The New York Study of Public and Private Museums has been released. The study was a statewide census of all chartered museums in New York, conducted by Empire State Development, New York State Council on the Arts, New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, New York State Department of State, and the New York State Education Department. [Read more…] about The New York Museums Report Released
State Parks
A New Paved Trail To A Historic Hudson Valley View
The Grant Cottage State Historic Site officially celebrated the completion of a new, fully ADA-accessible paved pathway to its historic Eastern Overlook on Mount McGregor in Wilton, NY. [Read more…] about A New Paved Trail To A Historic Hudson Valley View
New Deer Hunting Season at Saratoga Spa State Park
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) will open an undeveloped section of Saratoga Spa State Park to white tail deer hunting for the 2026-27 season as part of a deer management program. [Read more…] about New Deer Hunting Season at Saratoga Spa State Park
New Bridges Closing Some Genesee Valley Greenway Trail Gaps
Construction has begun on four new pedestrian bridges along the Genesee Valley Greenway State Park in Allegany County, NY that will restore connections where former railroad bridges had been removed, allowing trail users to remain on the Greenway rather than detouring onto local roadways, including busy Route 19. Together with targeted resurfacing, the $6.25 million improvements will provide 22 miles of continuously surfaced recreational corridor. [Read more…] about New Bridges Closing Some Genesee Valley Greenway Trail Gaps
Lake Ontario’s Selkirk Shores, Southwick Beach Get Upgrade
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) has completed $9.5 million in upgrades to Selkirk Shores and Southwick Beach State Park on the eastern shore of Lake Ontario, including campground upgrades, restoration of historic facilities, construction of a new park office and a new accessible trail. [Read more…] about Lake Ontario’s Selkirk Shores, Southwick Beach Get Upgrade
Jones Beach State Park Rehabilitation Completed
The historic Jones Beach State Park East Bathhouse has been restored, revamped and is now open with modern amenities for the first time since 2009. A new way to enjoy one of New York’s most popular state parks, the restored bathhouse is a signature project of Governor Hochul’s NY SWIMS initiative – an effort to expand access to safe places to cool off and help more children learn the lifesaving skill of swimming. [Read more…] about Jones Beach State Park Rehabilitation Completed
First New State Park Swimming Facility in More Than 20 Years
The new Lake Sophia swimming facility and bathhouse pavilion at Sojourner Truth State Park in Ulster County, NY is the first new State Parks swimming facility in 20 years.
Featuring a swimming area larger than two Olympic-size swimming pools, Lake Sophia will accommodate hundreds of swimmers a day and will be open daily from 10 am until 6 pm through Labor Day weekend. [Read more…] about First New State Park Swimming Facility in More Than 20 Years
1909 Lake George Club Nominated to Historic Register
The destruction of the Lake George Yacht Club’s building in Basin Bay in 1896 was as much a loss to Lake George’s architectural history as the demolition of the Gilded Age-
era mansions along Millionaire’s Row.
Today, only a few privately-owned properties on Lake George are protected through the State and National Registers of Historic Places. New York State’s Board for Historic Preservation is attempting to remedy that deficit. [Read more…] about 1909 Lake George Club Nominated to Historic Register
New Watkins Glen State Park Sentry Bridge Installed
The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) has opened the new Sentry Bridge at Watkins Glen State Park, restoring full access to the renowned Gorge and Southern Rim Trails.
The bridge reconnects visitors to the park’s iconic waterfalls, overlooks and trail network in one of New York’s most visited parks. [Read more…] about New Watkins Glen State Park Sentry Bridge Installed
$2 Million Visitor Center Planned for Historic Huguenot Street
Historic Huguenot Street in New Paltz, in Ulster County, NY, has been awarded a $2 million Capital Project grant from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support the construction of an Education and Visitor Center. [Read more…] about $2 Million Visitor Center Planned for Historic Huguenot Street
1960s & 1970s Historical Artifact Thefts
It was 1964, ten years after replica Fort William Henry Museum first opened its doors to tourists. It was also one of the years of the centennial anniversary of the American Civil War (1861–1865).
So, Fort William Henry, a museum that interprets the history of the French & Indian War (1755–1763), decided to also have an exhibit about our nation’s bloodiest conflict. [Read more…] about 1960s & 1970s Historical Artifact Thefts
19 NY Places Recommended for State and National Registers
The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) has announced recommendations by the New York State Board for Historic Preservation to add 19 properties and districts to the State and National Registers of Historic Places.
