2025 Geocache Challenge
It was in Joseph W. Drexel's Adirondack cottage that General Ulysses S. Grant died of throat cancer on July 23, 1885. President Grant arrived at the cottage on June 16, 1885, with a large entourage of family, friends, servants, and physicians in order to complete his memoirs. He died just four days after his final proofreading.
Today, the cottage and its furnishings remain essentially the same as during the Grant family's stay for six weeks in 1885. Guests to the cottage may visit the spacious porch, tour the cottage's four rooms, and view floral arrangements that remain from Grant's August 4th funeral.
There is also a short path to the Eastern Outlook, which commands a spectacular view of the Hudson Valley, from the Adirondacks in the north, the Green Mountains of Vermont to the east, and the Catskills to the south. Grant Cottage State Historic site was established in 1957 and is owned by the State of New York. It is operated by The Friends of the Ulysses S. Grant Cottage.
In 2021, Grant Cottage State Historic Site was designated as a National Historic Landmark.
Please check out the Friend's website for details.
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 2294 Wilton, NY 12831
Hours of Operation
- 2025 Season / 9:30 am - 4 pm
May 29 - July 13: Wednesday - Sunday
July 15 - August 31: Tuesday - Sunday
*Open Monday, September 1st Labor Day
September 3 - October 28: Wednesday - Sunday
*Open Monday, October 13th Indigenous Peoples Day
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Fees & Rates
Most New York State Parks charge a vehicle use fee to enter the facility. Fees vary by location and season. A list of entry fees and other park use fees is available below. For fees not listed or to verify information, please contact the park directly.
The easy-to-use Empire Pass card is $80- and your key to all-season enjoyment with unlimited day-use entry at most facilities operated by State Parks and the State Dept. of Environmental Conservation including forests, beaches, trails and more. Purchase online or contact your favorite park for more information.
Learn more about our Admission Programs including the Empire Pass.
Grant Cottage welcomes school groups of all ages from May through October. Contact us today to learn about the many programs and activities our site is ready to offer your kids. Enjoy historical fun and the beautiful outdoors at a National Historic and Literary Landmark.
*Teachers & Chaperones are FREE*
Want Grant Cottage to come to you?
Click here to learn more.
For more information about this opportunity contact: colette@grantcottage.org
Revolutionary Entertainment: A Magic Lantern Show
Thursday, August 20, 2026 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Grant Cottage State Historic Site
Join magic lantern performers Dawn Elliott and Joel Schlemowitz as they work with original magic lantern glass slides and projectors. Rediscover the wonder of this entrancing entertainment of the Revolutionary War era while also learning about the mechanics behind this illuminating art form. Experience lantern images of the American Revolution with text from Thomas Paine's famous work Common Sense, special effects of George Washington's tomb, 18th-century comic poetry, and more. Dawn Elliott is a New Paltz-based museum professional and historic interpreter. She was the recipient of the Martha Washington Woman of History Award in 2018. Joel Schlemowitz is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker and part-time faculty member at The New School. Elliott and Schlemowitz have received a Program Award from the Victorian Society New York and the Dick Balzer Presentation Award from the Magic Lantern Society UK. For more information, visit
https://www.grantcottage.org/.
Ulysses S. Grant’s World Tour at the Dawn of the American Empire
Saturday, October 3, 2026 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Grant Cottage State Historic Site
Join author and presidential historian Louis Picone as he shares the underappreciated legacy of Ulysses S. Grant's world tour. The subject of his new book, Ulysses's Odyssey: Ulysses S. Grant's World Tour at the Dawn of American Empire, follows the extensive travels of Grant, his wife, and sons over nearly three years of globetrotting. He will share the significant impact of the tour on international relations, as well as the personal journey of the Grant family. A book signing to follow the presentation featuring Picone's new title as well as his other titles, Grant's Tomb and The President is Dead! For more information, visit
https://www.grantcottage.org/.