Exploring West Point Military Academy in West Point, New York

Established in 1802, West Point is America’s oldest, continuously occupied military post and home to the United States Military Academy of over 4,000 cadets. Located in the town of West Point in the heart of the Hudson Valley, an hour north of Manhattan and about two hours south of Albany, the site for the campus was chosen for its high ground above a sharp bend of the Hudson River, connecting New York City to the south and all the way north to Canada.

The West Point campus is a self contained community, including its own post office and all necessary facilities for its 4,000 cadets. The first class of male cadets graduated in 1802, and women, admitted to West Point starting in 1976, now make up over 24% of each class. All cadets must be between the ages of 17 and 23, with near perfect SAT scores, at the top of their class both academically and physically, and have received nomination to the academy from an elected official. Once “admitted”, cadets must complete eight weeks of basic training over the summer before they are officially accepted into West Point for four years of training and education at no cost to them. Cadets graduate with a Bachelors of Science degree and the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Army. They must serve five years of active duty and then three years of reserve duty. 

A note about security and access: Visitors to West Point are welcome to park in front of the Pershing Center, just outside the main gate to West Point, Thayer Point. 

Travel Tips:

Points of Interest on the West Point Story Tour:

1. Michie Stadium: Currently under renovation (so we drove by and didn’t actually go into the stadium), Michie Stadium, named for Dennis Michie- the team’s first football captain, is the home to the West Point Army football and lacrosse teams and has over 40,000 spectator seats (as of 2024). All cadets must participate in a formal, intramural or club sport while at West Point. West Point has 25 Division I teams and state of the art athletic facilities for every team and sport, with over 500,000 square feet of training facilities.

2. Cadet Chapel: One of five houses of worship on campus, the Cadet Chapel was built in 1910 with stone quarried on site, completed in just two years, and seats close to one thousand people. The chapel boasts over 23,500 pipes (spread out in multi tiers around the chapel), dozens of stained glass windows (etched with the graduation year of the class that sponsored the window), a perpetually lit candle in the middle of a pew (in memory of Prisoners of War), and (replica) flags carried in various battles around the country and world. Be sure to check out the signature plates of the Superintendents of the Army, who sit in the front pew. The chapel hosts a Protestant mass each Sunday, open to the public, and also hosts up to ten weddings a day in peak summer months (usually right after graduation) for cadets and their spouses. 

3. Professors Row: West Point has over 500 professors, several of whom live on campus. Three of the most popular homes are the 1857 gingerbread house, home of the Dean; the 1820 Superintendent’s Quarters, home to the highest ranking officer on campus; and the Commandant’s House, dating back to 1819, home of the officer in charge of the Cadets’ training.

4. Trophy Point: The beautiful green spaces overlooking the Hudson River also display various monuments, memorials, and artillery dating as far back as the Revolutionary War. The largest piece of polished granite in the Western Hemisphere is the 46 foot high Battle Monument dedicated to the lives lost during the Civil War, known as the “West Pointers War”, as 55 of the 60 battles were led on both sides by West Point graduates. The monument includes the names of all the battles and officers who died during the battles. Another popular display is original chain links used to block ships from going up the Hudson River.  An interactive map of monuments can be found here.

5. The Plain: A registered National Historic Site because George Washington once had his summer camp on site, the Plain is the open space in the middle of the barracks (where cadets are housed while at the Academy) and the Mess Hall, where over 4,000 cadets each every meal together, at one time, family style, in under an hour. The Plain was used for drills and even footballs decades ago, but today, it is primarily used for the 8-10 massive parades and class activities. The Plain is also the location where cadets who receive infractions must work off the demerit by marching for four hours straight in full attire, with equipment. Cadets who receive more than 100 hours of marching are called “Yardbugs”- President Dwight D. Eisenhower was a Yardbug!

The West Point Experience is an interactive exhibit located inside the Visitor Center and is free to visit from 9am-4:30pm every day (closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day). The exhibit takes visitors through a Cadet’s 47 month education at West Point with almost two dozen different displays, including the steps to basic training, challenges Plebes must complete (go ahead and try for yourself!), a replica barracks room, quizzes about the 12+ symbols of the branches of the army, and a large map with information about the 18 points of interest on the West Point campus. There are also two small theaters that show shorts films about the Academy. 

West Point Museum, adjacent to the Visitor Center, offers three floors of exhibits. The museum, which opened to the public in 1854, has the largest collection of military arms, flags, uniforms, accouterments, and paintings in America. Highlights in the museum exhibits include:

• History of US Army Gallery (2nd floor): A historical timeline with uniforms and weapons, maps of expanding US territories from the American Revolution to 2023.
• American Wars Gallery (2nd floor): Several of the original flags from various regiments and wars, dating back to the Civil War. 
• History of Warfare Gallery (1st floor): Dioramas of several ancient wars and artifacts such as daggers, dating back to 9000 B.C; women’s role in war, and equipment used in chemical warfare. 
• West Point Gallery (1st floor): more of the links of chains used in the Hudson River to block British ships, and replica muskets and swords to hold.
• Large Weapons Gallery (lower level): Vehicles including a WWII Jeep, 1916 Dodge Passenger car, and 1917 Six Ton Special Tractor; automatic machine guns and hand grenades; a “fat man” atomic bomb case.
• Small Weapons Gallery (lower level): displays of clubs, axes, knives, guns, pole arms, and rifles. 

Looking to tour other military campuses and museums? Check out our features of the US Naval Academy in Annapolis Maryland and the US Marine Corps Museum in Fredericksburg, Virginia. 

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