Heritage Areas are places where unique

qualities of geography, history, and culture

create a distinctive identity that becomes

the focus of the four heritage goals:

Open a door to the past...

to explore the future

of significantresources

that interprets lessonsfrom the past

and leisure activities

for sustainablecommunities

Preservation

Education

Recreation

Economic Revitalization

State of New YorkGeorge E. Pataki, GovernorNYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic PreservationBernadette Castro, CommissionerAn Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Agency

is a registered trademark and servicemark of the New York State Department ofEconomic Development; used with permission.O

FFIC

EO

FPA

RK

S• R

ECREATION • HISTORIC

PRE

SE

RVATIO

N

NEW YORK STATE

Enjoy all that New

York’s Heritage Areas

have to offer–

glorious vistas,

exquisite architecture,

informative exhibits,

lively festivals,

enticing shops,

bustling downtowns,

and fascinating stories.

1. AlbanySince its beginnings as a fur-trading post, Albany has been a center for world trade, finance, and government and a pivotalforce in the development of thestate and the nation.

2. BuffaloDuring the mid-19th century,when Buffalo was booming withlake, canal, and rail traffic, thecity supported a broad range ofentertainment and culture, a tradition that lives on in the cityand its theatre district.

9. RiverSpark (Hudson-Mohawk)At the confluence of two great rivers,natural resources and cutting-edgetechnology were harnessed in theregion’s transformation from anagrarian to an industrial economy.This heritage is visible today in thepeople, streets, and landscapes of theRiverSpark communities: Cohoes,Colonie, Green Island, Troy,Waterford, and Watervliet.

3. Harbor Park(New York City)Historic waterfront sites aroundNew York’s harbor tell the epic storyof growth from colonial tradingpost to post-Civil War ascendancyas the world’s largest seaport andimmigration destination.

18. Whitehall Whitehall's harbors, parks, charming main street, and SkenesboroughMuseum evoke the village's history as home base for BenedictArnold's Lake Champlain fleet during the American Revolution and as a prosperous port on theChamplain Canal.

8. OssiningIn this historic Hudson River village, unique landmarks like theOld Croton Aqueduct and SingSing Prison display state-of-the-artadvances in 19th-century civil and social engineering.

10. Rochester High FallsWhere millraces and waterfallsonce captured the power of themighty Genesee River, Rochester’sHigh Falls area now welcomes visitors to revitalized factories, dramatic archaeological sites, and magnificent scenery.

12. Saratoga Springs“Queen of Spas” in the 19th century, Saratoga continues toattract visitors to its bubbling mineralsprings, racetracks, Victorian architecture, vibrant downtown,and flourishing cultural life.

13. SchenectadyFounded in 1661, Schenectady grewfrom a stockaded village in thewilderness into a thriving Erie Canalport, then burgeoned as the 20thcentury’s “Electric City,” birthplaceof General Electric and theAmerican Locomotive Company.

14. Seneca FallsThe righteous spirit of reformearned Seneca Falls a place in worldhistory as the setting of the firstWomen’s Rights Convention in1848. Today, the historic mill townfeatures a classic main street, canalpromenade, restored landmarks,and modern monuments towomen’s activism.

15. SusquehannaAntique carousels, factories, ethnicneighborhoods, and gold-domedchurches tell the story of the thousandsof immigrants drawn to the industries of Binghamton, Endicott, and Johnson City in the Susquehanna’s“Valley of Opportunity.”

16. SyracuseSalt, a precious natural resource, first putSyracuse on the map, but it was the ErieCanal that transformed the city into amodern center of business and capital.

17. Western Erie CanalThe Erie Canal brought pioneers, the fervor of social reform, andindustrial progress to the fertile landscapes of Western New York, a legacy that survives in the fascinatingcities, towns, and sprawling farms that line today’s canal.

6. Mohawk ValleyThe dramatic landscapes of the eightMohawk Valley counties are layeredwith centuries of history, fromIroquois encounters with fur tradersand missionaries, through Europeansettlement, colonial wars, the ErieCanal, and industrialization.

