If you are someone that loves history Fort Ticonderoga has a really impressive collection of military memorabilia and well preserved buildings. The entrance fee is $30 per person but includes access to all of the buildings and Mount Defiance (short drive). If you're not too into the military aspect you can just walk around and enjoy the beautiful views and immaculate grounds. The garden is stunning and they even have a small working farm with seeds and veggies for sale. read more

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We had such a blast! The musket and cannon demonstrations were so fun. There was a lot for the kids to enjoy. Walking throughout the fort there were games for the kids to play, they tried writing with a qu'il, and were given small wool scraps to take home. We explored the gardens and the kids ran and got all of their energy out in those wide open spaces! There were beautiful apple trees and more buildings to explore. We didn't sign up to do the boat ride but that is available and is a great way to extend your stay at the fort! The staff was all incredibly friendly understanding of children's needs. We couldn't ask for more with a family day out at a historical site! It was such a joy to enjoy! The gift shop had so many gems it could be very easy to end up with super cool toys Tshirts and yummy treats. Drive out slow and be ready to pull over to read the informative stones on the way out. Worth it!! Don't forget to check out mount defiance after visiting (otherwise it's $10 a car to check out) and on your way there there is a park with a beautiful waterfall to look at. read more

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We spent the day here at the fort, just awsm to see all the History. It's a Must see if you like this sort of thing. Great gift shop, cannons, re enactment, all working there are in that time periods clothing. 2nd time there, we highly recommend!! read more

Had a great time at Fort Ticonderoga. The tours and reenactments are exceptional. Kevin is a wealth of knowledge on the events and period. The cobbler, cook, and museum tour presentations are all fascinating and done with a high degree of accuracy. An added bonus is getting to go to the top of Mount Defiance. read more

Incredible reconstruction and reenactments of history through costume, construction, educational docents, gardens, boutique tours on Lake Champlain. The Cafe isn't half bad either! Slow service, but good quality food - I do not think the lettuce, tomatoes, onions and potatoes were actually sourced on-site from the King's Garden Kevin the shoemaker, and Andy the boat captain were excellent - highly recommend $28 boat tour read more

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A site to behold. The care these people put into portraying the soldiers & their daily lives during peacetime was impressive. Go into a barrack,and you'd fine soldiers having supper, mending their shoes or uniforms. And the wealth of knowledge they had. All my questions were answered at length. The grounds were meticulously clean, no modern trash on the fort grounds. The rich history and the views were breathtaking. To walk about this living museum was a step back in time far better than I had imagined. read more

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Childhood dream was to visit Ft Ticonderoga. I loved all things colonial. The place does not disappoint. We spent over 6 hours there then an additional hour at Mt. Defiance. Went in the fall and they had a fun corn maze too. All the actors were exceptional and the staff in the food/mercy area were very nice. Decent food too. read more

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What an amazing summer day spent at King's Garden and the gorgeous Fort Ticonderoga exhibits and museums. This place is for everyone, families, children and dogs! The prices are $27 for adults but if you have AAA they give you a discount! The prices are cheaper for children and military. If you are able to spend two consecutive days there, your ticket gives you both days for the price of one! If you want to go on the cruise for an additional ticket you can- sunset cruises are offered seasonally too. The boat tours are about one mile around the island. All of the reinactors are incredibly friendly and kind. David and his mother were the best- so welcoming, knowledgeable, and answered all of our questions. The best part is that you can actually experience a cannonball go off and bring your dogs with you on the trails, grounds and gardens. If you want more you can watch the videos and movies in the exhibits. You will also be given a golden coin to go see Mount Defiance! According to their site, "This is the first offensive victory for American forces in the Revolutionary War. It secured the strategic passageway north to Canada and netted the patriots an important cache of artillery." It is an amazing part of our history that you can physically explore! If you love history, and exploring the Adirondacks, come check it out! read more

