New York is home to many historical places with rich tales to tell, from battlefields that played pivotal roles in America’s Revolutionary War and Woodstock to monuments from earlier this century. We’ve selected nine of our favorites here!
Seneca Falls serves a dual role: both as the site of the inaugural women’s rights convention and an iconic setting from “It’s A Wonderful Life”. Explore it all here!
Saratoga Battlefield
Saratoga held great significance during the Revolutionary War and during our nation’s early decades of existence, serving as an anchor that kept alive hopes and dreams for liberty in an otherwise turbulent world. Here an American military victory brought fresh hope into a struggling young nation’s existence.
Saratoga National Historical Park provides visitors with a chance to revisit this pivotal historical site that altered both world and war history, providing an educational tour of its battlefield grounds and viewing where this pivotal battle in American Revolution history took place. Furthermore, their Visitor Center features an interactive map which allows people to search their ancestry who participated at Saratoga Battle of Saratoga.
Schuyler Mansion
This Albany house, constructed between 1761 and 1765, served as the estate of Revolutionary War general Philip Schuyler and Catharine Van Rensselaer during their marriage. The Georgian structure reflected their English sensibilities while providing a space for military strategizing, political meetings, social gatherings and family life activities.
At its height during Schuyler family occupancy (1763-1804), the house played host to notable figures like George Washington, Benedict Arnold and Alexander Hamilton (whose daughter Elizabeth married here in 1780). Today, guided tours focus on Philip Schuyler, his family and all those enslaved men and women who worked at his property; there is also an orientation exhibition available for viewing at a visitor center on site.
Bethel Woods
Imagine an alfalfa farm nestled within Bethel in upstate New York’s stunning Catskill Mountains where half a million people converged 54 years ago for Woodstock Music and Art Fair; an event that changed our nation forever.
Now, Bethel Woods serves as both a festival venue and museum that allows visitors to experience the spirit of the 1960s firsthand. The Museum at Bethel Woods explores lessons and ideals from that turbulent decade while also investigating events like its festival had on our society today.
Do not miss the main exhibit area, featuring 21 short films, an eye-catching psychedelic bus, captivating artifacts and first-person accounts.
Seneca Falls
Seneca Falls was once one of the Finger Lakes’ charming hamlets and served as a center for reform activism during the 1840s. Dress reform advocate Amelia Bloomer made her home here, as did Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton who established their inaugural Woman’s Rights Convention–an event which helped launch the women’s suffrage movement.
Wesleyan Chapel hosted what is considered to be the inaugural women’s rights convention in 1848. Attendees issued a Declaration of Sentiments which demanded access to education and jobs, more power within churches, ownership of property, among other rights for women.
This building, now home to the museum, was first constructed as a one-room house in 1823 before later transforming into two-story brick structure in approximately 1855. Part of a 10-acre estate which included carriage house, tool shed and vineyard.
Michigan Street
Michigan Avenue may be one of the world’s best-known one-sided streets, rivaling New York’s Fifth Avenue and Edinburgh’s Princes Street for fame. Additionally, Chicago has made Michigan Avenue its main cultural thoroughfare, housing most major institutions along its length.
Popular nightclubs such as “Ann’s Place” appeared along Michigan Avenue during the 1930s, drawing customers from all across Chicago.
In 2007, New York State legislation established the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Commission in Buffalo’s East Side historic preservation area, to oversee it with educationally focused programs that highlight local African American history through Cultural Anchors located throughout. Today, this commission offers educationally focused programs which focus on this historical preservation area and highlight African American landmarks where events took place.
George Eastman Museum
Rochester, New York boasts one of the oldest photography museums and one of the largest film archives in the US: George Eastman’s museum showcasing his groundbreaking roll film invention brought photography into mainstream society.
His National Historic Landmark home displays a classic Georgian Revival facade of decorative craftsmanship while inside, it’s equipped with modern amenities such as an electrical generator, internal telephone system, vacuum cleaning systems and even a massive Aeolian pipe organ – a hallmark of excellence for any homeowner.
Visitors can tour the house and discover its permanent collections at the museum, and also enjoy film screenings in their original format on most nights at Dryden Theatre (a 500-seat venue).
