united states military academy

This is a must see if you are in the area. The views are breathtaking (especially at sunrise and sunset) and there are great opportunities. Be sure to get a guide.

The Plain of West Point and views are the best ever, even in the Winter. Looking back toward the barracks and Cadet Chapel provide a memorable view/picture. Then standing on Trophy Point viewing the cannon and monument to Civil War Veterans is impressive. You can also have a great view of the Hudson River. Of course, the best time is in the Spring and Fall,but winter has its own beauty.

we have a cadet - made traveling SO much easier! Just outside the gate - was so easy to pick up him and friends -

I think that visiting West Point is much more interesting if a friend or family member is stationed there. For some reason it gives you more interest in what the various buildings are, how the place functions, etc. Without that, it’s still an interesting place to visit, but it’s quite a drive to get to it from Manhattan, and outside of the academy itself, there’s not much else to do.

I was at West Point for 2 weeks in 2004 while in Army Reserves. I trained Cadets on the rifle range. During free time I looked around historic West Point. Beautiful! Many brick buildings. Outdoor pavilion by the Hudson river. Museum was nice. Cadets were interesting.

If you're around West Point during the football season, or basketball season or youre in to hockey, thats the place to be and games to attend! Real Army spirit! And yes, the Army teams are the best. On the other note, if you're not in to sports, enjoy this very interesting Hudson Valley architectual gem. Strategically located on the Highlands of the mighty Hudson River.

If you are in the Hudson valley, an army hockey game at west point is definitely a worthwhile activity. Great for kids and families. The price is right and the atmosphere is phenomenal.... Go army!

The landscape and buildings at West Point are definitely worth a look. The Visitors Center is helpful. West Point Museum is small but good, especially the gallery on the Army, which highlights its non-fighting contributions to the nation's history. The bus tour was worth the $14.50. Good boilerplate narrative as you drive around, plus several short off-the-bus walkarounds.

The campus is very beautiful and the cadets are wonderful to talk to but the guards are extremely rude and unprofessional. I have visited the Naval Academy and everyone from the guards at the gate to the midshipments to the people at the cafeteria are all pleasant and professional. It is a shame that a place with so much of this country's history is tarnished by the first people you encounter. These so call guards should be removed or retrained. They seem to have a chip on their shoulders or just hate their jobs. If you do go visit take the bus tour and save yourself the harassment. If you do drive in stay to the left lane go really slow and don't ask them anything because they will not be helpful in any way. I feel for the cadets that attend the academy if they have to constantly deal with these unprofessional individuals. I will never go back.

The United States Military Academy at West Point is an integral part of US history and culture. One realizes just how much so when touring the impressive grounds and the Visitor Center. This is a must see for all who visit this part of New York. Be prepared to show a photo ID and possibly have your vehicle searched when arriving at any entry gate to West Point.Many of our country's greatest leaders, both past and present, were West Point alumni, and it's a pleasure to be in the presence of future leaders and trailblazers when walking amidst the Cadets on campus. The Cadets are polite yet focused, whether they are marching off to class, jogging late at night, or attending events and activities on site.Many areas of the campus are off limits to civilians unaccompanied by Cadets or military personnel, but inexpensive tours are offered through the Visitor Center which sits just outside the Thayer entry gate. There are several trails and areas that are permitted for strolling and exploring, and the trails that border the Hudson are especially enjoyable and not too difficult.A tour is highly recommended to gain the true insight, appreciation and origin of this incredible military landmark. What an honor it is to visit West Point first hand.

The campus is impressive, huge and gorgeous being next to the Hudson River. The buildings are wonderful, and the view from the top balcony of the library is fantastic. We also went to the Army vs. Rice football game, which was a lot of fun. We didn't realize that you park far away from the stadium and then take a shuttle bus to the game. We ended up walking up to the stadium, so got a lot of exercise. Highly recommend touring the campus if you're in the area.

West Point is a definite to visit in New York. Take the Metro North RR ( Hudson Line) to Garrison stop ( not the Peekskill as some literature says). Cabs are waiting to take you across Hudson into the campus. $10 a head flat rate.