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Four and a half stars, a great visit! Not inexpensive, but the money does fund a great presentation. The Fort is well preserved, cannons line the ramparts, the view down to the Lake/River is awesome. The buildings lower levels generally represent the quarters and work areas for the staff. Fife and drum music is a constant and functional part of the environment. Musket, cannon, cooking, sewing, music and other demonstrations are ongoing or well scheduled. The 2nd and 3rd floors offer artifacts and artistic presentations of historic people and moments. Kings Garden is simple, but impressive, the grounds in general are quite beautiful. The staff push information to the visitors in the scheduled events, and are highly interactive as they work their jobs throughout the Fort the rest of the day. Proper period chores occupy their day when scheduled events are not taking place. We didn't partake in the boat tour, perhaps on a future visit. It's an added cost and a time commitment. The gift shop is a mix of common schlocky tourist stuff, along with some very meaningful keepsakes that also make great gifts. Good values can be found with little effort. Two items could be a bit improved. The toll house provides a token to admit the visitors to Mt Defiance, a slightly armed scenic watch point for the Fort. The Fort itself is in the sightlines, as well as beyond the Fort into areas that are obscured by topography. However, the brochure didn't seem to give much detail in how to visit. We followed the signage (spotty in points) and guessed our way down the entrance road, where a tollgate with many instructions, was waiting for the token we were provided. It worked well enough, and it was an interesting drive up the mountain to the summit and several great viewing points. Other minor hitch was the cafe. Just a little vague in how to queue up for a table and find a limited menu to review before commiting. It's mostly soup and sandwiches, the kid's menu seemed to have more appeal than the adult selections. Some of the food was very good, some missed the mark a bit, the Mac/cheese seemed to be way off on our visit. Waitstaff visits were infrequent our day and prep times, despite the rapidly emptying dining room, seemed to take quite long for simple dishes. Not terrible, but not as smooth and delightful as he rest of the visit. A mandatory visit for historic buffs and an entertaining trip for casual tourists alike. Easy to spend 4-8 hours, or even more, to get as much info as you like. They cover a very wide range of topics, war and culture related, and the staff are charming and patient, all of the time. This is much more than reading plaques and buying pressed pennies, and seeing pictures of what thing used to look like. It's a living breathing exhibition and the authentic clothing and manners are appreciated. read more

I was up in the Adirondacks on vacation and looked up how far Ft. Ticonderoga was from me. It was about a 1.5 hour drive but we decided to try it out. We were not disappointed at all. Our whole family had a great experience. The entire staff is great and extremely knowledgeable. If you go I recommend getting there to see the 1100 musket shooting and 1400 cannon demonstrations. There are also great short tours with guides and a band demonstration as well. read more

What an amazing piece of preserved history! I will let you read the reviews of others, but suffice to say, there is plenty to see here. A couple of points I esp want to make that I haven't seen elsewhere: The attention to detail is superb. Each season, they pick a particular year in the history of the fort to highlight. And, they go to the effort to HANDMAKE (in the manner of the time) the "costumes". This means, the style of shoe, the type of button hole, etc. Most people wouldn't notice the difference of French vs an English shoe.......but they make the effort to be precise. Super impressed! Be sure to check the schedule and do all the things. The tours are awesome. You will learn so much. The demonstrations are excellent. Be sure to ask questions!!! The costumed "performers" are more than willing to share their knowledge. Don't just take a few photos and read a few signs. Really engage with these knowledgeable people. read more

A great destination for people who love military, colonial, and Revolutionary war history (although my brother, the military history fan, kept complaining the fort could have been built in a better location). The interpreters provide insight and information, and there's even a on-site dining area by the gift shop to allow a full day's experience. read more

Fort Ticonderoga - Historical Tours Near Me - Ticonderoga, New York

It is privately held, which was a surprise! The fort is pretty big, and there are a lot of displays and information. I don't know if it was worth $25.00 each for entry. I leave that up to you. read more

Fort Ticonderoga - Fort - Historical Tours Near Me - Ticonderoga, New York

Boring as heck. I have great memories of being here as a kid but now it's really nothing. There used to be lots of stuff going on but now you just look at some Exhibits and walk around. There is a guided tour but that's it. Nothing else. Was not worth the drive read more

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Lovely people who are passions about history. Beautiful and well worth a visit. A tad expensive but going to a good cause.

