1. Fort Ontario

    1. Fort Ontario

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    Oswego, NY

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    Fort Ontario

    4.6 (14 reviews)

    Fort Ontario Photos

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    Patriot P.

    It's an enclosed cinderblock building. Go in. Adult tickets are $4. It's a round area with hills you can go up to see the views . There's about 4 houses. Tours of them. You get to see how they lived in the 19th Century. Gift Shop was closed. Took about 30 minutes. Unless you really sightsee BUMMER.

    Routes taken through the state
    Sam B.

    Very cute stop for a little bit of history! We were there for an hour just walking around and seeing the sights and the lake. The light house looks bigger but photographs very small. It's still cute though.

    Enlisted Men's Barracks, Officers' Quarters
    Paul L.

    I'm not a military buff. I visit historic forts because I imagine myself living in many of them. Fort Ontario is no different. It's on the waterfront. Residential structures sit in a circle nestled in a star-shaped stone-walled compound. It's glorious in the summer and probably cozy in the winter sitting by the fireplaces in each of the buildings. The military history is interesting but the fort's later life is compelling, too. Before the fort became a state park in the mid-20th century, it had a brief life as a European refugee center for Holocaust victims -- the only such site in the United States.

    New York Sate Park's Dept. aerial photograph
    Marqus R.

    I really enjoy touring old forts. You may think me kooky about that but as crazy as it may be, my undergraduate degree happens to be in Military Science even though it may be a debatable issue as to how much of an actual science there is to it. Some of my favorite forts (Fort Niagara perched upon a cliff overlooking the waters where the Niagara flows into Lake Ontario is my favorite) happen to be along the shores of the Great Lakes both within the United States and Canada. These forts basically played an instrumental part in the in the French and Indian War (1754-1763) and the War of 1812 (1812-1815). The star shaped Fort Ontario, as it stands today however is actually the fourth fort, having been built upon the ruins of three earlier forts and as such, with a series of successive modifications, only dates back to circa 1873. Though the area information offices claim otherwise, this fort never really amounted to much and its place in warfare history is hardly significant and though there is a lot of local hoopla about the fact New York 3rd Regiment captured and destroyed the fort during the Revolutionary War, the humbling fact is that only occurred after the British had abandoned it. So, no big deal, especially since the British merely returned and rebuilt it. However, what we have here is a marvelously well preserved well maintained fort on a recreational site that offers gorgeous overlooks of Lake Ontario and stands as an outstanding testament to the dedication of the many dedicated volunteers who have donated their time and efforts to its well preserved continuation. Though I wouldn't suggest going out of my way to visit it, unless you're a fort buff like me, it's certainly a must see if happen to be nearby. There is an officers quarters, a video room for view historical facts, a munitions area, ramparts to view and walk around, a storehouse, casements, cannons, storehouse, special occasion events and an information area.

    The fort

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    9 years ago

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    10 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    This is an interesting fort with lots of history through several decades. Worth the visit if in the area.

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    6 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Awesome place to take your family the old fort is amazing also has great views of the lake

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    11 years ago

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    Review Highlights - Fort Ontario

    A quick trip from Syracuse, and located in an area with many restaurants and cute gift shops, I highly recommend a visit to Fort Ontario - you will not regret it!

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    The Children's Musuem

    The Children's Musuem

    4.2(11 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    My granddaughter and I have been here several times. It's a great place for littles to explore in…read morea safe place with lots of different interactive stations and areas. However! Twice now we've been when LARGE groups from schools have been there and it is absolutely chaos. I checked the website before traveling the hour to get there and nothing was mentioned. It was so loud when we entered I couldn't hear anything the girl at the register said. There were many chaperones but no one was actually managing the kids. The place is not that large and it was wild. My granddaughter is 3 1/2 and could barely maneuver around. She had toys taken out of her hand by the older, larger kiddos and you couldn't hear a thing it was so loud. I did talk to a worker from the museum and asked if there's a place to find a schedule and she kind of brushed me off. I gave 3 stars because if you go on a "normal" day it's great for younger kids.

