8 Best Sights in New York, USA

Occupying the western shore of one of the most scenic bends in the Hudson River, the academy consists of some 16,000 acres of training grounds, playing fields, and buildings constructed of native granite in the Military Gothic style. The oldest continually garrisoned post in the U.S. Army, the citadel was founded in 1778 and opened as a military academy in 1802. Distinguished graduates include Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, and Douglas MacArthur. The world's oldest and largest military museum, the West Point Museum in Olmstead Hall, showcases a vast collection of uniforms, weapons, flags, American military art, and other memorabilia. Fort Putnam, built in 1778 and a key component of West Point's defense during the Revolutionary War, was restored in the 1970s. Campus visits are by bus tour only (bring photo ID), but you do get a chance to step off the bus, look at a few memorials and cannons up close, and perhaps glimpse cadets in action. Civilians are also allowed on campus for sporting and cultural events, including football games, theater presentations, parades, and concerts. You can visit the museum and visitor center without taking the $11 tour. Tours aren't given during graduation week (usually late May) and on Saturdays of home football games.

A guided-missile cruiser, destroyer, and a World War II submarine are on display at this 6-acre waterfront site, the largest inland naval park in the nation.

Scene of a 1777 Revolutionary War battle for the Hudson River, this fort (well, its foundation at least) is still visible on the 14½-acre site, which is on a cliff with stunning Hudson River views. The museum holds artifacts, weapons, a 15 minute film, and large-scale models reenacting the historic battle. To get to the site from New York City, take the Palisades Parkway north to Route 9W north and proceed just over ½ mile. The parking area is on the right.

The fort, built alongside Lake Champlain by the French (in 1755–58), was originally named Fort Carillon. It was captured by the British in 1759 and renamed Fort Ticonderoga. The colonists took over in 1775, but only until 1777, when the British managed to place cannons atop Mt. Defiance, which overlooks the fort. You may drive up to the summit of Mt. Defiance and take in the views of the fort, the valley, and Lake Champlain. The fort presents living-history demonstrations, including cannon drills, musket firings, and fife-and-drum performances in July and August. Permanent exhibits include weapons and Revolutionary War artifacts. Thirty-minute guided tours with costumed interpreters are available. The grounds also encompass several gardens (open daily 10–4 from June to Columbus Day).

Turned over to the National Park Service in 1994, this 226-acre historical military site on the Narrows of New York Harbor was on defense from the Revolutionary War to World War II. Today, it's the starting point of the New York Marathon each November, and makes for a relaxed summertime hangout, with views of Battery Weed and the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Tours and events are ongoing but irregular, so make sure to check their website's calendar beforehand.

The earliest part of the fort was built as a French castle in 1726, and the complex later played a critical role in the French and Indian War (1754–63). You can watch colorful displays of cannon and musket firings, historical reenactments, 18th-century military demonstrations, and take part in archaeological programs. The fort is inside Fort Niagara State Park, 15 mi north of Niagara Falls.

This is the only Revolutionary War battleground in Rockland County. A museum with exhibits and a slide show describes the battle, and reenactments in period costume are common. It is also the home of the oldest lighthouse on the Hudson River, built in 1826. Lighthouse tours are offered the first and third Saturday of the month, from April to October.