Fort Ticonderoga is an amazing place. The costumed interpreters could really tell an engaging story. Each year they choose a year to portray and change costumes and the narrative. This year was 1758. French troops were in charge of the Fort during the era of the French and Indian War. The collection of weaponry of the time span of the active fort was amazing. Boat tours and King's Garden are available too. We decided to have lunch at Fort Cafe. The Carillon Chicken sandwich was done to perfection and the fries were amazing. Crisp with great flavor. The gift shop had something for everyone and was quality not typical souvenir junk. Fort Ticonderoga is definitely worth a visit if you are in eastern NY or western VT. read more

Fort Ticonderoga - Costumed interpreter in French military uniform circa 1758 - Historical Tours Near Me - Ticonderoga, New York

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Place was great. Loved that we could bring our dog as we walked around the fort. As my kids and Husband explored yhe buildings me and my dig hung out in the courtyard checking out the view and chickens. read more

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I am from Pennsylvania and thus have been to my fair share of 1700s historical locations, including another French and Indian War fort in Latrobe. I also recently visited Williamsburg. After hearing about this Fort for years I was left disappointed. First the positive. The costumes staff were enthusiastic, knowledgeable and friendly, but there were only three of them. I found the layout of the exhibits of the fort confusing and not in any sort of order. I read the same few facts about the forts timeline several times. The fort has been a museum for more than a hundred years and it shows. As the collection of artifacts expanded they just kept making more exhibits instead of incorporating them into existing ones. There also were donations of items that really have no business being there as they had nothing to do with the fort. The fort would do better by revamping their spaces to focus on battles, and everyday life, better illustrating how their extensive artifact collection was used rather than just displaying them in case after case. There was a new building completed in 2008 and for some reason the fort chose to focus the main exhibit there on militias. This made no sense to me in the context of the history of the fort. Militias were largely colonists, and the Fort was mostly controlled by the French and then British. The exhibits themselves lacked interactive features and there was very little geared towards children, a missed opportunity. Even in the new building you were required to read 4 - 6 paragraphs of text. There was no phone or audio element that I have come to expect of places like this. I also visited the gardens which I found frankly sad. It was in a pretty poor state and filled with many flowers that did not exist when the garden was made in the 1920s. Considering the price we paid for my family to visit, $60, I don't think I would suggest this to others. The museum just hasn't kept up with the times. read more

Amazing day from opening to after hours show. Our family ends up traveling here at least once per generation, for 4 generation now! (My mother went in 1955!). We took our history loving grandson this trio, and also came back at night for the musket and cannon show after dark. All the guides were endlessly helpful, insightful, knowledgeable and patient. Our grandson was fully enthralled for over nine hours total! I'm sorry I didnt get names of all the reenactors, but I can name (hopefully correctly) Mike Edison for our family tour as well as other events, Joshua and a young lady at the boat area, all the gardeners , the tailor, shoemaker, rifle cleaner... In addition, the lunch was far and above the usual burgers etc. Locally sourced produce, some from the fort gardens! Sadly, we did not get the name of the erudite guide that managed to lecture about artillery after dark for 2 hours in the cold and rain...yet keep us so enthralled we all stayed. If we could give more than 5 stars, we would! read more

Fort Ticonderoga - Mike Edison (hope I got his name correct!) Reenactor/guide supreme! - Historical Tours Near Me - Ticonderoga, New York

I have been visiting Fort Ticonderoga for 50+ years. And I am a little disappointed with the dumbing down of the museums probably for the new generation. I did enjoy the craftsman working and talking to you kind like a Williamsburg display. The rifle and cannon demonstrations are still fun and I enjoy the Kings Garden that's open in the last few years. At $24 a person the price is steep verging on gouging, but the site is so historically significant it's worth seeing at least once. They do let you come back the second day for the price of the first ticket and they give you a token to go up Mount Defiance. My tip for you on Mt Defiance is to buy some food in town and enjoy the spectacular views and pleasant covered picnic area at the top of Fort Defiance. read more

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If you are a history buff and you're in the Vermont / New York borderlands, then Fort Ticonderoga is a must. This fort played big roles in the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. It was built by the French, then turned over to the British and conquered by the Americans. Occupants include George Washington, Benedict Arnold, Benjamin Franklin and the Marquis de Montcalm. Most of the fort has been restored with a whole new building that was constructed on one end. The exhibits throughout the fort are excellent which depict first hand accounts of those who were there, weapons and other artifacts of the time. There are a number of reenactments throughout the day including actors in various rooms doing various tasks of the time. They interacts with the tourists and answer any questions on what life was like in the fort. You need at least 2 hours here. We got here an hour before closing and were rushed. read more