The nominations include a nineteenth-century church in Jefferson County that developed and promoted Universalism in Upstate New York, a pre-Revolutionary War house owned by seven generations of the Hulse family on Long Island’s North Shore, and additional documentation for New York City’s Hotel Chelsea recognizing its significance as a center of LGBTQ cultural and creative life. [Read more…] about 19 NY Places Recommended for State and National Registers
‘Victory Trail’ Opens at Bennington Battlefield Historic Site
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) has announced the completion of the Victory Loop Trail, a new formalized recreation trail at Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site in Walloomsac, Rensselaer County, NY.
The new trail covers ground that was hotly contested in the 1777 Battle of Bennington. After the British positions collapsed under the American attack of the first engagement, General John Stark pursued the retreating Crown forces into these fields. It was here that the British forces were cut off and forced to surrender. Previously, public access to the Retreat Fields was limited. [Read more…] about ‘Victory Trail’ Opens at Bennington Battlefield Historic Site
Rare and Fragile Floating Bogs and Fens
New York State is home to several rare and fragile floating bogs and fens. These unique ecosystems feature mats of sphagnum moss and vegetation that actually float over water.
Bogs and fens are both peatlands (wetlands that build up deposits of dead plant matter called peat). The primary difference is their water source: bogs are largely by nutrient-poor rainwater, making them highly acidic. Fens are fed by mineral-rich groundwater, making them alkaline or neutral. [Read more…] about Rare and Fragile Floating Bogs and Fens
Volunteer for I Love My Park Day Saturday, May 2
On Saturday, May 2, 2026 the 15th annual I Love My Park Day! Hosted by Parks & Trails New York, in partnership with New York State Parks and the Department of Environmental Conservation, the day provides an opportunity to volunteer and beautify more than 100 state parks, historic sites, and public lands from Long Island to Western New York. [Read more…] about Volunteer for I Love My Park Day Saturday, May 2
Matthewis Persen House Museum Closing for 2026 Season
The Ulster County Clerk’s Office has announced that the Matthewis Persen House Museum will be closed to the public for the 2026 season while critical roof restoration work is completed.
Located at the historic intersection of Crown and John Streets in Uptown Kingston, the Persen House is one of the oldest and most significant buildings in Ulster County, NY. [Read more…] about Matthewis Persen House Museum Closing for 2026 Season
Lake Champlain’s Crown Point Pier Closed
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced an immediate, temporary closure of the fishing pier located at the Crown Point Campground and Day Use Area in Crown Point, Essex County, due to the discovery of structural damage to the pier roof.
“Out of an abundance of caution to ensure public safety, fishing and walking on the pier will not be allowed while DEC works with a structural engineer to evaluate the infrastructure and any next steps,” DEC’s announcement said. “This closure may continue for the duration of the 2026 season.” [Read more…] about Lake Champlain’s Crown Point Pier Closed
25 Properties Recommended to State, National Registers
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) have announced recommendations by the New York State Board for Historic Preservation to add 25 properties and districts to the State and National Registers of Historic Places.
The nominations include an intact 1905 metal casting foundry complex in Hudson, an 1873 house that reflects Syracuse’s layered history of immigration, urban renewal, and grassroots historic preservation, a cohesive group of Colonial Revival apartment buildings in Kenmore built during the 1920s and 1930s suburban housing boom, and an amendment to the 1971 nomination for Revolutionary-era Senate House in Kingston to include its 1920s commemorative museum annex. [Read more…] about 25 Properties Recommended to State, National Registers
Lady Johnson, Angelica Schuyler, and the Politics of Revolutionary Loyalty
In the spring of 1776, a dramatic arrest and an uneasy imprisonment placed two prominent women, Lady Mary Watts Johnson and Angelica Schuyler, on opposite sides of the conflict and at the heart of a growing political storm.
On Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 2 pm, Johnson Hall and Schuyler Mansion State Historic Sites will offer a presentation on these Revolutionary Era women at the New York State Museum’s Huxley Theater. This event is free and open to the public. No registration required. [Read more…] about Lady Johnson, Angelica Schuyler, and the Politics of Revolutionary Loyalty
Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley & the African American History Commission
The latest New York Minute in History podcast features an interview with New York’s Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley to discuss his Chairmanship of the New York State Commission on African American History.
Also known as the 400 Years of African-American History Commission, it was established by Governor Kathy Hochul in March 2022 via Executive Order No. 15. [Read more…] about Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley & the African American History Commission