This September and October mark the 249th anniversaries of the Battles of Saratoga and the surrender of British forces that followed. Saratoga National Historical Park preserves, protects and interprets the sites associated with the battles, siege and surrender. The park includes 3,579 acres over five sites: the Saratoga Battlefield, General Philip Schuyler’s House, Victory Woods, the Saratoga Monument and the Sword Surrender Site. [Read more…] about 249th Anniversary of Battles of Saratoga Events Planned
Saratoga National Historical Park
Erie Canalway Launches “Revolutionary Experiences” Tours
As America marks its 250th anniversary, the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is launching Revolutionary Experiences, road trips along New York’s historic waterways.
These self-guided itineraries invite participants to explore the people, places, and ideas that helped shape the nation. [Read more…] about Erie Canalway Launches “Revolutionary Experiences” Tours
National Park Service Cancels Free Admission on MLK Day, Juneteenth, Adds Trump’s Birthday
The National Park Service announced last week that our national parks will no longer provide free admission on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth.
The park service removed the two official federal holidays that honor Black American history from its 2026 list of free entrance days — and added Donald Trump’s birthday. [Read more…] about National Park Service Cancels Free Admission on MLK Day, Juneteenth, Adds Trump’s Birthday
Saratoga National Historical Park Hosting Fall Lecture Series
Saratoga National Historical Park and the Friends of Saratoga Battlefield will host a series of scholars for a fall lecture series.
Speakers will discuss a variety of Revolutionary War topics, including the 1777 Battle of Bennington, the 1775 invasion of Canada; and Henry Knox‘s Noble Train of Artillery. [Read more…] about Saratoga National Historical Park Hosting Fall Lecture Series
Behind The Scenes: American Revolution & WMHT Film Production
When I decided to attend Skidmore College in April 2021, I had no idea that I was about to step into one of the deepest historical ravines in the country.
Saratoga County and its surroundings witnessed history from the birth of the Iroquois Confederacy, to the tumultuous Battles of Saratoga, which helped secure American Independence. In some ways, New York’s Capital Region is the Cradle of the Nation. [Read more…] about Behind The Scenes: American Revolution & WMHT Film Production
Veterans, Archaeologists Unearth Saratoga’s Revolutionary Secrets
The Saratoga County 250th American Revolution Commission will host a presentation by Ben Powers of the American Veterans Archaeological Recovery (AVAR) on Friday, October 24, at 6:30 pm at the Champlain Canal Region Gateway Visitor Center, 30 Ferry Street, in Schuylerville, NY. [Read more…] about Veterans, Archaeologists Unearth Saratoga’s Revolutionary Secrets
Study: Saratoga Battlefield Visitors Spent $8M in 2024; Nationally NPS Visitors Spent $29B
A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 116,537 visitors to Saratoga National Historical Park in 2024 spent $8,200,000 in communities near the park.
That spending had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $10,383,000, according to the study. [Read more…] about Study: Saratoga Battlefield Visitors Spent $8M in 2024; Nationally NPS Visitors Spent $29B
A Rev War Soldier’s Multiracial Combat Experience
The latest A New York Minute in History Podcast highlights the war experiences of the legendary 1st Rhode Island, a multiracial combat regiment that served through the entirety of the American Revolution, from the Siege of Boston to the disbanding of the Continental Army in 1783. [Read more…] about A Rev War Soldier’s Multiracial Combat Experience
Schuyler House: A Tale of Destruction and Rebirth
As the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Saratoga approaches, the story of General Philip Schuyler’s house stands as a powerful testament to the resilience of early Americans during the Revolutionary War.
Located in Schuylerville, in Saratoga County, New York, this historic estate embodies the struggle, sacrifice, and determination that shaped a new nation. [Read more…] about Schuyler House: A Tale of Destruction and Rebirth
New Interpretation Plan for Saratoga Campaign Sites
A distortion of its Haudenosaunee name, possibly meaning “the hillside country of the quiet river,” modern-day Saratoga County is located just north of Albany, New York, and was a vital crossroad during the second year of the American Revolutionary War.
