Oswego and its residents have played significant roles in Iroquoian, Colonial, and United States history. Today Oswego, NY native Noel Francisco serves as Solicitor General of the United States and is the first Asian American to hold the position. James Fenimore Cooper drew inspiration for his Leatherstocking Tales from service in the U.S. Navy at Oswego, and it was where the Marquis de Montcalm won the first of three great French victories against the powerful British empire. Oswego was the home of Union Army contract surgeon Mary Edwards Walker M.D., the first female recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, and a leader of the Woman’s Suffrage Movement.
The Holocaust came to America at the Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter. It’s where everyday Americans and the press first heard personal stories of persecution at the hands of the Nazis from their victims, and the Holocaust moved from the back to front pages of newspapers. Fort Ontario is where the first group of refugees were allowed into the United States outside of existing immigration quotas, opening the door for admitting later groups. For this unique story and many others check out our Historical Guide.
Fort Ontario- Oswego
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The Bridge House Museum contains a collection of artifacts depicting the history of the village of Phoenix and the NYS Barge Canal. The historic building is located along the canal at the corner of State and Lock Streets in Phoenix. Open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., July 1 through Sept. 1. Admission is free.
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Nestled in the trees at Mexico Point State Park, off NYS-104B, Casey’s Cottage is maintained by the Friends of Mexico Point State Park. The cottage is open seasonally for free tours during events at the park.
During the 1930s, Dr. William C. Casey and Severin Bischof, with the help of their friends, transformed a former carriage house into an 11th century manor house. The medieval influence is apparent in the life-size wall carvings, the huge fireplace complete with chains for the hounds, and ceilings carved with old English and Gaelic quotes. Free admission.
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The Central Square Museum was once jointly operated as a depot for the New York, Ontario & Western and New York Central railroads. There are both indoor and outdoor exhibits.
Open noon-5 pm Sundays, May-October.
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CMOO’s mission is to inspire children to learn, discover, create and explore through the power of play.
Celebrate your child’s birthday at CMOO!
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The Oliver Stevens Blockhouse Museum, located on Route 11 in Brewerton, touches on 10,000 years of history from Paleo-Indian to World War I. Adjacent to the museum are the original earthworks of the 1759 British fortification. The Stevens Blockhouse is a replica of the original home built in 1794 by Oliver Stevens, the first permanent white settler in Oswego County. The museum is open the first weekend in June through the second weekend in September, and by appointment. Fridays and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
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Fort Ontario was built on the ruins of three British colonial fortifications by the United States from 1839 to 1844, with Civil War masonry improvements. It was the site of three French and Indian and two War of 1812 battles, and it was the only shelter for Holocaust refugees in the United States during WWII.
Visitors tour exhibits, barracks, guardhouses, offices, powder magazine, underground casemates, and a post cemetery. Open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday – Sunday from mid-May to Columbus Day, and seven days July 1 to Labor Day. Sunday hours – 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Special events are held year-round.
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The H. Lee White Maritime Museum, located on the West Side Pier in Oswego’s “Historic Maritime District,” features a fascinating variety of artifacts, paintings, models and intriguing stories of the area’s maritime heritage. The museum features a series of hands-on exhibits for children as well as several historic vessels.
The National Historic Landmark Tug LT-5 is the last functioning Large Tug used in the Normandy landing on “D” Day. It was awarded National Landmark status because its crew shot down a German plane. NYS Derrick Boat 8, “The Lance Knapp,” was the last steam-powered vessel on the Barge Canal. The derrick boat includes a unique exhibit on the history of canalling in New York State. Both of those boats are open for tours, as part of regular admission, mid-May – Sept. 30, weather permitting.
The museum and gift shop are open daily 1-5 p.m. year round with expanded hours in July and August 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
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Housed in the former Richland Elementary School, the historical society maintains an extensive collection of documents and agricultural tools and items that reflect northern Oswego County’s heritage. Genealogy research and special exhibits on farm life from 1800-1950. Free admission.
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The John Wells Pratt House Museum, maintained by the Friends of History in Fulton, NY, Inc., highlights the significant history of Fulton, a former mill town and prominent industrial center. Built in 1861, it features permanent and changing exhibits on Fulton’s history, industry, and people.
The museum is open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. from April to
December each year, and by appointment when arranged. Free admission.
