Fort Stanwix National Monument — Attraction in City of Rome

Fort Stanwix was a colonial fort whose construction commenced on August 26, 1758, under the direction of British General John Stanwix, at the location of present-day Rome, New York, but was not completed until about 1762. The bastion fort was built to guard a portage known as the Oneida Carry during the French and Indian War. Fort Stanwix National Monument, a reconstructed structure built by the National Park Service, now occupies the site.[3 Fort Stanwix is historically significant because of its successful defense by American troops during an August 1777 siege. The fort had been built by the British in 1758 at a strategic site along the water route from Lake Ontario to the Hudson River. After American forces captured and rebuilt the fort during the American Revolutionary War, they were besieged by a British army that invaded from Canada via Lake Ontario, hoping to reach the Hudson River. The British force abandoned the siege, a consequence that helped lead to the defeat of a larger British army during the Saratoga campaign.

Fort Stanwix was also the site of the 1768 Treaty of Fort Stanwix between Britain and Native American tribes, as well as of the 1784 Treaty of Fort Stanwix between the tribes and the American government.

Besides the fort reconstruction itself, the national monument includes three short trails that encircle it, one of which follows a portion of the Oneida Carry. The Marinus Willett Collections Management and Education Center preserves the monument's 485,000 artifacts and documents, displays exhibits about Fort Stanwix and the Mohawk Valley, and serves as a regional...

I love historic forts and this is the most accurate 18th century one I've seen.

It really transports you back in time to a revolutionary war fort. The staff and information around the fort does a good job of showing you what the different buildings and rooms were used for. There is also a good model showing what the original fort was like and the process of rebuilding it. National Parks service clearly did a lot of research to accurately recreate the fort.

The entire fort is a replica except for some brick ruins of an old fireplace, which is well marked. Being into archeology I appreciate that they have these open to the public.

I also would recommend walking around the fort to get a good look at the full defensive line, including the dry moat and palisades. This really is a must see, I also didn't even get a chance to visit the visitor center which I'm sure also had good information.

The entire place is also free to visit which is a huge plus. Other forts in New York this extensive can cost up to 25 a person, so its really cool that this one is completely free.

Fort Ticonderoga and William Henry in NY are fun to visit but are both expensive and not nearly as historically accurate as Stanwix (they were both earth and timber forts like stanwix but neither was rebuilt as accurately as this one).

If your in the area or passing through, or a history buff I highly recommend seeing...

I was very impressed. The staff were enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The fort was immersive with lots of rooms open and informative displays. The visitor center was well laid out with a nice series of videos to connect everything together as well as a decent amount of artifacts. I'd say give yourself an hour and a half for your visit.

My main complaint is that there is no dedicated parking lot (I think your best option is street parking near the visitor center). Also, the fort isn't nestled in the woods but rather surrounded by the businesses and city streets of downtown Rome, NY.

It's only ten to fifteen minutes from I-90, so if you're looking for something to break up your drive across upstate New York, this is...