Tag Archives: New York

New York

Stonewall National Monument

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Overview

A raid by New York City police officers at the Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969 was not out of the ordinary, but the response by its patrons secured its place in history.  At the time, it was illegal to serve alcohol to homosexuals, so the Stonewall Inn was operated by the Mafia as a “private” club.  The police raid resulted in six nights of civil rights protests outside the bar around Christopher Park, gathering approximately 2,000 supporters on the second night.  It was not the first gay pride protest in America, but it did have a lasting impact with more than a thousand LGBTQ groups forming in the following year.

Highlights

Christopher Park, George Segal sculpture

Must-Do Activity

In 2016, President Obama designated Stonewall National Monument in Christopher Park, across the street from the Stonewall Inn.  During the summer, park rangers are on site approximately 11-1 and 3-4 every day, but we were told it is best to call beforehand to verify.  The Stonewall Inn is still a business and not owned by the National Park Service (NPS), so nobody under age 21 is allowed in. 

Best Trail

None

Instagram-worthy Photo

A sculpture by George Segal entitled Gay Liberation Monument was commissioned in 1979, but not installed in Christopher Park until 1992 due to public opposition.  It depicts two standing men and two seated women comforting one another in their shared struggle for acceptance.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/ston/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

None

Road Conditions

Roads are heavily trafficked and there is no designated parking so we recommend you take the subway.

Camping

None

Related Sites

Women’s Rights National Historical Park (New York)

Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site (Arkansas)

César E. Chávez National Monument (California)

Tiff outside the current Stonewall Inn
The statue of a Civil War general predates Christopher Park’s creation as Stonewall National Monument.

Explore More – The original bar closed following the protests, so when did the current iteration of the Stonewall Inn open?

List

Update from Raven About The Parks

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We are currently on a 12 day trip to Massachusetts and New York to visit some of the many National Park Service (NPS) sites jammed into those two states, especially around Boston and New York City.  This will bring our total number of NPS units visited to over 350 and provide information for many future blog posts.

We are also working hard to edit our first guidebook, which we will self-publish in October 2019.  It is entitled A Park to Yourself: Finding Solitude in America’s National Parks and it focuses on helping the reader have special experiences in 50 of the busiest National Parks.  Scott has created original logos for each of the 50 parks, which can be printed on T-shirts, mugs, pillows, and a variety of products through Amazon and Café Press.

Thank you to our readers for continuing to inspire us to visit new NPS sites and share the wonders with you all.

Tiff and Scott at Statue of Liberty National Monument in September 2016
New York

Women’s Rights National Historical Park

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Overview

In 1848, Seneca Falls was a small rural town in New York and it still remains that way, but on July 19 of that year it became the focus of the world when it hosted the first Women’s Rights Convention.  Women’s Rights National Historical Park was established on seven acres here in 1980.  Some of the National Park Service (NPS) museum exhibits have not been updated since then, but they still make you think, which is the important point.

Highlights

Museum, film, sculptures, 1843 Wesleyan Chapel, Declaration Park, Elizabeth Cady Stanton house

Must-Do Activity

Nearly two centuries after the convention, some positive changes have been made, but walking through the second-story NPS museum reminds you that we have a long way to go.  The reactions in the newspapers from 1848 are not very different to those written in response to the women’s marches of 2017.  Next door, visitors can enter the reconstructed 1843 Wesleyan Chapel where the two-day meeting was held and read the still relevant Declaration of Sentiments written during the convention.  The NPS also offers free tours of the Elizabeth Cady Stanton house, a short drive away.  Two other houses in Waterloo, New York are also part of the park.

Best Trail

There is a walking tour through historic downtown Seneca Falls that includes the National Women’s Hall of Fame (admission charged), only a short distance from the NPS museum. 

Instagram-worthy Photo

Declaration Park between the NPS museum and the Wesleyan Chapel has a waterfall wall inscribed with the Declaration of Sentiments and its signers’ names.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/wori/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

None, except at the unaffiliated National Women’s Hall of Fame.

Road Conditions

All roads paved, but street parking is limited.

Camping

Cayuga Lake State Park has a large campground only 4 miles east of Seneca Falls, New York.

  • Scott outside the NPS visitor center
  • Sculptures inside the NPS visitor center
  • Tiff inside the upstairs museum
  • Bustles gone wild
  • Wesleyan Chapel
  • Inside the Wesleyan Chapel
  • Artwork from the Geneva Middle School
  • Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s house in Seneca Falls

Explore More – Why is there a sculpture of abolitionist Frederick Douglass in the lobby of the visitor center?