Positioned between Lake George and the Hudson River, the relatively open land of this region connects what were two vital transportation routes, especially during the 1700s. These waterborne highways allowed for the rapid transfer of troops and supplies by boat. [Read more…] about New Interpretation Plan for Saratoga Campaign Sites
26 Acres Added to Saratoga National Historical Park
The American Battlefield Trust has transferred 25.6 historic acres to the National Park Service (NPS) for permanent care and stewardship, allowing the Saratoga National Historical Park to deepen its interpretive offerings, particularly related to the siege that occurred between the opening and concluding battles of the month-long engagement known as the Battles of Saratoga. [Read more…] about 26 Acres Added to Saratoga National Historical Park
Report: National Parks Contribute $725M To NYS Economy
A new National Park Service report, 2023 National Park Visitor Spending Effects, concludes that 17,197,346 people visited New York State’s 31 National Park Service units in 2023, spending $724.9 million in communities near national parks supporting 7,394 jobs with an cumulative benefit of $965.9 million. [Read more…] about Report: National Parks Contribute $725M To NYS Economy
Saratoga National Historical Park Special Events in September
Saratoga National Historical Park in Stillwater, Saratoga County, NY, is hosting several special events in September. The park preserves the site of the Battles of Saratoga, the first significant American military victory of the American Revolutionary War. Here in 1777, American forces met, defeated, and forced a major British army to surrender, an event which led France to recognize the independence of the United States, and enter the war as a decisive military ally of the struggling Americans. [Read more…] about Saratoga National Historical Park Special Events in September
Upgrades to Saratoga Battlefield Tour Road Completed
Visitor access and understanding of one of the most historic landscapes in the country will increase with the recent completion of the $6 million Battlefield Tour Road Improvement Project funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund. The large-scale construction project in Saratoga National Historical Park, site of the Battle of Saratoga, focused on making upgrades and increasing accessibility of parking areas, trailheads, walkways, seating, signage, exhibits and viewing areas along the popular 10-mile-long route. [Read more…] about Upgrades to Saratoga Battlefield Tour Road Completed
Benedict Arnold’s Bed: Recreating the Resting Place of a General
Saratoga National Historical Park in Stillwater, NY, recently made significant changes to the furnishings of the Neilson House to better reflect its appearance in the fall of 1777, during the Battles of Saratoga.
The first step was conducting extensive research into who occupied the house and their belongings. It was determined that a folding camp bed would represent the presence of General Benedict Arnold in his divisional headquarters. [Read more…] about Benedict Arnold’s Bed: Recreating the Resting Place of a General
Women in War Symposium & Bus Tour Set for Early May
The Saratoga County 250th Commission today announced the 3rd Annual Women in War Symposium will be held on May 4th from 8:15 am to 3:30 pm at the Old Saratoga American Legion Post, 6 Clancy Street in Schuylerville, NY. As an enhancement to the Symposium, a bus tour of historic sites will be offered May 5th. [Read more…] about Women in War Symposium & Bus Tour Set for Early May
Prescribed Fires Planned at Saratoga National Historical Park
Saratoga National Historical Park is planning a series of prescribed fires in the coming weeks. The areas to be burned this year include approximately 60 acres of grasses, shrubs, and woodlands on the hillsides and fields along on the park tour road. [Read more…] about Prescribed Fires Planned at Saratoga National Historical Park
Erie Canalway Corridor Receives Grant to Expand Education Programs
Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor has received an Open OutDoors for Kids grant from the National Park Foundation to expand education programs throughout the National Heritage Corridor. The grant will enable Erie Canalway to engage 1,500 students from lower income schools in free field trips to the Erie Canal Museum (Syracuse), Fort Stanwix National Monument (Rome), Saratoga National Historical Park (Stillwater), and Women’s Rights National Historical Park (Seneca Falls) during the 2023-24 school year. [Read more…] about Erie Canalway Corridor Receives Grant to Expand Education Programs
The French-American Joint Reconnaissance Tour, Winter 1780-1781
Studying the terrain to analyze how the action unfolded on Revolutionary War battlefields isn’t just a modern pursuit. It was the first order of business when the French Army arrived on American soil, seeking to understand the war they had just joined.
Contrary to popular belief, French and American officers did not sit idle over the winter of 1780–81. Rather, the French organized a joint reconnaissance mission to previous battlefields of the American Revolution under the initiative of François-Jean de Chastellux, an overlooked figure who played a crucial role as a liaison officer between the French and Americans, and in the logistical and strategic planning of the allied army. [Read more…] about The French-American Joint Reconnaissance Tour, Winter 1780-1781
John Watts de Peyster & The Benedict Arnold Monument at Saratoga
Benedict Arnold is a figure well-known to Americans and aficionados of the Battles of Saratoga. Less well known is General John Watts de Peyster (1821-1907), a resident of Dutchess County, New York, who paid for a special inscription to be added to the Arnold Monument on the battlefield. [Read more…] about John Watts de Peyster & The Benedict Arnold Monument at Saratoga