Fort Ticonderoga: A Journey Through the Seasons

The recent Mid Atlantic Association of Museum (MAAM) Conference theme of “Navigating Challenges: Cultivating the Attitude of “Yes,” is perfectly suited for Fort Ticonderoga and their President and CEO, Beth Hill. I had the privilege of presenting with Beth to shed light on the Strategic Master Planning process and the current status of implementation of the plan at Fort Ticonderoga. It allowed me to reflect on the progress that the organization has made and on my own connections that have been created through the process.  

We have been working with Beth, her staff and board since 2011. Their passion for this place and its history is infectious. It is hard not to be embraced by stories that have been created here and continue to be told here in this magnificent setting. For me, with each visit, there is a deeper connection to this place, to its beauty and its layers and layers of history.

There is something about experiencing history in a place of such natural beauty. To be at Fort Ticonderoga in the Spring is quite magical. Surrounded by the new life blooming in the King’s Garden, heritage breed chickens clucking and wandering the grounds, crisp air filling your lungs while standing at the cannons on their red carriages, overlooking Lake Champlain… it is a wonderful excursion through time.

But then Summer arrives at Fort Ticonderoga, and you begin to consider this the favorite time to experience the grounds, surrounding area, and stories. Summer at Fort Ticonderoga during my visits is about a ride on the Carillon, a hike up to Mount Defiance, a walk in the woods along the French Lines, and the dappled sunlight somehow alluding to footprints of the many soldiers that have touched this ground. 

The tour aboard the Carillon departs from the dock just below the Pavilion. You travel back in time as you step into the vessel. The significance of the location of the site is reinforced with each view out of the Carillion windows. You begin to imagine the cannons firing overhead to reach Three-Mile Point or the ships that once followed the same route that are now sitting below the water, entombed in silt and sand. This perspective is spectacular. As you come around the point, listening to the stories of the various attempts on the Fort, it again reveals itself in a different light, towering above the waters edge, somehow even larger and more majestic. 

The transition of Fall begins, and Fort Ticonderoga transforms into a painted landscape with colors so vibrant they seem unreal. Fall for me is the connection to past travelers and the spirit of hospitality. The Pavilion sits near the water’s edge framed by the red and gold leaves of the maple trees. You imagine being a guest at the Pavilion, invited by the Pell family to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and join the many “leaf peepers” that have and will visit the area. The gardens of Fort Ticonderoga Farms are abundant with vegetables that would have been prepared and served for you during your stay. Now you can enjoy the preparation in the Café at the historic Log House with its views to Mount Defiance. The Log House has been providing tourists a place of respite for over 90 years, and still fulfils that mission with blackberry lemonade and a classic meal served in hip, farm to table style.

Winter. Quiet and active, peaceful and busy, stark and rich. The imagination goes to thoughts of navigating the blankets of snow on snowshoes, just as the soldiers did in the epic Battle on Snowshoes that occurred near Fort Ticonderoga. Interpreters are bundled in many layers of clothing still building the Maritime Storage Facility to protect the boats from the harsh conditions. Additional structures are built and repaired for Mick and Mack, the very popular working team of oxen, the horses, and other heritage breeds. The sky colors the site in grays; but somehow does not dull the colors but deepens them in their impact.

The Fort Ticonderoga Master Plan will continue to serve its purpose for leadership, staff, and visitors. It is enhanced by what is so unique about this place. It is about the tangible: this site. It is like no other in its rich beauty, military history, and hospitality. And it is about the intangible: its stories and layers of history. It becomes a highly personal exploration, investigation, and examination - the principles of the investigative learning process deployed at Fort Ticonderoga on a daily basis. That same learning process I experience with every visit.