Saratoga National Historical Park

Inside this national park is the location of the Battles of Saratoga. The massive, 4-square-mile battlefield gives a true understanding of the immense size of both battles that took place there, the Battle of Freeman’s Farm and the Battle of Bemis Heights. Stop by the Visitor Center to pick up a brochure for a self-guided tour of sites, plus browse artifacts, maps, timelines and a brief film.

The Battles of Saratoga marked a major turning point in the Revolutionary War. Today, it is considered by many historians to be one of the top conflicts in world history. This was not only the location of the first major American victory of the Revolutionary War in 1777, but also the first time that a British army had been defeated and forced to surrender. This is known as a crucial American victory that reignited the hopes of independence in the heart of many patriots. Beyond boosting spirits, it secured the recognition and support of many essential foreign powers.

Dedicated to the best-known traitor in American history, Benedict Arnold, this monument stands as a tribute to his celebrated military service prior to his treachery at the location where his fighting career ended and his leg was severely wounded. According to stories, a captured American soldier once told Arnold that if the Americans ever caught him they would “cut off the leg which was wounded when you were fighting so gloriously for the cause of liberty, and bury it with the honors of war, and hang the rest of your body on a gibbet.”

Arnold is further excised from another nearby monument with an empty niche next to others that are filled with statues of American Revolution-era generals.

Image courtesy of National Park Service.

While in the area, you can also visit the Saratoga Monument, commemorating the American victory in the Battles of Saratoga. Climb 155 feet to the top of the monument for an incredible 360-degree view of the Hudson River Valley. The monument, located in Victory, NY, is open on Saturdays and Sundays from Memorial Day through Columbus Day.

Image courtesy of National Park Service.

A short 15-minute drive north will take you to the Schuyler House, the country home of General Philip Schuyler both before and after the Battles of Saratoga. Destroyed once in 1745 by a raiding party and again in 1777 by the retreating British forces following the Battles of Saratoga, Schuyler rebuilt his Saratoga house and farm out of the charred remains. Throughout Schuyler’s life and beyond, the house has been visited by some of America’s most famous citizens, including George Washington, son-in-law Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and the Marquis de Lafayette. Today, thousands of visitors come from all over the world to continue to learn about this historic attraction and the man who lived there.

Image courtesy of NYS Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.