NEWSLETTER
Named Best Living History in America during the semiquincentennial, Fort Ticonderoga immerses visitors into REAL TIME as the fight for independence unfolds
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Ticonderoga, N.Y. - Americans seeking to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday are finding Fort Ticonderoga on numerous national lists and collections as a best place to visit for the semiquincentennial of the United States of America.
Renowned travel media such as Travel + Leisure, Fodor’s Travel, USA Today 10BEST and New York Family have all recently written about Fort Ticonderoga’s REAL TIME REVOLUTION® and the ease of travel to Ticonderoga by train and other means. Further publications like Smithsonian Magazine and The New York Times cite Fort Ticonderoga as a premier semiquincentennial destination of critical importance in multiple major American victories of the Revolution, and as the place where America's fight for independence was won and lost in ways most never learned in schoolbooks.
“As we approach July 4, 2026, Fort Ticonderoga stands as a national leader in the semiquincentennial commemoration,” said Beth L. Hill, Fort Ticonderoga President and CEO. “Through our REAL TIME REVOLUTION®, we have curated an experience that allows Americans to not only learn about our nation’s founding but to stand on the very ground where independence was won. By following the footsteps of Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold, Henry Knox, Benjamin Franklin and other famous Patriots, our guests gain an unrivaled sense of the sacrifice and determination that defined the American spirit 250 years ago.”
The timing of Fort Ticonderoga’s inclusion in national lists and travel guides coincides with increased focus on July 4, 2026. AAA surveys indicate more than a quarter of Americans in surveyed areas will travel for the 4th of July holiday, with 7% specifically planning travel to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. More than 7 in 10 Americans told AAA they would be interested in activities related to America’s 250th anniversary, with 29% preferring a trip to see historic landmarks.
Open every Tuesday through Sunday until October 25, 2026, Fort Ticonderoga spreads across 2,000 acres of Adirondack landscape on the shore of Lake Champlain, and this year is traveling through history in a way that no other historic site in the country is attempting. The signature REAL TIME REVOLUTION® is walking visitors through the critical year of 1776, day by day, drawing from written and archaeological evidence to reveal the day-to-day experience and uncertain struggle of the Continental Army in the fight for independence.
Beyond the immersive living history, Fort Ticonderoga offers its guests narrated boat cruises on the Carillon with sweeping views of the Green Mountains and Adirondacks; world-class museum exhibitions including the new A Revolutionary Anthology: Revolutionary Possibilities exhibit; lush historic gardens, heritage animals and family programs including the six-acre Heroic Corn Maze; and the breathtaking summit of nearby Mount Defiance overlooking Lake Champlain. A calendar of major reenactment events, including the dramatic July 3-5 "Return of an Army" and the October 24-25 "Hold the Line for Liberty" finale, will together recreate one of the Continental Army's greatest yet least-known victories of 1776.
“Fort Ticonderoga is the premier American landmark destination for visitors of all ages to learn about the lives of soldiers and civilians during the Revolutionary War,” said Stuart Lilie, Fort Ticonderoga Vice President of Public History. “From mounting and firing cannons, to practicing marching, loading and shooting muskets, to caring for sick and wounded soldiers, to building fortifications and boats to repel the British onslaught: our dedicated staff recreate key moments and make history come to life each day, in the places where it really happened.”
This July 4, 2026 weekend, Fort Ticonderoga will host its REAL TIME REVOLUTION® Signature Reenactment Event: Return of an Army, recreating the struggle on the front-lines of independence as the Northern Continental Army, broken by a failed campaign in Canada and ravaged by disease, retreated to Ticonderoga to make their final stand against British forces.
Below are highlights for “Return of an Army”:
- Friday, July 3 – 2 p.m.: The Final Row Up Lake Champlain – Watch the arrival of the first wave of Northern Continental Army soldiers, landing their wooden transport boats called bateaux at Ticonderoga and marching to their new encampment.
- Saturday, July 4 – 11 a.m.: “The Distressing Situation with the Sick” – Witness the arrival of the Northern Continental Army’s General Hospital in the midst of an epidemic that threatened to destroy the army.
Saturday, July 4 – 2 p.m.: A Grand Review – See the American forces that reached Ticonderoga assemble for a review by the Continental Army’s generals. Hear the roar of gunpowder as these soldiers fire together en masse. - Sunday July 5 – 11 a.m.: The Guns to Defend Ticonderoga – View boats laden with cannon reaching the shores of Ticonderoga, and American soldiers hoisting them ashore and delivering them to Fort Ticonderoga. Witness the first preparations to defend against British invasion.
- Sunday, July 5 – 2 p.m.: The First Bastion of Hope – Feel the rumble as cannon fire from the walls of Fort Ticonderoga. See soldiers arm, “the Old French Fort,” as the work of fortifying the entire Ticonderoga camp begins.
- All Three Days (July 3-5) – 12:30 p.m.: Fifes & Drums Concert – Hear the beats that brought an army together, as the Fifes & Drums of Fort Ticonderoga celebrate Independence Day. Discover how their songs relayed orders to march, maneuver and fire in defense of the new nation.
“Return of an Army” is meticulously designed using contemporary letters, journals and drawings to reflect identical conditions to 1776 and is the centerpiece of Fort Ticonderoga’s full season of 250th anniversary programming. Additional 2026 signature events will include:
- “Today We Are a Nation Among the People of the World” | July 28 – Experience the first reading of the Declaration of Independence to the troops at Ticonderoga, exactly as it occurred 250 years ago.
- “Lodging as the Nature of the Campaign will Admit” | September 19-20 – See American ingenuity in action as soldiers use boards, posts and beams to build new shelter as they guard Ticonderoga into the fall.
- Hold the Line for Liberty | October 24-25 – This reenactment will dramatically recreate one of the greatest Continental Army victories of 1776 that occurred at the same time as one of its greatest defeats. The very moment soldiers and militiamen at Ticonderoga held the line for liberty—and perhaps secured independence—will come to life.
Throughout Fort Ticonderoga’s Campaign Season, which runs through October 25, 2026, visitors can also enjoy:
- Carillon Boat Tours: Narrated cruises on Lake Champlain explore the historically rich waters of the Revolution, featuring thrilling underwater archaeology and scenic natural beauty.
- Mount Defiance: The stunning summit offers a bird’s-eye view of the strategic “Key to the Continent.”
- Premium Tours: Go behind the scenes in the museum’s rare collections, thrill at "Guns by Night” and take a battlefield tour on Liberty Hill.
For more information about the three-day “Return of an Army” event, click here. For a complete visitor schedule and more information about other Fort Ticonderoga programs, visit www.fortticonderoga.org. Tickets are now available. Due to the anticipated high demand for Signature Events and the America 250 commemorations, visitors are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets online in advance.
About Fort Ticonderoga: Welcoming visitors since 1909, Fort Ticonderoga is a major cultural destination, museum, historic site, and center for learning. As a multi-day destination and the premier place to learn more about North America’s military heritage, Fort Ticonderoga engages more than 70,000 visitors each year with an economic impact of more than $16 million annually. Presenting vibrant programs, historic interpretation, boat cruises, tours, demonstrations, and exhibits, Fort Ticonderoga is open for daily visitation May through October and special programs during Winter Quarters, November through April. Fort Ticonderoga is owned by The Fort Ticonderoga Association, a 501c3 non-profit educational organization, and is supported in part through generous donations and with some general operating support made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts. To view Fort Ticonderoga’s electronic press kit, click here.
© The Fort Ticonderoga Association. 2026 All Rights Reserved.
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