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Bombastic-fantastic! Come up to the Lake George area and be transported to the 1750's. It is all here. The views. The dingy military barracks. The cannons. The tour guides. The museum vitrines with old faded artifacts. Gardens. The setting! Vermont to the East - New York to the West. No matter where I go on the East Coast - this is the Fort - Fort Ticonderoga - and the location of the bend in the river, which does not leave my mind. It was bombarded with cannonades. It was sniped at and fortified, then lost, regained and defended. It remains ever present; because it is that grand, that immense: it is the one American stone Fort that can rival all those dainty castles you saw in Europe. Sky-high, walkable, photo-op, historic- terrific. Lots of walking. Rebel review: 5 star prowess read more

Awesome living historical site. I've been coming here since my elementary school field trips and it's still fun! Get immersed in revolutionary war history!! Lots of cool weapons and artifacts to see. Very informative and friendly curators that love to talk about the fort's history. Artillery demonstrations and reenactments are sweet! read more

Fort Ticonderoga - Historical Tours Near Me - Ticonderoga, New York

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We had a fantastic day here - we chose to do the tour which gave us the history of the fort, then branched out to all the quarters and the new museum. We took some time to talk to one of the shoe makers from Connecticut - he was a wealth of knowledge. The exhibits were engaging, even if a little haphazard, it didn't bother us, we just wanted to experience everything they had to see. The musket demonstration was awesome. For us the main attraction is the history and location - just gorgeous. All staff from the gift shop, tour guide, restaurant staff were friendly and helpful. A must see. read more

Wonderful experience! The interpreters are all friendly and knowledgeable! Highlights include: boat ride on the lake, the King's Garden, musket demo and the Key to the Continent tour. read more

Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain is a fascinating stop for anyone who has even a modest interest in American history. We won't go into details of that history here, but note that the fort figured into the Seven Years War (aka, the French and Indian War) and the American Revolution, and that a number of important military figures in the 18th century passed through here, among them George Washington, Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen. The fort -- privately operated, not part of the national park system -- has been largely re-created since most of it was destroyed by the beginning of the 20th century. That work has been done quite handsomely and to a great extent, realistically, making a visit here an opportunity for most of us to brush up on our nation's early history in a pretty painless way. There are brief tours offered during the day, but mostly it's a guide yourself experience. To enhance that, there are some period costumed actors/workers to answer questions and talk about life here in the 18th century. We found the shoemaker particularly interesting along with one of the musicians and the women making clothes for the re-enactors. Just outside the stone walls some of the men were building wood huts for winter housing, putting down wooden flooring above sites that may be excavated for archaeological findings in the near future. We enjoyed chatting with a group of actors preparing food over fire pits, too. There are a number of exhibits showcasing everything from weapons used at the fort to eating utensils and clothing. in addition, there's a sit-down or take-out cafe inside the visitor center which has surprisingly tasty fare, only slightly over-priced, and served quickly by a friendly staff. In fact, everyone we encountered in and around the fort was friendly and helpful, save one rather grumpy woman in the gift shop. It adds up to a visit we felt was well worth our time (while admitting we are history buffs and inclined to like this sort of thing). We did visit in mid-September, so the fort wasn't crowded, which delighted us. On a very busy summer weekend, we suppose, things could get a bit busy, but whenever you arrive, there's a lot to do for everyone in the family, youngsters included. read more

More like 4.5 stars, actually. My husband and I went in the autumn. It was one of the last days before the closing for the season. I imagine that it gets busy in the summer and that that would have made for a less pleasant experience. There are many guided tours on offer of which we took the diseases tour, which happened to be starting as we walked in and turned out to be really interesting. The fort itself is really nice and the views are stunning. I will add some pictures. The cold, frosty weather added something to it. I imagine the sunsets are stunning too. Unlike me my husband grew up in the US and was very excited to see an important historical sight he learned about at school. They lose half a point for their not so nice modern refurbishments in part of the building. read more

