3 must-see sights at Valley Forge National Historical Park in Pennsylvania as America celebrates 250 years
2026 is a big one for Valley Forge National Historical Park.
"We are celebrating the commonwealth of Pennsylvania's gift to the American people of Valley Forge," Adam Gresek, director of visitor and community engagement, said.
That gift came 50 years ago, on July 4, 1976, as the nation celebrated its bicentennial. The snow on the ground this winter at the 35-acre park in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, is reminiscent of the conditions Gen. George Washington and his troops endured during the winter encampment here nearly 250 years ago — or so we thought.
"You see all these great oil paintings of Valley Forge, and there's always snow on the ground," Gresek said. "It certainly did snow while the Army was here in 1777 and '78. It rained more often than it snowed then."
He showed CBS News Philadelphia his top three must-see spots in the park. Stop one is the Muhlenberg Brigade.
After the British took Philadelphia, Washington moved his troops to Valley Forge in 1777. At one point, some 12,000 soldiers plus hundreds of women and children lived here in huts. Those buildings have been recreated for visitors to explore today.
"You would have 12 soldiers staying in each hut," Gresek said. "That was the order from Gen. Washington."
A short drive away is the stunning National Memorial Arch, which was completed in 1917.
"It is dedicated to the 2,000 soldiers that lost their lives here at Valley Forge," Gresek said, "and it's built along Gulph Road, which is the road that's widely believed the Army marched into Valley Forge on."
In addition to harsh weather conditions, the Army faced severe food shortages and disease. Gresek said the American flag seen through the arch is required to be flown at all times.
"It is kind of the spot that remembers those sacrifices not just of the men who perished here," Gresek said, "but of those that perished throughout the entirety of the American Revolution."
Onto the third stop: a statue of Major Gen. [Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand] von Steuben, also known as Baron von Steuben.
The Prussian-born major general's statue overlooks the training ground known as the "Grand Parade." Von Steuben was responsible for transforming "the Continental Army into a professional military force" during the Revolutionary War, Gresek said.
"Later, after Valley Forge, he writes the first manual or drill for the United States Army," Gresek said. "It's referred to as the blue book because it's printed on this blue cardboard backing, and soldiers of basic training today still receive a blue book with a forward from Gen. von Steuben."
2026 is just the beginning of several years of commemorative events at Valley Forge, which will continue into 2027 and 2028.
