The site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic Games, Lake Placid is where the American hockey team of college amateurs defeated the (then) Soviet Union in the "Miracle on Ice." At this iconic mountain town in New York, you can watch Nordic skiers launch themselves into oblivion on the high jump, and for the outdoor crowd, there is a wide range of activities to enjoy, like hiking, swimming, cliff jumping, and bobsledding, even during summer. Yet, tucked up on a hill behind the ski jump is a demure old homestead, plainly named John Brown's Farm.
This humble place is a New York state historic site and the former home of a man whose heroics are the superlative of everything you could see and do in Lake Placid. John Brown was an abolitionist, a fierce one who not only wanted to free slaves, but empower them to rise up against their oppressors. John Brown led a raid against a federal armory in Harper's Ferry, which at the time was part of Virginia. His goal: Start an armed slave revolt and end slavery. The raid failed. Brown was caught, charged with treason against the state of Virginia, found guilty, and hung. His death turned him into a martyr and primed the engine for the Civil War.
You can learn all about John Brown at John Brown's Farm on John Brown Road. (By the time you get there, you will have certainly committed the name to memory!) There is a statue of the man and impeccably maintained outbuildings, including a barn that hosts various traveling and permanent exhibits. You can visit his grave, which features his original tombstone encased in glass.
In addition to the historical aspects, the site offers thoughtfully placed Adirondack chairs that invite a relaxing, contemplative moment while looking out over the High Peaks region. A picturesque little meadow offers up picnic tables, and gentle trails meander through the idyllic meadow and woods. The grounds are open all year, but staffing and exhibits are open May through October.
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