Washington Crossing Historic Park — Attraction in Upper Makefield Township

What a great place! Very cool! I love the historical preservation here!

The parking lot is directly across the street from the museum section of the grounds here. The parking lot is paved and there seems to be many spaces, although if there's an event there or a reenactment going on then the parking lot would be considered pretty small.

There's a neat walkway in front of the museum that they've lined with the 13 original state flags and the original/ fiest US flag that Betsy Ross created.

The museum was made pretty cool. Wide open spaces throughout, many places to sit and look out the large glass windows to watch the Delaware River where Washington crossed over. There's a small gift store. There are nice restrooms. And then a section that's a museum...old guns, old housing items from the time, old medical devices used during battles, old beds, an old desk. It was nice to see all those things preserved.

Outside, there's an engraved rock that marks that land as the place where Washington crossed the Delaware River. We were informed that the placement of the rock actually changes over the years so where ever you see the rock doesn't mark the exact spot where he first stepped onto shore in PA. But it's still pretty cool to see it marked as being on the grounds. There is a stairway that takes you to the water, again since he crossed over before any of us we're alive, the exact spot is unknown but it was fun to walk down to the river.

There's also many old homes/ buildings that have been preserved and you can walk on a paved walkway from the museum and see them. There's also an old boat that Washington would've crossed in. That was cool to see. I didn't walk the length of the path, it crosses another street and keeps going. Maybe someday.

Reenactments. Apparently they do the Washington crossing reenactment on Christmas Eve since that's the night he actually crossed the river. Anyone can come and watch. I'm sure it's freezing so bundle up. We we're I formed that they do rehearsals the week prior and that's where you can meet some of the people and they open the buildings for you to see inside and watch how people used to do things back then. Some of those fun things aren't open the night of the reenactment so sounds like the rehearsals might actually be more interactive and fun.

Great place....

On a cold, snowy Christmas night in 1776, the Continental Army changed the course of history. Led by George Washington, they braved the rough Delaware River to land at Johnson's Ferry in NJ and march on to victory against the British. Operated by the Friends of Washington Crossing, we visited the site on the PA side this morning where their departure was preserved at Washington Crossing Historic Park.

Reservation was easily made yesterday on their website for the 10:30am tour. Between the Upper Section that has the Thompson-Neely House and Revolutionary War Soldier’s grave. The Lower Section has the Visitor Center and the Old Village right at the site of the crossing. This encompasses 500 acres, which represents much more than a single event.

Upon arrival, my partner and I had time to walk around the perimeter of the Visitor Center. When the building opened at 10am, we entered and were greeted by the staff. Inside had a wonderful auditorium and exhibit hall that featured the canon Marquis de Lafayette gave to the Continental Army.

Our tour started by watching a short film about the history of the crossing. We further followed our tour guide David Price outside to the large white barn to view a Durham boat, similar to what George and his men used during the crossing. He led us along the Delaware River among the fall foliage to talk about the war leading up to and following the December 26 Battle of Trenton. He was able to make history come alive for us at $7 per person.

The park also has wonderful historical homes but were closed while we were there. It’s an ideal spot for picnicking, hiking, and bird watching. The well-maintained trails and scenic overlooks allow visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of the area.

They do reenactments of the crossing on Christmas Day and one earlier in December. It's recommended to check their website.

It’s a remarkable place offering a unique blend of American history and natural beauty, making it a must-visit destination for history buffs and nature lovers alike, which we...

My grandchildren loved climbing Bowman's Tower and two of them did it three times for the experience. That's about the only good thing I have to say about the visit to a place which used to be a common destination for me but won't be any longer.

The rate to climb the tower has been raised from $6 to $7. The tower stairway is strewn with dirt, debris, litter, and graffiti. A tacky Christmas star was never removed from the top of the Tower at the end of the season. A number of living oak trees near the parking lot have spray painted X's on them, probably indicating they are to be cut down for no obvious reason. Benches at the base of the tower are off limits.

Worst of all, the trails on the Bowman's Hill grounds have been closed indefinitely. As the steepest, tallest place within easy reach of my home, I have trained on that hill trail for a number of years in preparation for backpacking trips. Sometimes I paid the fee even when I didn't climb the Tower just to support the management of the tract.

It's clear DCNR is suddenly interested in this tract after years of ignoring its existence. What they've done is block all the trails with tape, cones, no parking signs, and even vehicles. The surly person in the fee collection shack outside the tower informed me that the trails may never be reopened. "Those were never trails," he said. "People just started walking there." That's exactly what a trail is, a useful path where people just start to walk. The guy in the shack claimed DCNR is worried about safety. OK, what about the nearby ruin of a stone structure with an old threshold open to a seven foot drop straight down into the basement? Much more dangerous and accessible than any part of the closed trails. Indeed, it could well be argued that the Tower itself is more dangerous than those trails.

If you've never seen the view from the top of Bowman's Tower, it is indeed impressive. Do it once, cross it off your list, and skedaddle until they get their act together, if...