Artillery Park at Valley Forge National Historical Park
VALLEY FORGE ENCAMPMENT TOUR STOP 7
Artillery Park
Redoubts (forts) connected by trenches formed a line of defense on two sides of the Continental Army’s triangular-shaped winter encampment at Valley Forge. The Schuylkill River prevented an attack from the rear of the camp. The redoubts were armed with a few cannon, but the majority of the artillery was kept at the center of the encampment so that the guns could be quickly moved to an area under attack by the British. In reality, the grounds were in such bad shape due to snow and mud that it is doubtful any of the guns could have been moved in a timely manner. Luckily no British attack ever came.
The Artillery Park stop on the Valley Forge Encampment Tour marks the location of where the artillery was stored. You won’t see anything from the parking lot, so look for a grass trail to the left of the restroom building that leads to a collection of cannon. The trail is on uneven terrain and down a slight hill. I don’t know why this isn’t paved since getting to the cannon exhibit is the whole point of the tour stop, and it will be difficult for those in wheelchairs or with mobility problems to get there on the current trail.
Grass path leads to the cannon at the Artillery Park stop on the Valley Forge Encampment Tour
The cannon on display at Artillery Park are field cannon. The large wheels on the carriages made it easier for the guns to be pulled by horses or mules from place to place during a battle. They are 3-pounder cannon, meaning they can shoot a 3-pound cannonball. These are all reproduction cannon cast at Gettysburg in 1917, but they are the type that would have been used during the American Revolution. There are five genuine cannon at Valley Forge, but the National Park Service does not disclose their locations.
Cannon at Valley Forge’s Artillery Park aims towards the National Memorial Arch
Cannon on display at the Artillery Park stop on the Valley Forge Encampment Tour
There is also a historically accurate reproduction of a soldier cabin at Artillery Park. This one is not open, but if you’ve been to the previous stops on the Valley Forge Encampment Tour, you’ve come across many open cabins by now.
Soldier cabin at the Artillery Park stop on the Valley Forge Encampment Tour
For those doing the Valley Forge Encampment Tour on bike or foot by following the Joseph Plumb Martin Trail, the trail passes right by Artillery Park. The Baptist Trace, a wide gravel path, also passes through this stop.
Joseph Plumb Martin Trail passes the Artillery Park stop on the Valley Forge Encampment Tour
Baptist Trace at Valley Forge National Historical Park
Allow 15 minutes for a stop at Artillery Park on the Valley Forge Encampment Tour.
Tour Stop 8 | Tour Stop 6 | Encampment Tour Main Page
Last updated on August 3, 2022