New York

Saratoga National Historical Park

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Overview

Saratoga National Historical Park was the site of two 1777 Revolutionary War battles at Freeman’s Farm on September 19 and Bemis Heights on October 7, which together are considered the turning point in the war.  Following this decisive victory when 6,000 British soldiers surrendered, the French King officially entered the war on the side of the Americans, providing the equivalent of $1.4-billion in aid by war’s end. 

Highlights

Museum, film, Neilson Farm, Boot Monument, Bemis Heights, the Great Redoubt

Must-Do Activity

Start at the National Park Service (NPS) visitor center where displays describe the two separate battles that took place here.  The 10-mile driving tour has ten stops that provide more details.  Do not look for Saratoga, New York on maps today, it was renamed Schuylerville in honor of a Revolutionary War general.  Nonetheless, since 1883 it has been home to the 155-foot tall Saratoga Monument commemorating these battles.

Best Trail

There are a few short trails accessed along the driving tour, but you should at least plan to park and climb the stairs at Breymann Redoubt.  At the top, an unmarked monument draped with a boot commemorates the leg injury suffered in the fighting by General Benedict Arnold, whose name would go down in history synonymous with his later traitorous actions downstream at West Point. 

Instagram-worthy Photo

The American defensive location at Bemis Heights was chosen by Colonel Thaddeus Kosciuszko, a Polish engineer serving in the Continental Army, to block the British army from moving south down the Hudson River.  It still provides commanding views of the valley.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/sara/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

None

Road Conditions

All roads paved

Camping

Not far north on Interstate 87, Moreau Lake State Park offers a campground with running water.

  • Inside the visitor center
  • Scott dressed up like a British “redcoat”
  • Diorama showing the American patriot’s “uniform”
  • The Neilson House is a reconstruction
  • Thaddeus Kosciuszko designed the fortifications at Bemis Heights
  • Tiff and Wondon with a British cannon at the Great Redoubt.
  • Maple leaf turning in September
  • Breymann Redoubt has the unmarked Boot Monument to General Benedict Arnold.
  • If you love cannons, then this is a great park to visit in New York.

Explore More – Although France had not officially entered the war at the time, how many muskets had they donated to the American cause by the beginning of the Battles of Saratoga?

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New Jersey, New York

Statue of Liberty National Monument

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Overview

By the time the Statue of Liberty was completed in 1886, New York City was already the gateway to America for millions of “homeless, tempest-tost” immigrants.  Between 1855 and 1890, Castle Clinton on Manhattan Island served as a landing facility for 8-million people.  The federal government took control of immigration in 1890, within two years opening a processing station on Ellis Island in New York Harbor. Ferry service to Ellis Island and Liberty Island is available from Castle Clinton National Monument in New York City or Liberty State Park in Jersey City.

Highlights

Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island Immigration Museum, ferry ride

Must-Do Activity

Approximately 12-million people were screened on Ellis Island between 1892-1924, though nearly 10% were turned away.  Reopened to tourists in 1990, it is a haunting place to visit.  The National Park Service museum offers excellent exhibits and films highlighting the travails of immigrants over the centuries. 

Best Trail

None, but a special ranger-guided tour of Ellis Island will take you to areas you cannot see on your own.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the U.S. ally France, intended to mark the centennial of the Declaration of Independence in 1876.  By the time the 151-foot tall,225-ton copper woman was ready, the U.S. was scrambling to come up with money to build its 154-foot tall pedestal. Pocket change was collected across the nation, a truly grassroots effort that allowed even schoolchildren to claim a part of the monument. 

Peak Season

Summer, but these world-renowned monuments are busy year round.

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/stli/planyourvisit/hours.htm 

Fees

$18.50 per adult for ferry to both sites, plus a parking fee at Liberty State Park.  While free timed tickets are available to access the pedestal, you must reserve months in advance if you wish to climb to the Statue of Liberty’s crown.

Road Conditions

Paved, but you will likely have to deal with traffic.  There is plenty of parking at Liberty State Park in New Jersey.

Camping

None

  • Scott with Manhattan behind him
  • First view of Ellis Island
  • Tiff on board the ferry
  • Historic graffiti on the walls
  • Scott in the Registry Room
  • Under the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty
  • A replica of Lady Liberty’s foot (actual size)

Explore More – Why is there a boundary on Ellis Island that divides it between the states of New Jersey and New York?

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.