Washington Crossing Historic Park

The Experience

See the spot where the General George Washington’s boats quietly took the soldiers to the battles of Trenton and Princeton. Walk among the grounds where his troops waited patiently by the side of the Delaware River, close by several historic houses and work buildings that represent Pennsylvania industry and home life in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

But it’s not all about history. The network of trails that lead throughout the forested grounds are great for walking, running and hiking, as well as cycling.

On Christmas night, 1776, Gen. George Washington and his revolutionary troops met here to secretly cross the Delaware River, so that they could surprise the British and Hessian troops presumably celebrating in Trenton, several miles south. The park has been preserved as both a historic and nature area by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The park is in two sections: the lower park holds the visitor center and several buildings, and the upper park once functioned as an infirmary during the battles and an original grist mill. The visitor center video tells of the 10 days from the time of the crossing through the revolutionaries’ victories at Trenton and Princeton.

Come Prepared

Open Tuesday through Sunday. Bowman’s Tower, which is also in the park, is open seasonally.

Don’t Miss

Christmas day re-enactment is currently changing management – look at their Website for details this fall.

Outsider’s Tip

While the painting here of “Washington Crossing the Delaware” is only a reproduction of the original, which hangs in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, it is here that the event took place and so the copy can evoke more passion than the original.