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I love Fort Ti. Its a cool old FORT made of granite blocks. The fort is huge and over looks Lake Champlain and you can see the Vermont on the other side of the lake. Some things that I thought were cool: Old cannons A lock of hair from George Washington The prison cells (Very dark and scary!!!!) Old swords and bayonets Wooden teeth. dentures. ( I don't know) I did not see any Native Indian's or Frenchmen hashing it out, but It s a fun place to roam, wander, and take in the beautiful scenery. Be sure to go on a clear sunny day. As most of the fort is outside. read more

Review first for America's Fort Café, the restaurant inside (four stars) and then for the Fort overall experience (five stars, with caveats). You *can* just go to the museum shop/cafe without paying entrance - when you come to the gate, tell them you're not going into the fort and they won't charge you the gate fee. (You need a sticker to get into the fort.) You can also access the little-used but excellent hiking trails and history walk without paying admission. We were pleasantly surprised by the cafe. The seating is a little crowded, with some community-table-style sharing for longer tables, but it's more than made up for by the fact you have a stunning lake view, and on our visit, very pleasant breezes. Service was very fast, both from the server and the kitchen. The fare is basically diner food, but with very cute names. (The Montcalm Cristo sandwich, etc.) It's overpriced, as you would expect, but was definitely very well done relative to the usual diner fare. Plus, you can get local beers, and they have a little of the old colonial tavern flare. So if you're going to plan your visit around lunch, you could do a lot worse. (We didn't spot any picnic tables, fwiw, not sure about their picnic policy.) The Fort: this is a recreation, not the authentic fort, and it's doubtful any of the succession of French, British, or American forts that occupied this space was quite like what's here today. The other caveat I provide is that this is a private historical site, not a national or state park, and as such there's a bit of a skew on the history to make the narrative fit into a sort of broader patriotic theme that is, if I can put this delicately, more political than historical. (This is common to most private historical society sites, from Mount Vernon on down, where the impetus to stay in business even for non-profits suggests overemphasizing the importance of a place and neglecting some unpleasant truths). All that said, there's a ton to recommend this for both history buffs and those taking their kids on the history tour. The Fort itself is pretty impressive, nearing the end of a 100+ year effort to create a master plan for the site. The exhibits are a little random, but the artifacts they have -- both originals and some recreations or copies -- are quite interesting (including a display on ships of the US Navy that have borne the name of Ticonderoga). We particularly liked the series of historical maps, posted near windows where you could see many of the features described. Somewhat surprising, the history of Fort Carillon, the earlier French fort on the site, was well represented and the French are not just seen as a bump on the road to get to the Americans and British. Also a bit of a surprise: there wasn't a long narrative about the Allan/Arnold/Knox trek to take the cannons from Ticonderoga to Washington's army in Massachusetts in '76, even though that's what the fort is best known for in popular (American) history; while it's not ignored I expected there would be more on this topic. The re-enactors scattered around are great - friendly, knowledgeable (we had a really nice conversation with the cobblers about their craft), showing a bit of camp life, and performed some excellent demonstrations (the small musket demonstration was particularly well-done and detailed, and we enjoyed the Fife and Drum music). One other lacuna: lack of an exhibit on the archaeology and restoration (or recreation) of the fort over the last 100 years. Maybe they don't want to pull the curtain so you can see Oz, but I'd be interested in that, which has both interest for preservationists and has its own interesting, odd history from what I know of it. There's a lack of a guided tour, and visitors are left a bit to themselves to wander the parts of the Fort that are open. They do have a schedule of special events, all of which we missed. If you come in August to October, leave time for the corn maze (down by the gardens) - you can walk down with the Fife and Drum corps at two points during the day, which is sort of fun, or drive down to save your energy for the maze. It's just a regular corn maze, albeit with some topical things cut into the corn, but it's a well done maze. The gift store is dialed up with some of the usual colonial chaff (tricorn hats, play guns, fake aged copies of the founding documents, keychains, etc.), but they do have some nice things you don't see everywhere - a set of reproduction maps and illustrations, and a pretty nice selection of historical books. But again, they're missing a basic single-volume guidebook to the history at the Fort, tied in to the exhibits. They really need to hire a historian to write such a thing. Fort and exhibits are 0% ADA compliant, btw. Stairs and bad transitions everywhere. Recommended, with the asterisks above. read more

