sjt Rants…

The last time I visited Fort Ontario I was in the 5th grade. The experience was memorable for many reasons, including the guards in uniform, the rifle and canon fire, and the variety of interpreters providing commentary about the experience of being stationed at the Fort. Today was very different.

NYS has cut budgets profoundly enough that the Fort now operates on a skeleton crew supplemented by volunteer support. They are doing a respectable job, but things are clearly very different and the self-tour was far less of an experience. We also learned that 100% of the admission money ($4/person) goes to NYS, none of it remaining at the Fort to support maintenance and operation. Instead, they rely on memberships of $25/year that provide unlimited admission and a variety of other perks – including the ability to watch the annual Harborfest fireworks from the walls of the Fort. It is so unfortunate that our government places such low priorities on treasures such as this.

Sarah Leaving Fort Ontario

Oswego Harbor From Fort Ontario

Enlisted Quarters at Fort Ontario

Powder Magazine at Fort Ontario

Officers Quarters at Fort Ontario

sjt