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What is it that draws 3
million visitors each year to the United States
Military Academy
at West Point? Duty? Honor? Country? No, wait, those are the three words West
Point uses as its motto — attracting thousands of dedicated
young men and women to carry on the academy's legendary tradition. Actually, New York state's
third-most-visited attraction draws a diverse mix of guests — from veterans,
to proud parents, to curious tourists — for a variety of reasons. West Point
is steeped in over 200 years of U.S. history and tradition, a
fact that no doubt draws many to step through its gates. Plus, America's
oldest continuously occupied military post sits on a 16,000-acre reservation
amid the tranquil beauty of the Hudson River Valley, which makes for a nice
getaway from New York City, just over 50 miles to the south.
ONE FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS
As far back as the
Revolutionary War, West Point's commanding perch on the Hudson River earned
it distinction as one of America's
most strategic locations. In 1778, Gen. George Washington commissioned a fort
to be built at West Point and transferred
his headquarters here in 1779. Despite a traitorous scheme by Benedict Arnold
to hand the fort over to the British, Fortress West Point was never captured.
Not long after the war
ended, pressure mounted to create a military academy devoted to the arts and
sciences of warfare, and in 1802 Thomas Jefferson signed legislation to
establish just such a place. The focus of West Point
soon broadened, and by the mid-1800s civil engineering became the foundation
of the institution's curriculum. Throughout the first half of the 19th
century, West Point graduates had a hand in
the construction of many of the nation's railway lines, bridges, harbors and
roads. Later, graduates such as Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, William
Sherman and Stonewall Jackson dominated the leadership on both sides of the
Civil War. And, over the years, distinguished military leaders of the 20th
century such as George S. Patton, Douglas MacArthur,
Dwight D. Eisenhower and H. Norman Schwarzkopf have passed through the
institution's halls. Today, the academy continues to attract high-caliber men
and women, preparing them for duty in the Army and service to their country.
WHAT TO DO
Since visitors can only
enter the gated academy grounds on a guided tour, one's first stop should be
to the West Point Visitor's Center. Here visitors can brush up on historical
information, watch a video and sign up for a guided bus tour. A photo ID is
necessary for taking the tour, but children accompanied by an adult do not
require one.
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Directly behind the
visitor's center is the West Point Museum, which houses a collection of arms, cannons,
artillery, uniforms, and military art and objects
tied to West Point's past. Opened in 1854,
the West Point Museum is the nation's oldest and
largest military museum, with 135 exhibits that represent every American
armed conflict, from the Revolutionary War to the Battle of Gettysburg to
World War II. Entrance to the visitor's center and museum is free.
Next stop is the West Point
Tour, which will take you into the gated portion of the academy grounds and
to the major sites, including the Cadet Chapel, Trophy Point and the
academy's parade ground, as well as academic buildings and the dean's and
superintendent's homes. Trophy Point offers an amazing view, plus plenty of
historical information. Here you can see links from "The Great
Chain" — a 150-ton iron chain extended across the Hudson
by Washington's
soldiers to control river traffic during the Revolutionary War. Be sure to
check out the Battle Monument, which is reputed to be the largest
polished granite shaft in the Western Hemisphere
and includes 2,230 inscribed names of officers and men who fell in battle
during the Civil War. Due to heightened security since Sept. 11, Fort Putnam
and the West Point
Cemetery — the burial
place of former famous graduates like Gen. George A. Custer — are currently
no longer accessible to visitors. If you can't make the real tour, visit our
West Point Slideshow for an online tour of the campus grounds.
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