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This impressive wall mural depicting America’s War of Independence is on permanent display in Mexico Academy and Central School on state Route 104 in the village of Mexico. The historic woodblock mural was made in France and is one of only two in existence. The other is on display in the White House in Washington, DC. It is open to the public from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays) for viewing. Free admission.
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The Mexico Museum features changing exhibits, albums, maps, and fascinating restored materials detailing Mexico’s past. The museum, which was originally a mid-19th century law office, is open Tuesdays and Saturdays from 2 to 4 p.m., from March through September and by appointment. Admission is free.
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This museum interprets the history of the town of Oswego, its contributions to maritime commerce and the cultures which have occupied this port city. There are displays on one-room schoolhouses, town history and Mary Edwards Walker, a Civil War doctor born in Oswego who is the only woman to have ever received the Medal of Honor.
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Located in the Village of Pulaski, this museum portrays the colorful industrial and agricultural heritage that grew from the village’s settlement on the Salmon River. The museum contains a fascinating collection of tools, equipment, manufactured products and other artifacts, as well as thousands of documents and archives including personal diaries, news clippings, letters, and other items. Hours: March, April, May, October and November: Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; June and September: Thursdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; July and August: Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and by appointment. Free admission.
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The Oswego County Historical Society’s collection of nearly 25,000 artifacts, documents, and photographs traces the significant history of the area, and is located in the Richardson-Bates House Museum.
The house was built between 1867 and 1880 and is a fine example of Tuscan Villa Victorian architecture. The upstairs of the house is dedicated to the preservation of local history. The downstairs is preserved as the Richardson family knew it, with 95 percent of the original furnishings of the period. Maxwell Richardson was an attorney, real estate broker, and two-term mayor of Oswego. His house reflects his wealth and position as a civic leader.
It is open April to December, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, from 1 to 5 p.m.
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Commemorates America’s only shelter for Nazi Holocaust survivors. 982 refugees from 18 war-torn countries fled the Nazi terror in Europe during the Holocaust. They sailed to the safety of America as guests of the US government, and were housed at Fort Ontario for 18 months. Children attended Oswego schools and adults attended English classes and learned trades.
The museum underwent a complete redesign during 2019-20 and will open on Memorial Day 2021. It will be open 7 days a week from 11 am – 4 pm through Labor Day 2021.
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The Salmon River International Sport Fishing Museum is home to a collection of over 250,000 historic items originally on display at the Gladding Corporation’s Museum. Homemade antique fishing rods, rare lures, reels and tackle and a significant library of books, original watercolors, and historic prints are included in the collection. Open seasonally and maintained by the Pulaski-Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce.
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Families, fishermen and lighthouse lovers from around the world enjoy spending time in our three-bedroom lighthouse or one of our three rental cottages, all located right in the midst of one of New York State’s premier fisheries. Located at the mouth of the Salmon River at Lake Ontario, our marina, lighthouse and cottages offer something for everyone, young and old alike.
Unlike a major portion of Lake Ontario with its rocky coastline, our guests are afforded the unique and quiet enjoyment of a massive span of private, soft, sandy beach on the shore of the lake, with a very gently sloping and soft, sandy lake bottom, located directly across the river from the marina.
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Former 1910 St. John’s Episcopal Church
Museum has Gothic architecture with stained glass. Features history of the Town of Schroeppel and Village of Phoenix including the Oswego Canal. Open Saturday afternoons from 1-4pm during June, July and August.
Curator: Barb Dix
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Beginning Friday, May 31, 2013, hours of operation will be every Friday, 4-7 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. -1 p.m.
For tours by appointment, please call 315-963-7853.
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Housed in the former West Monroe Grange, the museum contains a collection of locally-produced stoneware, a complete 1940s kitchen, and a large variety of items and photographs centered around West Monroe and communities on the north shore of Oneida Lake. Special exhibits and materials for genealogical research. The society is open from noon to 4 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and by appointment.
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Built in 1934 and automated in 1967, the lighthouse is one of Oswego’s most recognizable landmarks. View from Lake Street, Oswego.
The H. Lee White Maritime Museum at Oswego offers tours to the Oswego West Pierhead Lighthouse by boat each year, mid-June through early September, on Fridays and Saturdays from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. (weather pending). Tickets are $20 per person, and we can accommodate reservations of up to six people per transit to the station. Visitors to the lighthouse should plan to spend roughly two hours (including transit) for their experience and our captains reserve the right to cancel or cut-short any trip due to weather or safety concerns.
Book your experience today at the Oswego West Pierhead Lighthouse by calling 315-342-0480
