Fort! There's plenty of parking as well ... read more

I am a total museum junkie. I will go to big ones and small ones, cheesy ones (RIP UFO museum of Portland, OR) and grand ones. I had no idea what to expect with this living monument to fort-titude. The museum building houses a spectacular array of artifacts, in addition to the usual story boards and displays. What is really awesome is the full-scale, on-site reconstruction of the 1758-1766 original fort. American heritage just doesn't get any cooler than this. You can climb down a spooky, precarious ladder to where the ammunition kegs were kept, step into a working hospital, or hang in the fort mess hall. A kooky, amicable historian in an authentic English uniform lurks around with his gear, gunned up and ready to answer all your questions. There are weapons and cannons and more oh my. Kids would probably go nuts here, it's a historical goldmine. Wow, am I a geek or what? $8 an adult is a small price to pay for all this American heritage action. After the museum you can hop up the road for a little fun in downtown Ligonier, a darling little community. read more

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Today we decided to pack up a variety of kiddos (ages 6 to 17) and learn about the happenings at Fort Ligonier. The adults had not been there since grade school and quite honestly really didn't remember a thing about it so between the kids and the concern for how interesting it could be we packed up the car and promise ice cream for the reward. When we arrive we were greeted but smiling group of ladies who could not have been friendlier. We asked if there were any guides available and Judy said that she would be happy to and we found out later that it was her first time. She was so great with ALL of the kids and they all ended up asking questions, even the 16&17 year olds. She was so friendly and engaging she even convinced ALL of the kids to dress up AND SMILE for the picture. She walked us all through the museum and took us through every building outside and was really great at explaining the use of all of the buildings in a way even the little ones understood. In the end we headed into the art gallery and she was able to give us all of the history of George Washington's guns and also gave a really interesting story about King George and why her went mad. To find out you'll have to go yourself. I just have to say I was very pleasantly surprised how much a group of people who really didn't have much interest in American war history really ended up having a really great time and learned a lot. I think we will be back, it really was so much more than we all expected. Also need to say that both Gabi and Nicole were also so super sweet to the kids. read more

Fort Ligonier - Everyone smiled!! - Museums Near Me - Ligonier, Pennsylvania

Nice history of the fort and area during the period around the French and Indian war. Nice artifacts and displays indoors and the recreated Fort based on excavated findings gives an accurate portrayal of how it was back then. read more

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A historic site which I never really knew existed. Do a bit of research before visiting to get the true "flavor" of this site.

Kept seeing the advertisements for Fort Ligonier Days and so glad I made the drive from Pittsburgh! My first visit, my first re-enactment and it was truly special. I spent most of my time in the museum because there was just so much to see, read and take in! What an incredible museum! Very impressive! Then I toured the outside, spoke with many of the re-enactors and waited for the show! First came the artillery demo and it did not disappoint! The kids really enjoyed the big bangs! Then the fighting began! Many around me said this was their first re-enactment too and we were all mezmerized! The man were really into it and kept loading and shooting while the narrator kept giving us the history! It was chilling and utterly engaging. I visited some of the wonderful artisians at the festival and couldn't believe with all of the people, there was room to wander around and enjoy the food and drink. HIGHLY recommend you visit this amazing Fort and teach your kids history! read more

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Fort Ligonier: The Museum is really two attractions - the reconstructed fort and the museum. If you are expecting something like Ft. Ticonderoga...don't. Ft. Ligonier is/was a small wooden palisade fort built as a staging point on the way to capture Ft. Duquesne/Pittsburgh. It is cool for it's size...but it is small. The museum on the other hand was a revelation. Dedicated to the Seven Years war (also known in the US as the French-Indian war) it combines artifacts and illustrations to create a unique and amazing exhibition. read more

We finally made time to stop and tour Fort Ligonier over Memorial Day weekend. This is something that although we live fairly near, we never made time to do. It's always too crowded in the fall, during Fort Ligonier Days and parking is very limited. With the Memorial holiday, I learned online that the fort would be hosting a group of reenactors from the state of Indiana. They would do artillery demonstrations and also stage a mock battle between English and French soldiers. The museum is a wonderful source on the time period involving the French and Indian war, which was known as the 7 Years War in Europe. There are priceless artifacts on display. Both the regular volunteer guides and the reenactors were very friendly and very willing to share their knowledge and passion on this period of history. They were intent on involving young and old visitors. There were quite a few people from out of town who made a special trip just to visit this fort. There is a souvenir shop with lots of items for sale. I picked up two coloring books on colonial soldiers for my great-nephews. The museum building is expanding to make an education center; so the parking lot has been reduced due to heavy equipment, but the improvements will be worth the temporary inconvenience. It was a very nice visit and something I would take an out of town visitor to see. read more

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There is not a whole lot to do around these parts, so I was intrigued when I saw they had a fully reconstructed fort from the French and Indian War. I was even more excited when I saw there was a BOGO coupon in the local brochure guide available in the area visitor's center. This fort is wooden, and played a key role in controlling this area. George Washington even served here. The museum inside did a good job at explaining context and had some interesting artifacts. The buildings were very cool (although a mannequin in the one building was creepy). Only disappointment was I thought this was a living history museum meaning I was expecting to see costumed actors throughout. Sadly no, but not a major detractor. In all, definitely worth a stop even if you're not a history buff. Allow an hour to an hour and a half. read more

I love this little museum and the replica of the French-Indian War fort. How bizarrely different it must have been to be on that spot in 1757. Now the cannons point at a highway. Could those soldiers have even imagined? Probably not. My parents used to take us kids here when we were little, and I took my son. It's great, and so is the shop, which has cool t-shirts, cheesy rifles and hats for kids, and neat books about that era and the area, including several by local authors. I also love the giant print by John Buxton of French soldiers and their native allies checking out the fort in 1758. Just beautiful. A cheap, interesting, beautiful, educational stop for military buffs, history buffs and pretty much anyone needing a break from the car. read more

Drove through this town real quick and it looked awesome. Full of American Culture. Definitely a good place to bring the family. When I go back to PA I'm spending time here. read more

This is the premier French and Indian War museum! Great place for a family to visit! Staff are friendly and engaging. Well worth it. read more

Fort Ligonier - Museums Near Me - Ligonier, Pennsylvania

Haven't visited this place for a long time. Enjoyed walking around the small fort.

Wow the new expansion is beautify. Must visit. They did a wonderful job. If it's been a while since you visit you must stop in

We stopped here without knowing much about it. I thought they might have people re-enacting scenes but they do not. Nonetheless, my boys, aged 6 and 10, loved it. We all learned a lot just by wandering around. It was worth stopping by. read more