About Town: Fort Lee Historic Park

When is the last time you visited the Fort Lee Historic Park that didn’t involve meeting your high school friends to hang out in the woods? Wait. Have you ever been to the Fort Lee Historic Park? Either way, you should plan on visiting. Soon.

Why? First of all, because the Fort Lee Historic Park’s Visitor Center just re-opened after undergoing a major renovation. Although many of the same exhibits are still on display, they look as fresh as they did in 1976. There are also some wonderful new additions that nicely complement the existing exhibits.

Second of all, the soldiers’ quarters have been meticulously rebuilt since the buildings in that area of the park were lost to a fire some years ago. Strolling among the buildings you really get the sense that an 18^th Century Revolutionary War soldier will emerge and greet you. (If you visit on the weekend when there are demonstrations, a soldier will emerge to greet you.)  

When the Fort Lee Historic Park first opened in 1976 it was a really big deal. The clustered woods that held some of the most important stories of our nation’s beginnings had been re-designed with winding paths, cannons, soldiers’ quarters and lookouts to tell one of the greatest stories of the birth of our nation—the fight for freedom as it landed in Fort Lee.

The Visitor Center and grounds, part of the Palisade Interstate Park Commission, are meticulously maintained. The grounds are a great place to walk, jog, run, or just explore with the entire family. Aside from being a great place to picnic, or a great place to paint the skyline, it’s a popular destination wedding photo place. There’s a sweeping view of the Hudson and the New York City skyline, and a magnificent view of the George Washington Bridge. If you stand at the lookout at the northernmost part of the park you can actually feel the vibration from the cars and trucks as they cross the bridge.

The centerpiece of the Visitor Center is the large painting by Fort Lee’s renowned artist, the late Paul Ortlip, of George Washington and Thomas Paine watching the fall of Washington Heights from atop the cliffs of the Palisades in Fort Lee. There are also many artifacts on exhibit that were found on the Palisades from the revolutionary time period, as well as examples of the different uniforms worn by soldiers from both sides of the conflict.  There are panoramic exhibits showing the retreat of Washington’s soldiers from New York to Fort Lee, and upstairs there are glass cases that contain different regiments of soldiers, along with bios of the major players of the war.

The auditorium has also undergone a major renovation—new chairs, sound system, computer system, etc. The auditorium shows films and hosts history lectures. If you ever get a chance to attend one of the history lectures, please do—the Palisade Interstate Park Commission does a wonderful job choosing the topics for their presentations.

 There is also a great gift shop that sells books about the Revolutionary War, replicas of children’s toys and games, and lots of other items that are very well priced.

So, if you’re looking for a place to go that’s close to home, visit the Fort Lee Historic Park and Visitor’s Center. It’s such a gem in our little town.

 The Fort Lee Historic Center is located on Hudson Terrace just south of the George Washington Bridge.