    The Children's Museum in Oswego is fantastic and filled my kids with hours of fun and…read moreentertainment. We arrived on a Monday morning, left for lunch, and returned for more play until the museum closed at 4PM. The museum is technically two stories, although the first floor mainly consists of the admissions desk, a small gift shop, and a water play station. Waterproof smocks or covers would have been nice since my son's shirt did get quite wet. There were boats, fishing rods, and cascading channels of water for various kinds of water play. This was a hit with both of my toddlers. The second floor had much more activities. From large and small foam blocks, Magnatiles, a scarf suction pipe/chute, books, light tables, brite light pegs, and a mini spiral climbing structure, to a dentist's office, pizza and salad restaurant, fire truck, tree house, farmers market, farm, toilet to teach plumbing, aluminum recycling, color wheel, and much more, there was a lot for kids of all ages to explore. There was also a small sectioned-off area for 0-2 infants and pre-walkers. The space hosts birthday parties as well as STEM classes. The staff were lovely. We were given a stamp in our hands before we took a break for lunch so that we could re-enter for free that same day. The only complaint I have is that there was less in the way of offering arts and crafts or even free-form drawing. We did not see any parking lot, but took advantage of free 2-hour street parking. This is definitely a great spot for families with young kids in Oswego.

    Photos
    The Children's Musuem
    The Children's Musuem
    The Children's Musuem

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    Safe Haven - A Cry for Mercy by sculptor Carolyne Cree. Symbolizes the ship of refugees coming to the U.S.

    Safe Haven

    4.3(3 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    I was fortunate to have been the bartender over 20 years ago for the fundraising event to build the…read moremuseum. Ruth Gruber and so many of the survivors were in attendance. I've been meaning to visit since its opening. The tour is self led after an 8-minute video. Each area of the exhibit has touch screens (they provide a stylus) and some have audio. The accompanying app digs deeper into the stories and history. It is a must see if you're in the area. The events leading up to and during the refugee settlement should be taught about in school.

    Fort Ontario, now home to Safe Haven Museum, was the only U.S. jurisdiction to formally protect,…read morefeed, house, and educate European refugees during WWII. Thanks to President FDR, 982 refugees found their way to America and away from the devastating effects of the Holocaust. To me, it seemed unbelievable that such history could be found in CNY so I had to check it out. One Saturday morning, I made the 20 mile drive to Oswego in order to visit this small local museum. I arrived 30 minutes after it opened and was the first person there. I chatted with a delightful volunteer, who gave me a rundown of the site and its history before allowing me to watch a 38 minutes video, which included refugee interviews. After the video, I strolled around the tiny gallery to read their stories and see photos. Afterward, I walked through the main area one last time and again chatted with the volunteer, who has been keeping an eye on the place since it opened in 2002. All and all, I would say that I spent two hours at the museum, but you could easily see it all in an hour or so. Admission is $5 for adults. It is obvious that this local landmark is proud of its heritage and has gained a lot of support from both survivors and their families. There are currently plans to expand the facility and add an outdoor garden, which will be lovely. I was sad to hear that there is a shortage of volunteers because this type of history should be protected and shared for generations to come. My only real complaint is that the "theater" where the movie is shown is in the middle of the exhibit hall and the background noise is a tad distracting when you're reading plagues and information boards (a group of people came in 30 minutes behind me). Although this is a small museum and perhaps a work-in-progress, I recommend it to anyone who, like me, enjoys a trip to the museum to learn new things. I took several courses revolving around the Holocaust in both high school and college, but I never heard the story of Fort Ontario. It is worth going to see for yourself to reflect upon Oswego, NY's place in WWII history.

    Photos
    Safe Haven - The Fort at the time of the refugee encampment.

    The Fort at the time of the refugee encampment.

