
Courtesy DEC
The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) opened the new Lake George Visitor Interpretive Center on May 25.
The new facility at 75 Fort George Road will enhance the visitor experience at DEC’s Lake George Battlefield Park and also serve as the new headquarters for the Lake George Park Commission, officials said.
“DEC and our partners at the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance are dedicated to preserving the beauty and history of Lake George through interpretive work and public education,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “The VIC will provide park visitors with a welcoming and inclusive space that guides them on a historical journey through artifacts and interpretive displays.
“Bringing DEC, the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance, and the Lake George Park Commission under one roof demonstrates the close partnerships working together to improve visitor education, recreation, and conservation in this environmentally unique and historic region of New York.”
Ken Parker, chairman of Lake George Park Commission, said, “Following four years of planning, design and construction, the Lake George Park Commission is extremely proud to call this beautiful new building its home. This new multi-use, environmentally friendly facility—shared with the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance—stands in honor of the incredibly rich history of the region, and as a focal point to continue the important protections of Lake George for future generations.”
Lyn Hohmann, former president of the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance (LGBP Alliance), said from the time the area started being set aside as a public park in 1898, “there has been a desire to have a visitors center to provide an overview of its history. The LGBP Alliance is proud to have delivered on that dream with funding from several foundations, members and the community and support from DEC, Lake George Park Commission, and the New York State Museum.”
Visitors can tour the Lake George Battlefield Park, which contains the site of the Battle of Lake George (1755). The site was a fortified camp during the siege of Fort William Henry (1757) and a major military camp throughout the French and Indian War (1754-1763).
DEC’s construction on the new building began in June 2020.