Ticonderoga Heritage Museum & Visitor Center

Ticonderoga Heritage Museum & Visitor Center is a small local-history museum in Percy Thompson Bicentennial Park, inside the 1888 main office of Ticonderoga Pulp and Paper Company. It is the last surviving building from the mill complex. I’d stop if you want to understand the industries that shaped this part of Ticonderoga, then pair it with a walk in the park.

Graphite has been mined locally since 1815 and refined in Ticonderoga. That graphite went into Dixon Ticonderoga pencils, though the pencils themselves were made elsewhere. The museum’s large pencil sculpture on the lawn makes the connection easy to spot; stand beside it for a photo that shows its scale.

The exhibits go well beyond pencils, tracing paper making, railroads, graphite, and the water power that supported local mills. Handmade models by local artist Denise Huestis recreate mills and early businesses, and the collection includes the paper company’s original paymaster desk and safe. The railroad display follows local lines from the Baldwin Branch’s 1875 opening through their removal in 1981.

Admission is free. There’s a small gift shop with local artisan work, and the visitor center has maps and information about nearby points of interest. The museum is open seasonally, so check its current schedule before making a special detour. La Chute Falls and the river walk are nearby in Bicentennial Park; they’re a separate part of the park visit.