It’s the most sparkly time of the year! It’s the holiday season and the grand finale of the year of wellness at New York State Parks and Historic Sites. All year long, we’ve come together to improve all aspects of our well-being, build community, and connect to nature and history. We celebrated the holiday season the same way, with handcrafted experiences designed to bring people together to make memories without breaking the bank. Our gift to you is a look at the holiday and winter festivities at state parks and historic sites all across New York. Thank you for making us part of your year-end traditions!
Lighting the night at Lake Taghkanic State Park in Ancram. Guests at the luminaria walk enjoyed a bonfire and toasted marshmallows.
Decking the halls at Keewaydin State Park in Alexandria Bay!
Snowshoeing together at sunset, Allegany State Park in Salamanca.
Ever honor. Never forget. Every year, Fort Ontario takes part in Wreaths Across America. Thanks to committed volunteers and donors, each grave in the in post cemetery receives a wreath for the holiday season.
Getting ready for the season! Installing colorful lights at Bethpage State Park.
Splendor at Staatsburgh State Historic Site. The Gilded Age mansion comes to sumptuous life with their spectacular holiday decor.Case closed: Staatsburgh’s signature Holiday Whodunit experience returned for another season.
There’s snow place like Philipse Manor Hall in Yonkers.
Greenery adorns Johnson Hall in Fort Hunter, which celebrated the season with daylight and candlelight open houses.
Winter views at the Frank Lloyd Wright Darwin Martin House in Buffalo.A classic celebration at Lorenzo State Historic Site in Cazenovia brought the community together, with sleigh rides, decorations in the house and the schoolhouse, and a special Dark Aisle illumination for the site’s 50th anniversary. Cold moon, cozy fireplace, cute tree at Saratoga Spa State Park. Crafted with pride and joy: winter greens and ornaments at Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve on Staten Island.
Tube-ular! Lake Taghkanic Park Manager Chris Rickard takes a working holiday to sled at Mills-Norrie State Park in Staatsburgh.
Oil painting or Old Fort Niagara? A celebration worthy of the oldest structure on the Great Lakes.
Feeling festive! The holiday ice show and tree lighting at Riverbank State Park in Harlem set a festive mood!
A lighthouse holiday at Golden Hill State Park in Barker.
Snowy skyline view of Gantry Plaza State Park from Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park on Roosevelt Island.
You’d better watch out, you’d better not cry! Santa Claus is coming…to the Bayard Cutting Arboretum tree lighting in Great River, Long Island.
Views like this one along the Old Croton Aqueduct trail in the lower Hudson Valley are worth braving the cold for!
O Belmont tree, O Belmont tree! You bring us all together!At the tree lighting at Belmont Lake State Park in North Babylon, Long Island. Before the Elf On The Shelf, the Belsnickel visited children in the Rhine Valley of Germany to find out whether they’d been naughty or nice. He stopped by the Herkimer Home in Little Falls and found tasty treats and an authentic celebration in full swing!
A snow-kissed scene at Keewaydin State Park in Alexandria Bay.
Wintertime in the city: a snowman and sledding at Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City.There’s no winter decor like the kind you make yourself! Roberto Clemente State Park in the Bronx welcomed the community for an afternoon of wreath-making. Cross-country skiing, ice fishing, and snowmobiling are just a few ways you can enjoy winter in the outdoors. In every season, we’ll see you out there!
—Compiled by Kate Jenkins, Digital Content Specialist
Thank you to all of the park and historic site managers, regional directors, and photographers who contributed photos to this post, and thank you to everyone involved in making December a bright and joyful month at our parks and sites!
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