Independence Day Weekend 1777
Celebrate independence and discover the story of the Continental Army and its fight to stop British invasion at Ticonderoga in 1777. All weekend long, meet the soldiers, artillerymen, and women who served this new nation at Ticonderoga in 1777. See craftsmen in action busily working to resupply soldiers with clothing, shoes, and equipment. Watch as soldiers work to prepare cannons, ammunition, and themselves to stop an invasion by the British Army and its naval fleet on Lake Champlain.
Schedule:
9:30 am: Fort Ticonderoga Opens to Visitors
10:15am: Key to the Continent Guided Tour (Begins at the American Flag)
In this entertaining 30-minute tour, discover Ticonderoga’s incredible history and learn about all of the great experiences we offer today.
10:30 a.m. 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 pm: Carillon Boat Cruises (Boat dock by the King’s Garden)Between floating bridges, flotillas of bateaux, and a whole British naval fleet, the fight for Ticonderoga played out on Lake Champlain as well as the mountains that surround it. Don’t miss this unparalleled chance to get a new perspective on the fight for independence on one of the most historic waterways in America. Additional ticket required.
11:00am: Musket Demonstration (Demonstration Area)
American soldiers, behind a wall of earth, steeled their nerves to hold their ground as the British Army landed to attack in 1777. See how an army of farmers and tradesmen used their muskets and bayonets to hold back British and German regulars.
11:30am: A Guided Tour of the Fort Ticonderoga Museum (Begins inside the Parade Ground)
More than a century of collecting has allowed Fort Ticonderoga to acquire North America’s largest and most important collection of 18th-century military material culture. This guided tour will give you the scoop on the most significant, rare, and interesting pieces in the collection on display.
11:30am: Garden March (Begins at the American Flag)
Follow the Fifes and Drums of Fort Ticonderoga down to the King’s Garden. Enjoy your favorite 18th-century tunes and marches with this corps as your musical guide.
11:45am: Breaking Ground Tour: A Guided Tour of the Fort Ticonderoga Gardens(Begins at the King’s Garden Greenhouse)
From military garrison gardens to a vibrant Colonial Revival garden, explore one of North America's oldest cultivated landscapes. Discover the incredible story of America's first historic preservation effort, and the family country estate and gardens emblematic of that legacy.
12:30pm: Music Demonstration (Parade Ground)
From the earliest patriotic songs which inspired a nation, to the everyday duties and marches that regulated army life, listen to the fifes and drums of the American defenders of Ticonderoga. See the massed fifers and drummers of the many regiments who were charged with holding the British Army at bay.
1:15pm: Key to the Continent Guided Tour
In this entertaining 30-minute tour, discover Ticonderoga’s incredible history and learn about all of the great experiences we offer today.
2:00 pm: Cannon Demonstration (Recreated Redoubt)
Watch a cannon and its crew in their element, holding the British Army back with shot, fired from the earthen walls of a redoubt. Explore how the science of gunnery and field fortification were applied in the defense of Ticonderoga in July, 1777.
2:30pm: Hut Building (Adjacent to Recreated Redoubt)
Help us make history and grab a mallet or saw and try out timber framing. Work along Continental Army soldiers to build simple wooden soldiers’ huts as they continue to hold the line for liberty in 1777.
2:30pm: A Guided Tour of the Fort Ticonderoga Museum (Begins inside the Parade Ground)
Follow the Fifes and Drums of Fort Ticonderoga down to the King’s Garden. Enjoy your favorite 18th-century tunes and marches with this corps as your musical guide.
2:30pm: Garden March
Follow the Fifes and Drums of Fort Ticonderoga down to the King’s Garden. Enjoy your favorite 18th-century tunes and marches with this corps as your musical guide.
2:45 p.m. Breaking Ground Tour: A Guided Tour of the Fort Ticonderoga Gardens
From military garrison gardens to a vibrant Colonial Revival garden, explore one of North America's oldest cultivated landscapes. Discover the incredible story of America's first historic preservation effort, and the family country estate and gardens emblematic of that legacy.
3:00 pm Key to the Continent Guided Tour
In this entertaining 30-minute tour, discover Ticonderoga’s incredible history and learn about all of the great experiences we offer today.
4:00 p.m. Witness to History Guided Tour (Begins on Mount Defiance)
From America’s first Navy on Lake Champlain to the miles of entrenchments across the peninsula, discover the strategy of the American Army in 1777 to make their stand. View the landscapes that shaped the history of our nation. Mount Defiance is located at 72 Defiance Street in the town of Ticonderoga.
Ongoing 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
The Power of Oxen (Around Fort Ticonderoga) Immensely powerful teams of oxen were vital to the Continental Army at Ticonderoga. Yoked oxen hauled logs miles from the woods surrounding Ticonderoga to repair American defensive works. See teams of oxen in action and discover their work in the summer of 1777.
‘Search for Liberty.’ Hands-on Family Activity (Ground Floor of the Soldiers' Barracks)
Take our fun hands-on exploration for all ages and experience the life of the Continental soldier at Ticonderoga in 1777. Discover historic trades that kept an American Army in the field and the daily tasks of soldiers here at Ticonderoga. Do them all and receive your Continental pay and proudly get the ‘U. States’ stamp.