We are a family of five (2 girls ages 11 and 13 and one boy, age 8.) We visited West Point in mid November 2014 as part of a scout trip. It was cold. Very cold. By game time it wasn’t too bad, but if it can be arranged, I would suggest visiting earlier in the season. Also, I can only imagine how the trees must have looked a month ago. The views are gorgeous (hills/mountains and the Hudson River) but during the changing of the leaves it must be even more incredible. A few things to consider: You must have valid government issued ID to enter campus (aged 16 and over) and they will check your car, asking you to get out and pop the hood and trunk. They were very nice about the whole thing and we can’t really be surprised about this during these times. You are allowed to bring food items to campus, but there are restrictions during the game. We started our day early, driving from Long Island and arriving on campus at 7:15. Although we had “blue parking” passes we were directed to the green lot at Soldier Field. I think they just direct people in the order they arrive. We hopped on a shuttle bus (yellow school buses which seem to arrive continuously, although I imagine the waits lengthen as crowds arrive later in the mroning) to get to Daly Field. On the field there were a variety of tents set up with demonstrations being done by cadets and other soldiers. We watched an MP/SWSAT demonstration that was very interesting. TOURS/PARADE: AT 8:00 am, cadets began doing tours at this spot. We joined one with our scouts (although I imagine you can hop on any tour) and he walked us around the view a few things not too far, all outside. If you are interested in seeing the inside of buildings, I am not sure what tour you could do. This one visited the Great chain, a few statues, the tunnel, and then ended at the place where the drill team, parade and parachute jump took place. There are stands set up to sit and view these things. The kids were not too interested in the parade, as there are many companies that file past. I think preparing them ahead of time may have helped. (How they drill, how they get graded, how a soldier is chosen to lead a company, etc.) The parachute jump and fly by of the helicopter after had the kids very entertained. Note: If looking for bathrooms up to this point, the only ones available were port-o-potties, although they were everywhere. If looking for regular bathrooms, they are available at the gift shop and stadium. As for food, there were no places to buy food or water at this point either. So bring along water and snacks, as you cannot purchase until you get to the stadium. We decided to head back the buses (lining up and easy to find, although there are plenty of employees around to ask for help) to go to the stadium for the game. It was only 10:30 but the kids were starting to get hungry (after a 5:30 breakfast and departure). The bus stopped at the gift shop, a short walk from the stadium. The gift shop was small, but had the regular assortment of shirts and college or football stuff. The stadium was the highlight of the trip for the kids. You start by going through security. You need to take out all electronics, and have bags searched. Then each person has to “get wanded.” I threw out all food and water from my bag but I am not even sure I had to. I think I should have kept them as I am not sure they were being too strict. Before entering the stadium there are a variety of booths set up for fun. Here you can buy beer, snacks (hot dogs, kettle corn, etc.) Also, they had a rock wall, bouncy house, football throwing game, and my kids fave: the soccer team’s net. The men and women had a net set up and kids could take a shot on it. Then the players would make a big deal out of it, lift the child up and chant and sing. It was very cute. My kids are soccer players and they kept going back and doing it again and again. The women were sweet and asked my oldest to apply to West Point and try out for the team and took a picture with her. What a nice group of people! We spent about an hour at these booths and the kids had a great time. One great feature of this stadium: you get your tickets scanned to enter, but you can have them scanned to go out so you can get back in again. I am going to try to explain the layout of the stadium to make it easier to find food. If north is 12:00 and south is 6:00, the booths run along the eastern side entrance. When you enter here (you can also enter at 9:00) there are food booths, but they all have the same things: hot dogs, popcorn, drinks. You need to head counterclockwise to about 1:00 to find pizza and chicken and fries. The food typical college stadium food….not great, not terrible, and a little pricey but that is expected. (No beer inside the stadium, and food and drinks purchased outside need to be consumed prior to entering.)At the beginning of the game there is another group that drop in from a helicopter on parachutes, and they bring in the game ball. At halftime, they bring out a giant American flag that takes up almost the entire field, and have the glee club sing. They play songs from all branches of the armed forces. It was a very patriotic experience. I suggest not heading to the bathrooms and food areas at halftime as you would miss this. We sat on the west side of the stadium and the view of the flag, with the cadets (who sit at about 2:00) and the Hudson River and mountains in the background is an incredible site. Are you coming to watch an amazing football team? No. But these football players will serve our country and I would rather watch them, than a bunch of overplayed pro football players. One thing we discovered that we wished we had noticed before leaving: There is a practice field just south of the stadium, along the walkway behind the south bleachers, that the kids can play on. There were many groups of kids throwing a ball around. We were tired and cold at this point so we didn’t stay and play, but it would be a great timeout from the game if we had known about it earlier. (Remember you can scan your tickets on the way out to be allowed back in.)At the end of the third quarter we left, as it had already been a long, tiring, cold day. When you exit at 9:00, the blue and red buses are right there. The green buses can be boarded down the road at the gift shop. (Remember to use the bathrooms here.) The scene there was a little chaotic, and many people managed to cut the line ahead because of the lack of roping, but if you are patient you will get a bus shortly. We headed home as we only had a 90 minute drive, but if you are looking for food outside the gate I have to say it did not seem like the best place to stop for a meal. I would probably have a plan and google some restaurants before just driving around town. I have a feeling one would be disappointed with the choices. I would definitely visit again with the kids. We all had a great time. We stopped several cadets to ask questions or talk, both male and female, and found every one of them polite, informative and willing to talk about their experience. Fantastic role models!

Great renewing old friendships and being back at one of the US' most historic locations! Seeing the many new buildings, watching the Cadets circa 2014, reviewing the many changes all gave rise to pleasant memories.of bygone days...

How can you not be inspired by an institution steeped in history and yet bringing up tomorrow's leaders? If you imagine a bunch of regimented drones marching around, you are more in need of a visit than anyone. You'll find that the cadets are the kids from your home town, only the best of the best. It's not like a regular campus in that the cadets are seldom just "hanging out"; they are focused on whatever it is they are about, obviously proud and yet humbled to be there. Nowadays they have a bit more time to stop and chat and you'll find them unfailingly polite and interesting. You can't beat the Hudson River views, you can learn about the history of the place itself (where Benedict Arnold tried to betray and capture George Washington) and of course its many famous alumni, such as Poe and Whistler - aha, you didn't know that! You won't get a better experience within 55 miles of Manhattan and it's all free.