The New York State Heritage Area System
Eliot Spitzer, Governor, New York State
Carol Ash, Commissioner,
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

The Center at High Falls Visitor Center is part of the New York State Heritage Area System, featuring seventeen Heritage Areas and Heritage Corridors administered by communities across the state.

(You may click on the map to view information on an area.)

EXPLORE THE PAST
LOOK INTO THE FUTURE IN STATE HERITAGE AREAS

Travel around the corners of The Empire State and discover New York State's Heritage Areas.

Heritage areas are special places where we preserve our history, celebrate our present and anticipate the future of our communities. A Heritage Area may be a portion of a community, or several communities working together within a large region.

The Heritage Area System (formerly known as the Urban Cultural Park System) is a state-local partnership established to preserve and develop these areas that have special significance to New York State.

Start your visit at a Heritage Area Visitor Center, then tour the Heritage Area and all it has to offer -- maritime history, busy downtowns, festivals, historic architecture, interesting people and fascinating stories.

From rural charm to urban hustle and bustle, Heritage Areas offer something of interest to everyone.

We invite you to explore the past and look into the future in New York State's Heritage Areas!

For information write: NYS Heritage Area Programs, New York State Parks, Albany, NY 12238.

ALBANY
Business & Capital
From the days of early Indian & Dutch settlement, Albany's strategic location and role in world trade, finance and government have made it a pivotal force in the development of the state and the nation. For information, call (518) 434-0405.

BUFFALO
Flowering of Culture
As the western end of the Erie Canal, Buffalo's 19th-century prominence as one of America's busiest ports created a fast-growing city with an insatiable taste for popular entertainment. Today's Theater District reflects that history and offers an exciting array of entertainment. For information, call (716) 852-2356.

HUDSON-MOHAWK
Labor & Industry
The Hudson-Mohawk Heritage Area lies at the confluence of the state's two largest rivers. This region's crucial contribution to America's transformation from an agrarian to an industrialized society is reflected in the communities of Troy, Cohoes, Colonie, Green Island, Waterford and Watervliet. For information, call (518) 270-8667 or (518) 237-7999.

KINGSTON
Transportation
With the Hudson River as its lifeblood, Kingston, the first capital of New York State, grew into a bustling port community. Uptown Kingston features the city's Stockade District and its extraordinary cluster of 18th-century stone buildings including the Senate House State Historic Site. For information, call (800) 331-1518. For Rondout, call (914) 331-7517. For Uptown, call (914) 331-9506.

LONG ISLAND NORTH SHORE
The north shore of Long Island was recently designated as a heritage area. Currently under study, this area features historic mansions, maritime communities, and the Long Island Heritage Trail along Rt. 25A. For more information call 1-877-Fun on LI.

MOHAWK VALLEY HERITAGE CORRIDOR
The dominant chords of unfolding history have echoed along the Mohawk River Valley for centuries. Beginning with its American Indian heritage, through colonial wars, settlement, the Erie Canal and industrialization, the eight counties of the Mohawk Valley create a landscape with a distinctive sense of place. For information, call (518) 673-1045.

NEW YORK CITY
Maritime Trade & Immigration
The New York City Heritage Area, "Harbor Park," tells the story of the city's growth from a colonial trading post to the largest seaport and immigration destination in the world. Harbor Park links historic waterfront sites around the city's harbor. For information, call (212) 566-6700.

OSSINING
Reform Movements
The Old Croton Aqueduct and Sing Sing Prison, both located in this historic Hudson River village, reflect 19th-century state-of-the-art advances in civil and social engineering. For information, call (914) 941-3189.

ROCHESTER
Natural Environment
The mighty waters of the Genesee River powered Rochester to 19th-century industrial prominence. Rochester's Heritage Area focuses on High Falls, a revitalized complex of mills, factories and archaeological sites adjacent to the Genesee River. For information, call (585) 325-2030.

SACKETS HARBOR
Defense
Nestled on the eastern shore of Lake Ontario, Sackets Harbor was a military stronghold on America's northern border for more than a century. The Sackets Harbor Battlefield and quaint village streets stand today as silent testimony to the village's turbulent role in our country's early military history. For information, call (315) 646-2321.

SARATOGA SPRINGS
Natural Environment
The presence of natural mineral springs led to the rise of this elegant spa resort in the 19th-century. Today, the Saratoga Springs Heritage Area encompasses bubbling springs, the Saratoga Spa State Park, and eight historic districts, and is sought after year-round for its Victorian architecture, vibrant downtown and flourishing cultural life. For information, call (518) 587-3241.

SCHENECTADY
Labor & Industry
From a 17th-century stockade frontier village on the Mohawk River, Schenectady evolved into "The Electric City", home to General Electric & the American Locomotive Co. History resounds in the colonial Stockade District, G.E. Realty Plot, Union College, and the city's many ethnic neighborhoods. For information, call (518) 382-7890.

SENECA FALLS
Reform Movements
Seneca Falls earned its place in history as the setting of the first Women's Rights Convention in 1848. Located on the Cayuga-Seneca canal, the village features a classic main street, as well as several sites relating to the women's rights movement. For information, call (315) 568-2703.

SUSQUEHANNA
Immigration & Migration and Labor & Industry
Antique carousels, factories, ethnic neighborhoods and gold-domed churches tell the story of Binghamton's cigar-making era, Endicott's role as the birthplace of IBM, and the legacy of Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company founder George F. Johnson, whose paternalistic practices drew thousands of immigrants to Johnson City and Susquehanna's "Valley of Opportunity". For information, call (607) 772-0660, ext.255.

SYRACUSE
Transportation and Business & Capital
Syracuse owed its early success to its precious natural resource, salt. But it owed its continuing prosperity to the Erie Canal, which transformed the city into a modern center of business and capital. For information, call (315) 471-0593.

WESTERN ERIE CANAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR
The Erie Canal remains a strong symbol of American ingenuity in the Empire State. The portion of the Erie Canal in the five counties of Western New York remains remarkably intact. This newly designated heritage area will interpret and promote this important segment of the State's history. For more information call (716) 546-7029

WHITEHALL
Defense
Whitehall is rich in naval history dating back to the Revolutionary War. As the northern terminus of the Champlain Canal, Whitehall was also an important link in New York State's transportation network. Today, the Whitehall Urban Cultural Park embodies much of what is small town New York: a charming main street, canalside parks and cool lake breezes. For information, call (year-round) (518) 499-1155; or (June to October) (518) 499-0716.