7. North Shore (Long Island)From Great Neck to Orient Point,the North Shore’s rich heritage isrevealed in places as diverse as luxurious Gold Coast mansions,vintage suburbs, well-worn fishingpiers, rugged pine barrens, andNorth Fork farm stands.

5. KingstonThe city of Kingston began in thenarrow streets and stone houses of thecolonial Stockade District, whichserved as the first capital of New YorkState, and grew to include the bustlingHudson River port of Rondout.

4.Heights (New York City)The site of Revolutionary Waractivity and home to waves ofimmigrants, the Heights HeritageArea of northern Manhattanincludes miles of bustling avenues,parkways and waterfront, acres ofparks, and landmarks as varied asthe Little Red Lighthouse and theHamilton Grange.

• 1-800-258-3582 or 518-434-0405• www.albany.org

• 1-800-BUFFALO or 716-852-2356• www.visitbuffaloniagara.com

• 518-270-8667 or 518-237-7999• www.riverspark.org

• 518-382-5147 ext. 5128• www.sayschenectady.org

• 315-471-0593• www.eriecanalmuseum.com/urban.asp

• 585-546-7029• www.eriecanalheritage.com

• 518-499-1155• www.washingtoncounty.org

• 518-673-1045 • www.mvhcc.org

• 212-344-3491 • www.thebattery.org

• 212-694-8824 • www.myharlem.org

• 585-325-2030• www.centerathighfalls.org/

11. Sackets HarborThe War of 1812 Battlefield, historic Madison Barracks, andquaint village streets bear witnessto Sackets Harbor’s role as a military stronghold defending the northern border during ourcountry's turbulent first centuries.

• 315-646-2321• www.sacketsharborny.com

• 914-941-3189

• 1-800-331-1518 or 845-331-7517• www.ci.kingston.ny.us

• 516-922-8605• www.linorthshoreheritagearea.com

• 518-587-3241• www.saratogaspringsvisitorcenter.org

• www.hudsonriver.com/rivertowns/ossining.htm

• 315-568-2703• www.senecafalls.com/history-heritage.php

• 607-778-6488• www.roberson.org and www.endicottny.com

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9

10 11 12

13 14 15

16 17

18

NYS Heritage Areas ProgramNYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic PeservationPeebles Island Resource Center P.O. Box 219 Waterford, NY 12188 (518) 237-8643

www.nysparks.com

HERITAGE AREASN E W Y O R K S T A T E

OFF

ICE

OF

PAR

KS

•R

ECREATION • HISTORICPR

ES

ER

VATION

NEW YORK STATE

Binghamton�Endicott�Johnson City

Cohoes�Colonie�Green Island�Troy�Waterford�Watervliet

Sackets Harbor

Schenectady

RiverSpark

Albany

Kingston

Harbor Park

The Heights

Ossining

New York City

New York City

Whitehall

Syracuse

Susquehanna

Seneca FallsBuffalo

90

88

87

495

87

390

90

86

86

81

Western Erie Canal Mohawk Valley

North Shore

Rochester Saratoga Springs

Heritage Areas SystemN E W Y O R K S T A T E

From the eastern tip of Long Island to harbors on the Great Lakes, the Heritage Areasencompass some of New York State’s most significant natural, historical, and culturalresources, as well as the people and programs that keep them vital.

Discover New York’s rich legacy at State Heritage Areas, specialplaces where we honor history, celebrate the present, and planthe future of our communities. Whether you are seeking todelight your senses, stimulate your mind, or exercise yourmuscles, you’ll find something to enjoy at a Heritage Area.

Begin your visit at a Heritage Area Visitor Center, whereyou will find exhibits, information, and programs that explorethe region’s significant natural, historical, and culturalresources and their place in the New York experience. We inviteyou to discover the past and look into the future in New YorkState's Heritage Areas!