Johnson Hall State Historic Site

05/22/2026

Now's the time to visit! Johnson Hall will be open for guided tours beginning Saturday, May 23rd through Sunday, October 11th.

This season, in recognition of the 250th commemoration of the American Revolution, we are excited to announce that all guided tours throughout 2026 will offer a unique examination of the history of the community at Johnson Hall as they dealt with division, confiscation, and occupation in 1776 and beyond.

Tours are offered at the top of the hour from Wednesday to Saturday (10am-4pm) and on Sundays (1pm-4pm). The last tour each day begins promptly at 3pm. Calling ahead is not required but always recommended, as pre-scheduled groups can impact drop-in availability.

Tickets for Hall Admission:
Regular - $7.00
Senior Citizens - $6.00
Children 12 & Under - FREE

For parties of six or more, please call 518-762-8712 to book a pre-scheduled group tour. For more information, we encourage you to call Johson Hall or visit https://parks.ny.gov/visit/historic-sites/johnson-hall-state-historic-site

05/22/2026

05/17/2026

This weekend's commemoration of the confiscation of Johnson Hall was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. To everyone who helped make this come together, and to all those who joined us in commemoration, Thank you! We will share more photos, as well as information about upcoming programs and events, soon. We hope that you will all continue to join us as we explore more of the fascinating and important history that binds our lives with those who came before us.

05/16/2026

Claus' Rangers member Shane C portrays a tenant farmer in the Johnstown, NY settlement. He is carrying a wheat thresher for protection after Continental forces confiscated fi****ms in January of 1776.

Be sure to follow the Johnson Hall State Historic Site for their "A World Turned Upside Down: Confiscation and Occupation in Johnstown, 1776" 250th anniversary program

05/16/2026

05/13/2026

EVENT PARKING & SCHEDULE

As we gear up for this weekend's two-day commemoration, "A World Turned Upside Down", we wanted to take a moment to share some details about programming locations, scheduling, and parking for the weekend. For more information, please call 518-762-8712 or visit the event page: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DuMmTN3mn/

𝑺𝑪𝑯𝑬𝑫𝑼𝑳𝑬:

𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟔𝐭𝐡:

𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘋𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 (𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘮 𝘚𝘵. & 𝘞𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘵.)

9:30am - Opening 18th Century Market

10:00am - Arrival of the 3rd New Jersey Regiment followed by Mohawk Conference and Military Parade

12:30pm - Conclusion of Downtown Events

𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭

1:30pm - Confiscation recreation begins followed by the arrest of Lady Johnson and the looting of Johnson Hall

5:00pm - Saturday programming concludes

𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟕𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞:

𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭

9:00am - Start of Ongoing Living History Programming & Open House Tours

10:030am & 12:30pm - Courts-Martial Recreations

3:00pm - Event Close

𝑷𝑨𝑹𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮:

Hall Avenue will be closed both days to all cars except for those utilizing accessible parking and local resident traffic. Handicap accessible parking will be available at Johnson Hall throughout the two-day event. Shuttles will run continuously to provide access to downtown and on-site programs.

Saturday - Shuttles will be available beginning at 9:00am and running throughout the event to transport visitors to and from Johnson Hall from the corner of Green St. & N. William St. (until 1:00pm) and the Fulton County Court House (1:00pm - 5:00pm).
***Please note, on Saturday, May 16th, visitor parking is NOT available at the Johnstown High School due to other local events. Attendees are advised to plan accordingly.

Sunday - Parking for visitors on Sunday 5/17 will be available at the Johnstown Senior High School (1 Sir Bills Circle, Johnstown, 12095). Shuttles will run continuously between the High School Parking lot and Johnson Hall from 9:00am - 3:00pm.

05/09/2026

The Rebels are coming.

In recognition of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, Johnson Hall State Historic Site is commemorating the occupation of Johnstown and the confiscation of Johnson Hall by Revolutionary forces in May 1776.

Join us for this free, two-day living history event on Saturday, May 16th (9:30am – 5:00pm) and Sunday, May 17th (9:00am – 3:00pm), 2026 which will feature military and civilian reenactors interpreting the experiences of local colonial European, Mohawk, and enslaved African communities, staged recreations of key events in downtown Johnstown and at Johnson Hall, and offer a chance to see the interior of the historic home as never seen before— looted and ruined in the aftermath of the raid!

For more information, check out "A World Turned Upside Down: Confiscation and Occupation” on our events page (https://www.facebook.com/share/1CKw7HLY4x/)

05/07/2026

“𝐀 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐔𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧” 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: Emma Cross

We are only a little more than a week away from our commemoration reenactment of the confiscation of Johnson Hall, and are excited to introduce you to another of the talented and dedicated people working to bring this history to life!

Emma Cross is a historian who lives in Williamsburg, Virginia. Immersed in history from a young age, Cross comes from a family of storytellers, and has always been drawn to the amazing stories that history holds.

Starting at the age of 4 she began volunteering and working in history museums which led to a 30-year career in front-line museum work. Many of those years were spent at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in different departments, including Historic Trades and first-person character work as Clementina Rind, the first woman printer in Virginia.

Cross holds papers from CWF as a Journeyman Leather Breeches Maker, and has been able to present her research on this topic and others at conferences, lectures, and workshops nationally.

Cross is also the owner and director of Meadow and Stars, llc, a historical performance company that focuses on telling history in engaging and informative ways. Her current work focuses around telling the stories of tradeswomen who impacted 18th century life and women following American and British armies during the Revolution, with a particular focus on Baroness Frederika Riedesel.

On May 16th and 17th, Cross will portray Lady Mary "Polly" Watts Johnson, bringing to life the story of this fascinating and impactful 18th century woman. Johnson Hall is thrilled to collaborate with her for this 250th anniversary event as we work to share the many stories of Johnson Hall and those who lived here in 1776.

For more information, check out our events page, give us a call at 518-762-8712, or visit our website: https://parks.ny.gov/visit/historic-sites/johnson-hall-state-historic-site

05/04/2026

“𝐀 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐔𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧” 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: 𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒔’ 𝑹𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔

As we draw closer to the big commemoration of the Confiscation of Johnson Hall, we are excited to once again welcome the folks from Claus' Rangers, who will be portraying a number of roles over the course of the weekend.

Claus’ Rangers interpret the experiences of British Indian Department officials, liaisons, rangers, civilians, distaff, and Loyalist Refugees during the period of the Revolution. Over the course of the event weekend, they will portray members of the Johnson Hall and Johnstown community, and their reactions to the May 1776 raid and occupation. Early in the conflict, rebel raids and occupation of the Johnstown area made it increasingly dangerous for British officials and Loyalists to remain. Many fled to Canada, while those who stayed (often including the families of those who escaped) faced harassment, arrest, and violence.

For more information, check out our events page, give us a call at 518-762-8712, or visit our website: https://parks.ny.gov/visit/historic-sites/johnson-hall-state-historic-site