Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Cathy DeDe, Chronicle Managing Editor
Make way, cannons!
Fort William Henry is preparing to store away 32 cannons to make way for Moment Factory of Montreal to install its new interactive Winter Experience projected to bring thousands of visitors to Lake George, December though March.
“In order to transform the Fort from a museum to an attraction, we will have to make some structural changes,” Fort William Henry President Sam Luciano told a gathering of Warren County business people last Thursday at an information session about the Moment Factory show.
Mr. Luciano said moving the cannons will reduce the weight the Fort structure will have to bear, given the additional components and technical equipment needed for the Moment Factory show.
It will also make more space for “the flow,” he said. They expect 400 people per hour will come through each night, and have charted what that will look like.
The attraction runs through March 31.
“The cannons go back up on April 15,” Mr. Luciano told the meeting.
Fort William Henry CEO Kathy Muncil said Moment Factory expects to begin installation in November. Testing begins on December 4, for the targeted opening on December 8, a Friday.
The attraction is expected to run five days a week, 6 to 10 p.m., with one day “or series of days” discounted for locals, said Mr. Luciano.
As for moving and storing the cannons, “it’s not simple,” Mrs. Muncil told The Chronicle when we reached out later for details. “They each weigh 1,000 to 2,000 pounds. Some are historic, some are foundry replicas. Some were recovered from salt water sources before being located here.”
“Everything will be done to preserve the history,” Mrs. Muncil says.
“Our number one issue is safety — for people, and for the cannons, keeping the history intact.
“We will be using a professional crane operator to move them. It’s a big job and we take it very seriously.”
Mrs. Muncill said that underwater archaeologist Joseph Zarzynski did a study of the Fort’s cannons about 10 years ago and that he and New York State Museum historians are consulting on the move.
She said, “We’re in the process of creating a cradle of some sort so each [cannon] will be kept off the ground.”
“Usually when you do a big project you can go on YouTube and find ideas,” Mrs. Muncil laughs. “There are not many videos out there on how to move historic cannons from the French & Indian War.”
Fort William is paying for the cannon removal and structural updates, and it is being paid rent for use of the space.
Mrs. Muncil said. “It’s a fair trade-off for our property being used for the good of the community.”
“This is a community event,” she told The Chronicle, “not just a Fort William Henry event. We are blessed to have a structure that the creative people at Moment Factory said they can use.”
The Winter Experience is touted as a complement to the Ice Castles — rebranded for its third year in Lake George as a “Winter Realm” — with opportunities to attract visitors for several days.
Both attractions are funded by special grants from the Warren County Occupancy Tax — $3 million for Moment Factory, and $150,000 for Ice Castles.
Mr. Luciano said both attractions, if successful, will likely be replicated by their makers at other sites, but Lake George will have had them first.
Ice Castles, now ‘Winter Realm,’ touts dual event ‘Wintertainment’
Chronicle Managing Editor Cathy DeDe writes: Ice Castles is going in a new direction — and sees great possibilities in conjunction with the Winter Experience that The Moment Factory will create at Fort William Henry.
Ice Castles will transform into “Winter Realm” focusing on outdoor ice skating rink, ice bar, ice sculptures and a lighted walking path of “thousands and thousands” of lights.
They will forgo castles that struggled in last winter’s mild weather.
Ice Castles vice president Jared Henningsen is a member of the Warren County Winter Events Coalition bringing Moment Factory to Lake George.
Speaking at the Sept. 14 information meeting, Mr. Henningsen enthused, “This event will be amazing.”
He dubbed the dual attractions “Wintertainment,” and said both will benefit. He praised Warren County, and the Coalition: “It’s rare to have such advocates to take something like this on as in your community.”
Predict job boon from Winter Experience
Fort William Henry President Sam Luciano says the coming Winter Experience attraction will generate jobs.
How many jobs is “up to all of you,” Mr. Luciano told a Sept. 14 information meeting for businesses.
He said they expect the attraction itself to create about 35 new job and that Fort William Henry Resort has hired 26 J-1 international workers from Ecuador for the season. “We’re keeping our housekeeping staff on full time.”
See the website lakegeorgewinterexperience.com for job opportunities at the attraction and also as a clearinghouse for businesses looking to hire.
The Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce is surveying businesses for listings on the website of who will be open, their hours and other details.
The Chamber is also working on a “passport” type added-value program for visitor discounts.
Executive Director Gina Mintzer urged businesses and organizations to contact the Chamber to be included.
Parking is emphasized
Parking is an emphasis to accommodate the projected 400 people coming through the Winter Experience each hour.
Fort William Henry has 138 parking spots, said its president Sam Luciano.
“There has to be a system,” perhaps of assigned numbered spaces, but that it must be snow-proof and plowable.
Shuttles are seen as an option, to the Beach Road parking lots, Lake George Steamboat Company and Adirondack Pub & Brewery lots, for example.
“We are working with the Public Safety Board,” Lake George Mayor Ray Perry said, including for added signage, traffic lights and crosswalks.
“We are taking ideas,” Mr. Luciano added. “We’ll learn a lot from this winter, and how it all goes.”
Luciano: Chance to draw 200,000 people here this winter
“We have an opportunity here to attract 200,000 people in four months,” Fort William Henry President Sam Luciano told assembled business people at a Sept. 14 information session at the fort’s conference center about the planned Winter Experience at the fort.
The goal, he said: “Get ’em here, have a great experience, talk about it on social media, and leave us their money.”
Mr. Luciano, speaking for the Warren County Winter Coalition of business owners, tourism entities and others bringing Montreal-based Moment Factory’s event to the Village, shared some new details of what the attraction will look like — but urged the press not to share what he called proprietary information.
“They want to make a splash” with their own unveiling, he said, likely by the end of October.
They will also announce the actual name of what they are so far calling “Winter Experience.” Moment Factory is in the trademarking and legal process now, the Winter Coalition said.
The approved “blurb,” for now:
“This new immersive winter experience is a brand-new offer coming this December to Lake George at the Fort William Henry Historical Fortress. You’ll enjoy an experience where lights, music, sounds and interactivity come together to showcase the magical winter.”
Sign up at lakegeorgewinterexperience.com for details and the ticket wait list.
Fort plans winter events
Public programs will continue at Fort William Henry through the winter although weekly history tours and ghost tours will end after Oct. 8, CEO Kathy Muncil tells The Chronicle.
She said they typically pause anyway, until February, at Winter Carnival.
“We’re working with outside vendors to offer workshops through the winter to keep the museum going,” potentially at the new Carriage House conference center, for example, Mrs. Muncil said.
Fort Wm. Henry giving away free furniture
In a large tent erected in the parking lot, Fort William Henry is offering, for free, furniture that was replaced during the prior years’ renovations.
“Take two for free,” said CEO Kathy Muncil. “It’s all items that are in good shape, we’re just not using anymore.”
The giveaway is in conjunction with the World’s Largest Garage Sale, Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 in Warrensburg, she said.
“Come any time between 9 to 5, now until after the Garage Sale,” Mrs. Muncil says. “Just leave the tent [intact] please. Any questions, call the front desk.” Info: 518-668-3081.
Items remaining after the give-away, they aim to donate for area non-profit or Section 8 supported housing efforts, she said.
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