New York City West Point

By car, take I-87 to Palisades Interstate Pkwy., heading north. Follow signs for Rte. 9W north, and travel along it until the West Point exit. Short Line Bus (☎800-631-8405) runs from Port Authority (roundtrip with tour $41). Check www.coachusa.com for schedule.

America’s oldest and most famous service academy, West Point is carved into the cliffs of the Hudson Highlands, the foothills of the Catskills. Its list of illustrious graduates include Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, and Dwight D. Eisenhower. The expansive campus holds Revolutionary War sights, imposing Gothic buildings, and majestic vistas. The Visitors Center, located just below Thayer Gate and across from a tourist-oriented “Main Street,” with shops and food, is a good starting place. The center provides pamphlets and walking- and driving-tour maps. It also shows a brief video, army memorabilia, and a replica of a cadet’s room. (☎845-938-2638. Open daily 9am-4:45pm.) Just behind the Visitors Center lies the West Point Museum. The Gothic building houses one of the nation’s largest and oldest collections of military memorabilia, with weapons and uniforms dating to colonial times. (☎845-938-2203 or ☎938-3590. Open daily 10:30am-4:15pm.) The campus itself features two Revolutionary War sites— Fort Clinton and Fort Putnam, the latter originally under the command of George Washington. Also of interest is the assortment of war monuments, particularly Trophy Point, the storehouse for many intriguing US war relics, and the Battle Monument, purportedly the largest polished granite shaft in the Western Hemisphere. Other popular sights include the Cadet Chapel, which contains the world’s largest organ, and The Plain, the famous West Point parade ground. One- and two-hour tours leave from the Visitors Center throughout the day. (1hr. tour $9, children ages 2-11 $6, under 2 free; 2hr. tour $11/9. Photo ID required for all visitors over 16.)