Where the War Turned
Washington Crossing Historic Park
The riverbank where Washington crossed the Delaware on Christmas night, 1776 — the landmark that gave the village its name.
Washington Crossing Historic Park preserves the ground where George Washington and the Continental Army crossed the ice-choked Delaware on the night of December 25–26, 1776, to strike the Hessian garrison at Trenton — the gamble that saved the Revolution. The park's lower section, in the village of Washington Crossing just north of Yardley, holds McConkey's Ferry Inn, replica Durham boats, a visitor center, and the embarkation point itself.
The park spans roughly 500 acres in two sections along the river: the crossing site to the south, and the Thompson's Neely farmstead and Bowman's Hill Tower a few miles upstream toward New Hope. Every Christmas Day — with a dress rehearsal earlier in December — thousands line the banks to watch the crossing reenacted in period uniform, oars and all.
Official website ↗History & Landmarks
The crossing and what you'll see
The lower park centers on the buildings that watched the army embark: McConkey's Ferry Inn, where Washington is said to have taken his evening meal before the crossing, the historic village houses around it, and the boathouse sheltering replica Durham boats — the big black freight boats that carried the troops. The visitor center frames the story, and ranger-led tours carry it building by building.
The annual reenactments are the signature: the December dress rehearsal and the Christmas Day crossing itself, river conditions permitting, with hundreds of reenactors and a crowd that makes the 1776 gamble feel very present. Locals treat the dress rehearsal as the insider's pick — same spectacle, easier parking.
History & Landmarks
A park you use year-round
Between anniversaries, the park is one of the corridor's best everyday green spaces: open riverbank lawns, picnic groves, herons working the shallows, and the canal towpath running its full length — Yardley to the crossing site is a flat five-mile round trip locals do before breakfast. The upper section adds the Thompson-Neely House, the soldiers' graves, and Bowman's Hill Tower's panorama.
The village of Washington Crossing around the park — general store, inn, a scatter of eighteenth-century houses — keeps the scale small and the traffic calm. It is protected landscape in every direction, which is exactly why this stretch of River Road looks the way it does.
Questions People Ask
Washington Crossing Historic Park — frequently asked questions
What is Washington Crossing Historic Park?
Washington Crossing Historic Park is a Pennsylvania state historic park preserving the site where George Washington and the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River on December 25–26, 1776, before the Battle of Trenton. It includes McConkey's Ferry Inn, replica Durham boats, a visitor center, and roughly 500 acres along the river north of Yardley.
When is the Washington Crossing reenactment?
The full crossing reenactment takes place each Christmas Day, December 25, with a dress-rehearsal crossing held earlier in December. Both draw large crowds to the riverbank in Washington Crossing, PA; the actual river crossing depends on conditions.
Where is Washington Crossing Historic Park?
The main (lower) section is on River Road (Route 32) in Washington Crossing, Upper Makefield Township, PA — about five minutes north of Yardley and fifteen minutes south of New Hope. The upper section, with the Thompson-Neely House and Bowman's Hill Tower, lies a few miles upriver.
Can you walk or bike through the park?
Yes. The Delaware Canal towpath runs the length of the park, connecting it car-free to Yardley in one direction and toward New Hope in the other — one of the most popular walking and cycling stretches in Bucks County.
Want Washington Crossing Historic Park in your daily life?
I help buyers land in Washington Crossing and the neighborhoods around it — and I know which streets put places like this in your weekly routine.
