Fort Ontario

A fun little diversion in Oswego. For a small fee you can tour the grounds with a guidebook they provide which gives you detail on the various buildings and locations around the top of the wall. They’ve done a nice job of maintaining the buildings and some have a few nice historical mock-​ups of how the rooms looked at the time (although there are more rooms than not that are just empty). We toured with our kids age 2.5 and 5, and they really enjoyed tromping through the buildings and exploring the fort more than I expected. Very few staff on site but those that were there were so friendly and full of information. I’d definitely recommend this if you are in the area with an hour or two to spare. Beautiful views of the lake as well.

I really enjoy touring old forts. You may think me kooky about that but as crazy as it may be, my undergraduate degree happens to be in Military Science even though it may be a debatable issue as to how much of an actual science there is to it.
Some of my favorite forts (Fort Niagara perched upon a cliff overlooking the waters where the Niagara flows into Lake Ontario is my favorite) happen to be along the shores of the Great Lakes both within the United States and Canada. These forts basically played an instrumental part in the in the French and Indian War (1754 – 1763) and the War of 1812 (1812 – 1815).
The star shaped Fort Ontario, as it stands today however is actually the fourth fort, having been built upon the ruins of three earlier forts and as such, with a series of successive modifications, only dates back to circa 1873. Though the area information offices claim otherwise, this fort never really amounted to much and its place in warfare history is hardly significant and though there is a lot of local hoopla about the fact New York 3^rd Regiment captured and destroyed the fort during the Revolutionary War, the humbling fact is that only occurred after the British had abandoned it. So, no big deal, especially since the British merely returned and rebuilt it.
However, what we have here is a marvelously well preserved well maintained fort on a recreational site that offers gorgeous overlooks of Lake Ontario and stands as an outstanding testament to the dedication of the many dedicated volunteers who have donated their time and efforts to its well preserved continuation.
Though I wouldn’t suggest going out of my way to visit it, unless you’re a fort buff like me, it’s certainly a must see if happen to be nearby. There is an officers quarters, a video room for view historical facts, a munitions area, ramparts to view and walk around, a storehouse, casements, cannons, storehouse, special occasion events and an information area.

I loved this place. I usually cringe when my history-​loving husband drags me to battlefield sites, but I sincerely enjoyed Fort Ontario. The staff was friendly and informative and I enjoyed the historical timeline, artifacts, and video explaining the fort’s varied roles over the last 300 years — all housed in the mess hall building. It’s not a bustling place (which I like) and the panoramic views of the lighthouse and sea wall are gorgeous. They’ve done a nice job of restoration with period pieces that give you a real feel for what it must have been like to live and work there. The cemetery is interesting and you can walk down to the water or along the railroad tracks via the gate just past the cemetery. A very nice way to spend a couple of hours in a neat little town.