Visitors to Fort Ticonderoga will be able to immerse themselves in the history and natural beauty at the Fort during guided specialty tours this summer. Participants can witnesses the power of artillery during the Guns by Night tour; join the Soldier for an Evening program to enlist with your family and friends in the Continental Army; discover the history within the walls of the 1826 Historic Pavilion house during the Pavilion Promenade tour; and enjoy a sunset cruise aboard Fort Ticonderoga’s Vessel Carillon to discover why Lake Champlain is one of America’s most historic waterways.

Pavilion Promenade

Fort Ticonderoga’s Curator of Collections will offer a rare look inside the building where the preservation of Fort Ticonderoga began. Inside the Pavilion, currently closed to the general public, visitors can learn about the men and women who saved Ticonderoga from destruction and made their home on the shores of Lake Champlain. As the oldest intact structure remaining on the garrison grounds, the tour includes stories of the building from the 19th and 20th centuries and how modern science combined with old-fashioned historical research has helped to shed light on the building’s secrets. Pavilion Promenade begins at 5 pm near the Guest Service Desk in the Log House Welcome Center. Tours take place every Wednesday July through August. The cost is $35 per person.

Soldier for an Evening

A new evening program presented July 4, 12, 19, 26 and August 2, 9, 16 and 23 at 6:30 pm in which families can join together as new recruits to see what it was like to be a soldier at Fort Ticonderoga in 1775 at the dawn of the American Revolution. During the Soldier for an Evening program visitors can witness the power and use of 18th-century guns during the musket demonstration and practice formation tactics. The soldiers’ experience includes key aspects of the American Revolution. This program is a strong cooperative activity and is great for families and groups. The cost is $35 per person; advanced registration is required.

The Sunset Cruise

Whether by Samuel de Champlain in 1609 or Ethan Allen in 1775, Ticonderoga was explored, ascended, and defended by water.  90-minute sunset cruises on Lake Champlain aboard the 49-passenger 60-foot Carillon, take place every Wednesday, July through August from 6:30 – 8 pm.  Space is limited to 30 participants per tour, advanced reservations are recommended or tickets, as available, can be purchased on the day of the tour at the Guest Services Desk in the Log House Welcome Center. The cost is $35 per person. The tour proceeds rain or shine; however, in the event of inclement weather that prevents the cruise vessel from operating, tickets will be refunded. Beer, wine, and other snacks and refreshments are available during the tour. Boxed dinners are available with advanced notice.

If you are interested in combining this cruise with the same-day “Pavilion Promenade” tour, a $10 discount will be applied.

Guns by Night

Visitors can experience the flash of musketry and roar of cannon fire by night in this 90-minute tour and demonstration of 18th-century guns, big and small. The workings of the firelocks and cannons that armed the many garrisons of Fort Ticonderoga and influenced and shaped the strategic importance of this significant frontier citadel will be explained. The tour concludes with a dramatic nighttime demonstration of weapons. Starting at 8 pm, this is a rain or shine tour that will take approximately an hour and a half to complete. The gate opens at 7:30 pm. Limited space and advanced reservations are required. The tour costs $35 per person.

All prices are in addition to Fort Ticonderoga admission and advanced purchase is required. Space is limited for tours. To learn more about specialty tours click here or call (518) 585-2821.

Photo of Fort Ticonderoga’s Guns By Night Program provided.