    Safe Haven
    Safe Haven - Dr. Afridi visits the Safe Haven

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    Dr. Afridi visits the Safe Haven

    All Things Oz - Return of oz

    All Things Oz

    5.0(13 reviews)
    43.4 mi

    While on our mini trip in the upstate of New York we visited the museum that dedicated to the…read morehistory and background of all things of oz including the location being in the city of the man who created it all. Walking in your surroundings by souvenir shop with all kinds of cool things to take home and be able to enjoy for a lifetime. The staff was phenomenal and gave us the opportunity to do a self guided tour or tour guide where they come along same price for both it was about $12 each we did the self guided tour. We able to see the original first edition book that Frank Baum had published and is worth a fortune now and she mentioned to us his grandson was the one that gave it to them. She did also mention to us about how he created other books and history of his life. That was a good introduction to understanding the creation behind all the other versions that came out. We also managed to see some classic like the wiz the return of oz and some other versions that was actually an independent film like "After the wizard which they had the original cast members costume they wore on the set and seeing the version of oz old and new was eye open and exciting and at the end we able to see more of the cast members items like wicked 2024 costumes from the first movie and also they have 3 pieces of the 1939 scarecrow straw from the costume and she mentioned that there's only 200 that were given out and they managed to have that in there museum. Overall a fun experience was able to learn some things as well as go back in to memory land and they did mention that during their Oz extravaganza festival that one of the wicked cast members will be in town stopping by and that festival is during June and the beginning of June and you could always check on their website for more information and we will definitely be back for more events and try to come out during the festival as well. This a place I would highly recommend to visit if you are in town this place is a one of kind experience.

    On our way home to CT from Western NY, we took a pit stop at the All Things Oz Museum, and we're so…read moreglad that we did! My family loves the original movie, especially my mom (who also read some of the books). We did the guided tour, which was super informative and very interesting! The girl who took us around was super friendly, and we enjoyed chatting with her. We were impressed at the memorabilia they had, and it was cool getting to learn more about L. Frank Baum in his hometown. They even had a cute photo op at the end. Definitely worth the stop if you're in the area!

    Photos
    All Things Oz - Elphaba and Glenda costume

    Elphaba and Glenda costume

    All Things Oz - The Wiz

    The Wiz

    All Things Oz

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    The Strong National Museum of Play - The Strong National Museum of Play

    The Strong National Museum of Play

    4.6(373 reviews)
    59.1 miEast End, Center City

    We don't stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing…read more.. This place is big! I spent over four hours here, and could've easily spent more. This place reminded me of the Exploratorium in San Francisco, , except instead of interactive exhibits highlighting scientific principles, these interactive exhibits were all about play! Play for both the kids, and the grown-ups. They had a ropes course for the younger kids, and another one for older kids and the grown-ups. For the kids, they had a scale model of a local grocery chain, where the kids could either "work", or "shop", right down to the working checkout lanes. They had a Sesame Street exhibit...., A butterfly habitat, and and All kinds of different indoor and outdoor play areas. I can still hula hoop! (for a whole five seconds...). They also had all of the exhibits on toys, games, and video games. This is the home of the national toy, Hall of Fame, and the national video game Hall of Fame. it was so cool seeing toys from my childhood, and a wide range of video games and pinball machine machines that are playable. The price to get in is very reasonable, and they also offer a military/veterans discount, and memberships to the museum, which offer free museum admission. There is a parking garage attached to the museum, with a small charge for parking, and there is a also a small charge for the ropes course, the butterfly habitat, or to play the video games/pinball machines. (4 tokens for a dollar, and every machine only takes one token...) This is an absolutely fun museum for kids of all ages. Thanks!!!

    LOVE this place. I have been here twice and it is not just for kids. My favorite sections are the…read moreillusions ones and the video games ones!! Easily takes 4-5hrs of your day. Super duper fun and very interactive. I always clock in at Wegmens when i visit.

    Photos
    The Strong National Museum of Play - The Strong National Museum of Play

    The Strong National Museum of Play

    The Strong National Museum of Play - Playing on sesame street

    Playing on sesame street

    The Strong National Museum of Play - Tron... full experience

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    Tron... full experience

    Fort Ontario - museums - Updated July 2026

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