Fort Necessity National Battlefield — Attraction in Wharton Township

We visited on a late Saturday afternoon in mid-April 2025.

Unfortunately we only had about an hour in the visitor center and that was just enough time to watch the film and for the kids to complete their junior rangers and see all the exhibits. We were definitely rushing through everything and didn't even get to go out to the fort.

The parking lot was huge for the site. Over 50 parking spots for sure. There were less than 10 cars there when we arrived. We kind of ran inside to get our National Park Cancellation Stamps which were located on the information desk right inside the doors to the left. There was only 1 stamp for the site.

The gift shop itself was a decent size with a good selection of merch. The restrooms and theater were right adjacent to this area. We quickly rushed into the theater to watch the last showing of the film for the day. We then explored the exhibit area which was actually amazingly well done. It was super cool how it had audio surround sound which I believe was motion triggered. So you walk into the beginning and its gun shots to the left and right. The whole exhibit area must've been renovated recently. I wish Friendship Hill had something like this. It's like they pooled all their funding together and put it all into one of the sites. The exhibits here were bright and colorful and dynamic and themed like a Disney park. There was also a small playground for younger kids right outside the visitor center as well with picnic tables.

The rangers we talked to were very nice and swore my kids in for their Junior Ranger badges.

I felt bad as we rushed through everything and didn't even walk out to the fort. We will definitely have to visit this Fort Necessity National Battlefield again and actually go out to the fort and read more of the indoor exhibits. I would say you need at least 90 mins to 2 hours to really see everything here. The grounds don't close until sunset so we could've probably walked down to the fort still but we were on a road trip and needed to meet with family for dinner a...

The first link in a chain of events that would eventually lead to the American Revolution happened here, in a sad little hog-pen known as Fort Necessity. It was also the first battle in an otherwise distinguished military career for the 21-year-old colonel, George Washington.

Prior to the battle -- and to defend his interests in a pelt-trading firm -- Washington and a local Indian chief named Tanacharison (called the Half King by the British) led a massacre on a camp of French regulars under the command of Joseph Coulon de Villiers, Sieur de Jumonville. According to one history of the battle, Tanacharison washed his hands in Jumonville's brains to make sure he was dead.

Upon hearing of Jumonville's death, his brother Louis Coulon led a counter-assault on Fort Necessity. Washington had half the troops in the ill-fortified Necessity and most of them were drunk, so he surrendered. While making his ignoble retreat, the French forces raided his supplies and sent him limping back to Williamsburg, where he would eventually win the support of the British Crown. After winning the war, the crown sent the bill to the colonies, the colonies rebelled, and eventually won their independence.

It is thus a strange coincidence that the Battle of Fort Necessity was on July 3rd, but it's no accident that July 4th weekend is the best time to go to Fort Necessity. On that weekend there is an encampment of reenactors depicting British and French regulars and Indians, and it is a good time to learn the customs of this land before it was a country. If you can't make it to the Independence Day celebrations, there are tours and musket demonstrations nearly every morning.

This is an important place to visit, but be prepared for disappointment (as my kids were) on your approach to the fort. It's little more than a few upright sticks hammered in a circle of earthen works. But the surrounding natural meadow is beautiful, and your imagination can...

My mom and I stopped here to learn about the history of Fort Necessity. As soon as we walked through the door, the people at the front desk directed us to go view the film that had just started! After the film, we were directed to go outside to hear a Park Ranger speak. Then we were told to go down a path if we’d like to meet the next person in the series. The man was dressed in a French military garb and held a musket! That was super cool. He told us about every part of his clothing and musket and then fired his musket for us. He even let us hold it afterward, if we wanted to. Yes, I held an old French navy musket! It was cool! We toured the fort on our own and then went back and toured the museum. The museum was filled with great artifacts and had spoken explanations of many areas at the touch of a button.

This place was pretty amazing. The film they showed said that General Braddock’s body was marched over and lost to time, but it was found a few years back, and he now even has a gravestone/monument in his honor. We went to see it, and it looked like it is very new. They still had orange plastic mesh on the ground around the base of the monument to protect the ground. We were told that his body was discovered while someone was digging for utility work/maintenance. At least his body is at rest properly. I mean, who wants to be buried by being marched over in the mud by their own army? Sure, it was to save his body from being desecrated by the Native Americans, but still… It was a rough way to be treated after death.

I highly recommend a visit to this park! It’s important that we remember our history. Although, for the record, I wish the French had won because they treated the Native Americans as family instead of wanting to conquer the land and steal it as the British planned all along (and...