America 250: Independence Day Weekend 

Fort Ticonderoga will celebrate Independence Day with special events and programs throughout the holiday weekend, July 4-6, 2025! Experience the early days Revolutionary War where the first Continental Army soldiers fought for liberty. Guests will see the first citizen-soldiers of the American Revolution preparing guns, big and small to defend Ticonderoga and Lake Champlain. Thrill at the power of artillery and crackle of muskets, march to the beat of Fife & Drum, and join special family tours and hands-on programs throughout the weekend, to celebrate America’s independence at Fort Ticonderoga.

Independence Day Weekend Highlights:

• Search for Liberty: A Family Adventure!
  Step into the American Revolution at Fort Ticonderoga and help staff portraying Continental Army soldiers and artillerymen with their daily duties! Roll up your sleeves in this hands-on exploration of historic trades, including tailoring, shoemaking and boat building that were vital to the American cause. Visit soldiers’ quarters and discover the food, and gardens that kept them fed as they served their country. Be sure to complete helping soldiers with their tasks to earn prizes of historic proportions!
• Fife and Drum Concerts
  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 with performances throughout the special event weekend. See the fifers and drummers of the Connecticut regiment that guarded Fort Ticonderoga 250 years ago, to the day.
• Key to the Continent Guided Tours
  In this entertaining half-hour tour, discover the incredible story of Ticonderoga and all the great experiences Fort Ticonderoga offers today. Learn about the iconic battles of Carillon & Ticonderoga within the French & Indian War and the Revolutionary War. Explore groundbreaking preservation and reconstruction efforts that allow Fort Ticonderoga to bring to life its heroic tales today and for generations to come.
• Musket Demonstrations
  From hunting weapons to old British, Dutch, and French Arms, learn how the Colony of Connecticut armed their soldiers. See how these recently drafted citizen-soldiers practiced loading and firing together as they guarded Fort Ticonderoga.
• The Power of Oxen
  Meet teams of oxen in action and discover their work in the summer of 1775. Immensely powerful oxen were vital to the Continental Army at Ticonderoga. Yoked oxen hauled supplies on the portage between Lake George and Lake Champlain.
• Guided Tours of the Fort Ticonderoga Museum
  Museum staff will lead you on a guided tour of this remarkable museum’s highlights. Begun more than a century ago, the Fort Ticonderoga museum has North America’s largest and most important collection of 18th-century military material and cultural objects. Get the scoop on the most significant, rare, and interesting pieces in the collection including the enormous 32-pounder bar shot on exhibit in Ticonderoga Collections: An Introduction exhibition.  This massive shot is the largest cannon projectile ever found at Ticonderoga and was designed to slash through the rigging of approaching British vessels attempting to context the passage of Lake Champlain.
• Cannon Demonstrations
  Discover how Fort Ticonderoga’s first American garrison prepared to use Ticonderoga’s guns to defend this northern approach of the rebelling colonies on Lake Champlain and from the fort’s walls. See the ammunition and workings of the old British & French cannons that Americans loaded and fired together.
• Bateau Building
  Help us make history and grab a caulking mallet or carpenters’ axe and try out boat building! Work along Continental Army Soldiers as they build and repair wooden bateaux to move soldiers and supplies along Lake Champlain.
• Mount Defiance: Witness to History Guided Tours
  Oh, the stories this graceful hill could tell overlooking Fort Ticonderoga! Ascend to summit of Mount Defiance to get the birds-eye view of this epic military landscape and learn how this height shaped the fort’s history.

Advance reservations are required for the following special events and are available for purchase. THESE PROGRAMS WILL SELL OUT:

• Special Event: Carillon Boat Cruises
  Get a front row seat for the siege of Ticonderoga during this week-long Independence Day celebration! Between floating bridges, flotillas of bateaux, and a whole British naval fleet, the fight for Ticonderoga played out on Lake Champlain and across the hills 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.
• Special Event: Ticonderoga Guns by Night, THURSDAY, JULY 3 ONLY!
  Enjoy Fort Ticonderoga’s own 4th of July fireworks, as the flash of musketry and roar of cannon fire by night will captivate you in this unique tour and demonstrations of 18th-century firepower. The program concludes with a dramatic demonstration of weapons that you will not see anywhere else! Gate opens at 7:30 pm, program begins at 8 pm at the Log House Welcome Center at Fort Ticonderoga.
• Special Event: History Happy Hour on Lake Champlain FRIDAY, JULY 4 ONLY!
  Cap off your day with a relaxing narrated cruise, surrounded by scenic beauty and Ticonderoga’s rich maritime history aboard the Carillon, Fort Ticonderoga’s classic 1920s tour boat. From poignant to comical, discover the drama that surrounded Ticonderoga on the storied waters of Lake Champlain. Enjoy the flavor of history through classic cocktails, taken from tales of bootleggers and brave soldiers. A selection of beer, wine, soft drinks, & snacks are available during the cruise. Boarding begins at 5:15pm, departing promptly at 5:30pm.