Ticonderoga

Ticonderoga is a town in the Adirondacks that borders both Lake George and Lake Champlain.

Understand

Ticonderoga is situated on a high promontory overlooking the LaChute River, which connects Lake George and Lake Champlain, giving it an important strategic location. It was a boundary marker from the earliest days. According to historians, native tribes met and fought at this location prior to European settlement. Samuel de Champlain, accompanied by Mohawks, fired upon the Iroquois here in 1609. The French and the British battled here, and the Loyalists and Patriots struggled here during the American Revolution.

Ticonderoga is unique in Essex County for its graphite business. The ore, in a very pure form, was discovered on Lead Mountain in 1815. Its first general use was for polishing stoves which were replacing fireplaces. In 1839, a patent was issued to a local entrepreneur for lead pencils. American Graphite Company made the Ticonderoga Pencil famous; the brand still exists today (as "Dixon Ticonderoga") but is no longer made in the USA.

Fire laid waste to the town in 1875 as they prepared to celebrate the centennial of Ethan Allen’s capture of the Fort during the Revolution. In 1976, the bicentennial was celebrated with a re-enactment of the takeover of the Fort by the Patriots at the same time of night as the original siege. Tourists in southern Essex County can follow an historic trail in Ticonderoga to The Black Watch Library, a Carnegie Library, to the Hancock House, a replica of John Hancock’s Boston home.

Get in

By car

The best way in is by car - fill up the tank, because there is quite a distance between stops, and gas stations can be tough to find. The city can be accessed via the Northway (Interstate 87) from both the south (Albany) and north (Plattsburgh/Montreal).

By ferry
  • Ticonderoga Ferry, ☏ +1 802 897-7999. Ferries vehicles across Lake Champlain between Fort Ticonderoga, New York and Larrabee's Point in Shoreham Vermont, linking NY Route 74 and Vermont Route 73. Holds up to 18 cars, trip takes seven minutes one way. Cars $12 one way - $18 round trip. 

By train
See also: Rail travel in the United States


There is one daily Amtrak service, the Adirondack between New York City and Montreal. Both north and southbound trains depart early afternoon.

Get around

Like most Adirondack towns, the transportation infrastructure is non-existent. Cars are required for travel.

See
  • 🌍 Fort Ticonderoga, ☏ +1 518 585-2821, . Route 74. Daily mid-May to mid-Oct. 9AM-5PM. Restored 18th century fort with exhibits and reenactments. No pets, no camera tripods. Adults $12, seniors $10.80, ages 7-12 $6. World-renowned museum and historic restored fort on scenic Lake Champlain. Site of major victories in the French & Indian War and American Revolution. Restored King's Garden, Military Garrison Garden, Children’s Garden, and Native American Garden. Hands-on kids programs daily. Fife & Drum Corps and artillery demos daily July and August. Encampments and special events throughout the season. Museum store, restaurant, picnics, easy drive from Lake Placid. 
  • Star Trek Original Series Set Tour, 112 Montcalm St, ☏ +1 518 369-9967. Tu-Su 10AM-6PM (Daily Jul-Aug and holidays); tours start on the hour; last tour at 5PM. In the late 90s, local resident and Elvis impersonator James Cawley began working on reproductions of the Starship Enterprise sets from the original Star Trek series, circa 1968. Using the original blueprints and careful examination of the filmed episodes, he has reconstructed them exactly as they would have appeared on the Desilu Studios soundstage. After a couple of moves, and a number of fan productions (primarily, Star Trek: New Voyages) filmed on the sets, they're now open to the public for guided tours. $22.50 ($20 seniors, $11 ages 5-13, under 5 free). (updated Jul 2019)

Do
  • Snug Harbor Marina, 92 Black Point Rd, ☏ +1 518-585-6685. 
  • Ticonderoga Festival Guild, +1 518-984-0088. The Ticonderoga Festival Guild provides a diverse arts program year-round. In summer, the Guild presents performances by jazz, folk, and big band acts from around the country.
  • Ticonderoga Golf & Country Club, Route 9N, 518-585-2801. Season: April 15 - October 31. Holes: 18, Par: 71, Yards: 6,287; Men's Slope: 120, Men's Rating: 69.7, Women's Slope: 115, Women's Rating: 69.4. Pro shop, carts, rentals, lessons, restaurant, cocktail lounge. Course/Additional Amenities: Designed by Seymour Dunn and established is 1925, this course is in the historic Lord Howe valley.
  • Ticonderoga Heritage Museum, Montcalm Street, Bicentennial Park, 518-585-2696. The Ticonderoga Heritage Museum is in downtown Ticonderoga. Situated in a lovely setting next to Bicentennial Park and the lower falls of the LaChute River, this charming brick building, constructed in 1888, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is one of the few examples of High Victorian architecture in Ticonderoga. It also represents an important part of Ticonderoga's industrial past, as it remains the sole remnant of the pulp and paper complex which dominated this part of the village for over one hundred years.

Buy

Eat
  • Burgoyne Grill, 260 Burgoyne Rd, ☏ +1 518-585-2378. 11AM-10PM. Full service, American, open for: lunch, dinner, the Adirondack style pub and restaurant offers an eclectic array of foods. The Burgoyne Grill offers an atmosphere suitable for all ages. Spacious, elegant banquet and meeting facility, complete with in-house catering for up to 225 guests. Lunch and dinner year round, seven days a week. 
  • Hot Biscuit Diner, 14 Montcalm St, ☏ +1 518-585-3483. Hotbiscuitdiner.com hours 7AM-8PM Monday - Saturday 7AM-1PM Sunday Full service restaurant, bakery and catering which is well suited to the American family. The restaurant features nightly homemade dinners and a full children's menu. The bakery serves up some of the best pies in the county! Separate meeting room available upon request. (seats up to 40). Eat in or takeout. 
  • Eddie's Restaurant, Hague Rd, ☏ +1 518 585-7030. 
  • Fort View Inn, Montcalm Rd, +1 518-585-7767.
  • Log House Restaurant at Fort Ticonderoga (Seasonal). 
  • Lord Howe Valley Farms, 369 Rte 9N, ☏ +1 518 585-3009. 
  • Burleigh's Luncheonette, 121 Montcalm St, ☏ +1 518 585-6262. M-Sa 7AM-3PM, Dinner: F Sa 4PM-8PM. A tiny hole-in-the-wall diner with kitschy décor and a menu that's heavy on breakfast items, but no slouch when it comes to lunch entrees either. Salads, sandwiches, and items from the grill are all crafted with care. Dinner specials two nights a week. (updated Jul 2019)

Drink

Sleep

Go next
  • Chester on I-87 / US9 is thirty miles to the southwest; take 9N south to Hague, then turn west on NY route 8.
  • Vermont is directly across Lake Champlain
Routes through Ticonderoga
Montreal ← Westport ←  N  S  → Saratoga Springs → Albany (Rensselaer)
Plattsburgh ← Crown Point ←  N  S  → Jct W → Lake George → Saratoga Springs
Plattsburgh ← Crown Point ←  N  S  → Jct W E → Jct W E
Jct N S ← Jct N S ←  W  E  → becomes → Jct E → Middlebury via


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