For being a brand-new wedding venue, Fort Ticonderoga is old—really old. “Fort Ticonderoga has a long history of hospitality dating to the 19th century,” says Julia Nittler, the Fort Ticonderoga Association’s event coordinator. “In 1820, wealthy merchant William Ferris Pell purchased the Fort lands and preserved the site. He built his family home known as the Pavilion in 1826, and in the second half of the 19th century, the Pavilion became a hotel welcoming visitors who were traveling the fashionable tour north on the lakes via steamboat.”
Of course, the fort was around long before that: its capture in 1775 marked the first offensive victory for American forces in the Revolutionary War. These days, the site is home to a museum that offers programs, boat cruises, tours, demonstrations and exhibits at its location on the southern end of Lake Champlain. And now, after the fort’s Pavilion underwent $9 million in restoration in 2021, it’s also a wedding venue.
“Couples are so enthusiastic to learn about the opportunity to make their own history at one of North America’s most beautiful and historic locations,” Nittler says. Plus, the fort, which offers multiple ceremony and reception sites, is great for COVID-era ceremonies. “We are a prime location for micro-weddings, as well as larger-scale outdoor gatherings,” Nittler says. “And, since we are a new venue, we still have some availability for 2022 and 2023, which is welcome news for couples who are having a hard time finding venues due to the high demand.”