To preface my review, I am an historical living history reenactor and love all things historical! Fort Ticonderoga has been a favorite destination of mine since I was a little girl. It has such a fascinating history, with its use during the French and Indian War as well as the Revolutionary War. It's incredible to walk in the same steps of people such as George Washington when you walk around the fort. The grounds around the fort facing Lake Champlain are dotted with French and Spanish canons, which are beautifully and elaborately decorated. The fort itself still has construction areas being worked upon, as it was bought as ruins in the early 20th century; but this construction does not inhibit your ability to explore and enjoy your time. In fact, I find it exciting to visit and see what new construction there is and what has been completed. Inside the fort, you are able to walk through various areas and rooms. When reenactors are there, you are able to interact with a wide assortment of personas representing people from all walks of life, and you can learn about such things as flag making, shoe cobbling, cooking, and more. One year there were a number of participants who were representing Mohawk Native American personas, and it was fascinating learning about their roles in the wars. On the second floor of one of the buildings, there is a great weaponry display, and one of the displays includes pieces of guns that were found on the grounds of the fort. There are also regular musket and artillery demonstrations, and there are scheduled battles on the fort grounds (where real battles took place!). Outside the fort itself are the King's Gardens. The gardens are beautiful and have a wide variety of flowers! Just watch your footing and wear comfortable shoes if you're walking around here. They've also built a small barn and we saw two adorable brown calves and a number of rather adorable chickens just this past weekend. There is also a wonderful little gift shop with a wide array of items for purchase, and prices range from a couple dollars to a few hundred-you're sure to find something in your price range! All of the staff and the tour guides are extremely friendly and knowledgeable, and help make your visit that much more enjoyable. On your way out of Fort Ti, take notice of the raised land formations-they're remnants from both the French and Indian War, as well as Revolutionary War. I cannot recommend a visit to Fort Ti enough! If you're in the area, or live in upstate NY or VT, it's a must visit! read more

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Wow! The history, knowledge,demonstrations and attention to detail were amazing. If you are a history buff this is the place to be. Worth every penny. read more

Great Fort. Thankfully the price of admission covered 2 days. Lots to see and do which took us a couple days. They have some timed events that require some planning but an excellent fort. Gift shop was extensive. The gardens were pretty. read more

This is a really great spot, so much history and atmosphere. All of the workers are doing the jobs that would have been done in the time period, they are very friendly and knowledgeable. They were all following COVID protocols. I highly recommend checking this place out if you're a history buff. read more

This place is spectacular. The fort is unbelievably well kept. There are people dressed up and conducting themselves in the way people did in the 1770s. There is a live musket demonstration and even the tours has people dressed up in character in the 1770s. Great way to explore the history of the Battle of Saratoga. On-site there is a museum, gift shop, and tons of ground to walk. Great for the entire family!! read more

Not a lot of programs going on the day that we visited in the summer. Seemed odd, because it should be the high season...but the tour we went on was good. A lot of the exhibits are wicked old and need some love. Others were obviously new and had some great artifacts in them like powder horns. It was really windy the day we went, so hold onto your hat! Chuck Schumer visited the day we did. The staff did a good job of keeping everything open while he watched a cannon firing and made a speech. They offer discounts for AAA and military, so be sure to ask! read more

This was an excellent learning experience. Tours were very informative and reenactments we're very interesting and entertaining. Cafe was also very good.. good food good prices friendly service. read more

This is an amazing place to visit, especially during a reenactment weekend! We felt like we were witnessing the battle in person, not watching reenactors! The participants and the people in the shop were very helpful, the grounds were seething with history, and the exhibits inside the fort were very educational. We even got to tour both the British and French encampments with people actually living in them for the weekend. read more

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Guides are very informative! Recommend to take several tours to have full experience. Really beautiful garden and history behind. read more

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A curated snapshot in time, with t plenty of docents and programs for all ages. Always worthwhile to learn or refresh our memories about the Revolutionary War, Gen. Henry Knox and the Fort. Fascinating visit. read more

Was a great fort to explore because it is very large. There are many amazing actors that play the part of this time period. There are many exhibits, artificers and information to see and learn about! The gift shop has so many interesting items, probably my favorite part because you could get nice things there for people. They have a beautiful view and a garden there as well, with everything fitting perfectly to it's cost. read more

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