Experience “Winter Family Fun Day: An 18th-Century Experience” at Fort Ticonderoga on February 13 from 10 am – 4 pm. Image of Senior Director of Interpretation Stuart Lilie using 18th-century snowshoes alongside a family with modern-day snowshoes. (Credit: Fort Ticonderoga)

Join Fort Ticonderoga for its first “Winter Family Fun Day: An 18th-Century Experience” on Saturday, February 13 and enjoy a day of winter play with an 18th-century twist. Grab your gear to experience sledding, snowshoeing, and skating on the garrison grounds of Fort Ticonderoga. Tours and presentations will give visitors a chance to learn about the rich history of Ticonderoga in the winter. Warm up with a delicious cup of hot chocolate made from 18th-century ingredients and discover the tasty history of chocolate at Fort Ticonderoga in the 18th century. This unique family-fun event takes place from 10 am – 4 pm and costs $10 per person; Members of Fort Ticonderoga are free. For more information call 518-585-2821 or visit www.fortticonderoga.org.

“Sledding, snowshoeing, and ice skating are fun recreational sports today, but were vital military activities in the winter campaigns in the French and Indian War and Revolutionary War,” said Stuart Lilie, Fort Ticonderoga’s Senior Director of Interpretation. “This event is your chance to witness the epic scouts of Rogers’ Rangers trekking on several feet of snow with homemade snowshoes or skating miles along frozen Lake Champlain and Lake George. See how today’s toboggans descend from tools which carried the packs of native warriors, Canadians, and soldiers alike.”

Visitor Schedule

10:00 AM Fort Ticonderoga Opens to Visitors

11:30 AM & 2:30 PM Snowshoe Tours
Follow a winter clad soldier to learn about the layers of history on Ticonderoga’s beautiful landscape. From harrowing winters for French soldiers to American soldiers crouched inside wooden huts awaiting British invasion, see the ground that witnessed such defining moments. It is recommended that participants wear snowshoes.

1:00 PM “Cloaks, mitts, and quilted petticoats: Keeping warm with 18th-century women’s fashion.” (Starts inside the Fort, Mars Education Center Great-Room)
Join Fort Ticonderoga’s Head of Costume, Eliza West, to discover how 18th-century women balanced fashion and practicality during the colder months. Explore images and descriptions of women’s winter clothing, and learn about the hands-on experience of recreating and wearing those same garments.

10:00 AM to 4:00 PM: Fun for the Whole Family

18th-Century Skating: for Travelling and Exercise
Lake Champlain served as a frozen highway in the 18th century. During war time when the lake froze and boats could not pass, scouts made their long marches on skates. Not only were skates a tool for military use, but also found their role as a means of entertainment for officers. Learn about the style and function of 18th-century ice skates and skate on frozen Lake Champlain alongside a scouting soldier.

Racquet or Snowshoe?
French, British, and American soldiers purchased or copied native snowshoes to maneuver the deep woods over deep snow. Explore this vital winter soldiers’ tool and the accessories that help them to survive the winter. Strap into your own snowshoes and practice the techniques used by soldiers in the 18th century.

Sledding
Rather than sinking deep with a heavy pack the Native American toboggan could gracefully slide a heavy load behind. Bring your sled and see if you can gracefully slide along too. Enjoy some great sledding runs as you discover how a toboggan load of tools and supplies could produce a quick, comfortable winter camp.

Food & Beverage

“Breakfasting on Chocolate” (Chocolate Stand adjacent to the parking lot)
Learn about the use of chocolate in the 18th century and how widespread it was here at Ticonderoga. Warm up by the cooking fire as a mess cook makes a meal of chocolate. Join the soldiers and indulge with a fresh cup of hot chocolate and purchase your own Mars Heritage Chocolate to enjoy at home.

What to bring to have a fun-filled day?

1.) Warm weather clothing. Just like our 18th-century counterparts did, wear several layers to keep warm and enjoy the day.
2.) Snowshoes, sleds, ice skates. Visitors will have the opportunity to follow the steps of our ancestors by taking part in 18th-century sports.
3.) Friends and Family! Hot chocolate, sledding, skating, and snowshoeing are best enjoyed in great company.

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