Adirondack historic sites gear up for 250th anniversary events

Fort Ticonderoga, Crown Point History Site prep for America250, with celebrations planned to mark key dates around the country’s formation

Holly Riddle

Some areas of the Adirondacks broke tourism records in 2024. This increase is partly due to the April eclipse, which attracted tens of thousands of visitors to the region. While 2025 tourism predictions are currently hazy, the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) is banking on a new opportunity that will potentially increase tourism throughout the Adirondacks starting as early as next month and through 2027. 

America250 is the official celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary. Many travelers will visit important sites linked to key historic events from the American Revolutionary War and its aftermath. While the bulk of the attention comes in 2026, some of the first commemorative events recognizing the Boston Tea Party have already drawn surges in tourism, said Beth Hill, president and CEO of The Fort Ticonderoga Association.

Fort Ticonderoga’s plans

This May, some events will kick off the celebration. The weekend of May 9–11, Fort Ticonderoga hosts its No Quarter event, commemorating the 250^th anniversary of “America’s First Victory” with a real-time reenactment of the Green Mountain Boys’ march from Vermont, which culminated in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga. On May 11, Crown Point State Historic Site celebrates with an encampment representing the Green Mountain Boys, the opening of new museum exhibits and special performances and tours. 

Hill expects America250 and surrounding heritage tourism to have a multi-year positive impact, noting, “[Fort Ticonderoga] already generates about $16 million annually in economic impact in the region, and we look forward to that growing substantially over the next few years.” 

Currently, the attraction receives about 70,000 visitors per year, primarily between May and October. Fort Ticonderoga’s preparations for the 250th anniversary, Hill estimated, have been more than a decade in the making, now culminating in not just commemorative events, but new programming, new exhibitions and more.

Crown Point Historic Site

At Crown Point State Historic Site, Sam Huntington, historic site manager, said the site received approximately 70,000 visitors last year as well

“Generally, I think heritage tourism is going to increase significantly in the next few years,” he said. “The big thing on everyone’s radar nationwide, of course, is July 4th, 2026. I think we’ll see a steady climb to that main commemoration starting really this month, in April, when the war begins, and next month for us up here in the [Champlain Valley] in May, and continuing forward over the next few years.” 

RELATED READING: Crown Point Historic Site kicks off celebration of America’s 250th anniversary early

Similar to Fort Ticonderoga, the historic site has been prepping for the coming events well in advance, renovating a section of the site’s museum and installing a new interactive video kiosk. The kiosk is part of a broader initiative launched by New York’s Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the Office of General Services, with similar installations occurring at more than 15 other sites around the state with a connection to the American Revolution.

“[The museum] includes more content on the Revolution than previously and a few new historical artifacts and objects,” described Huntington. “The kiosk is in the space. It’s impressive. It has a wealth of content and information, and a variety of stories.” Particularly, the kiosk also helps expand on the site’s efforts to tell sometimes overlooked stories from the Revolution, including those of Indigenous communities and enslaved people.

Businesses gearing up 

While historic attractions in the Adirondacks may have their preparations for the predicted increase in heritage tourism well underway, though, ROOST is urging other businesses and communities to likewise prep for what is a potentially beneficial opportunity for the region as a whole. 

ROOST Director of Marketing Michelle Clement said, “Starting off in May…most of the activity will be focused around Crown Point and Fort Ticonderoga. With that said, there’s opportunity for exposure. You want to move people around. They’re going to need to get between the attractions and their lodging. That’s one of the reasons we’re rolling out the Lake Champlain Revolutionary Quest, to immerse people in the different communities, to experience other offerings in the region.” 

“There are so many different ways businesses can get engaged, provide a more enriched experience and draw additional business,” Clement added, noting that events kicking off in mid-May create a great opportunity for many Adirondack businesses that don’t traditionally open until Memorial Day weekend to start their seasons earlier. 

The Ticonderoga Chamber of Commerce said that it’s actively working with ROOST to promote the existing planned events, but also engage area businesses in creating special offers, promotions and themed aspects. Further from the upcoming hubs of activity for the summer, though, little is in the works as of yet. Multiple hotels in Lake Placid have yet to make any plans related to the expected increased visitation, and Adirondack Experience, while finalizing potential plans for 2026, has nothing specific in the works for 2025.

“We are just at the very beginning of a multi-year program. There are multiple storylines and opportunities,” said Clement. “A lot of the storytelling we’re working on right now is focused around 1775 and important dates around the Revolutionary War, but as that continues to progress and as the nation starts to ramp up America250 programming, we have the opportunity to align with other destinations throughout the state and country, and also amplify our story of what we as the Adirondack region have contributed in those 250 years… There’s the opportunity to talk about amazing things, from being the birthplace of the American vacation to our leadership in environmental stewardship… Each community has its own storyline. It’s a great opportunity to amplify our history, that legacy, and celebrate as we go into the future.” 

Resources for planning ahead

Businesses can view ROOST’s America 250 in the Adirondacks business toolkit at www.roostadk.com/250th. ROOST’s Lake Champlain Revolutionary Quest and other public-facing resources related to America250 tourism throughout the Lake Champlain region can be found at lakechamplain250.com. Clement expects to launch similar resource pages for the other individual regions ROOST works with, in the coming months. 

Fort Ticonderoga has likewise launched a site — northerndepartment.org/ — highlighting linked points of interest and events throughout New York, Vermont and Canada.