When you’re looking for a quiet hideout, there are few places that can rival Lake George, New York. Your Lake George vacation rental puts you close to the best attractions nearby the Adirondacks. Take horseback tours and become immersed in nature. For more of a thrill, visit the amusement park replete with coasters and spooky haunted houses. Check out the best 15 things to do when visiting Lake George.
1. Enjoy a Dinner and Fireworks Lake Cruise
Lake George Cruises offers a variety of sailing options to suit your tastes. During the one-hour historical cruise, the captain narrates the history of the lake, secluded islands, and tranquil bays. If you choose the early evening dinner cruise, you get to enjoy the Adirondack Mountains at sunset while enjoying a buffet dinner; you sail past Dome Island and by the Sagamore Resort. Weather permitting, the dinner cruise concludes with a fireworks display over the lake.
2. Encounter Monsters in House of Frankenstein Wax Museum
When you enter the dark labyrinth of the House of Frankenstein Wax Museum, chills lurk around every corner. Among the props, sound effects, and wax figures, there are a few that you can activate by pushing the buttons. Look for historical monsters, including vampires and werewolves based on classic literature and early wax museums. The dark environment adds to the eerie and spooky ambiance.
3. Search for Ghosts on a Fort William Henry Candlelight Tour
Guides dressed in 18th-century military uniforms lead daily guided tours at Fort William Henry, conducting living firing demonstrations of musket and cannon. Your tour of the museum exhibits is self-guided. But, if you want to hear the ghost stories, you must return at night for the candlelight ghost tour. See the equipment investigators use to research paranormal activity and see the haunted places.
4. Taste Some Local Wine
The Adirondack Winery tasting room offers several tasting experiences with or without reservations. You get to choose up to seven wines per session and an assortment of locally-sourced gourmet cheeses, chocolates, and crackers. Your wine tasting associate guides you through your choices and helps you make your selections. Sessions typically include a souvenir wine glass with the company logo.
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5. See America’s Last Diving Horse
Lightning, the diving horse, is a main attraction at the Magic Forest Family Fun Park. Other attractions include a kiddie train, kiddie rides, adult rides, and family rides. The Magic Forest includes Santa’s house, Cinderella’s castle, and Fairy Tale Trail. As the kids walk along the trail, they can push buttons to hear the stories. There’s a magician, live animals, and a snack bar to round out your day of magic and fun.
6. Splish Splash in Water Slide World
Hurricanes, twisters, tornadoes, and volcanoes are a few of the water slides that figure into the flood of fun at Water Slide World. You’ll find 12 acres of wet and wild excitement in wave pools, slides, plunges, and volleyball games. Pirate Ship Cove and Aruba-Scuba-Duba Bay provide fun designed for the little kids. Even non-swimmers can get life jackets and dive on in.
7. Browse the Patriot of Lake George Museum
History buffs enjoy stopping by the Patriot of Lake George museum and gift shop, which commemorates American military history. Exhibits include medals, uniforms, and artifacts from the French and Indian War, Revolutionary War, World Wars I and II, Korea, and other wars and conflicts of the 20th and 21st Centuries. While the museum is dedicated to all veterans, dozens of recipients of the Purple Heart are featured.
8. Take a Horseback Tour With Saddle Up Stables
Experienced trail guides at Saddle Up Stables wait to lead you on a horseback tour along beautiful, well-maintained trails through the woods overlooking Lake George. As your relaxing ride continues, you may encounter wildlife while seeing historical landmarks and viewing the splendor of the Vermont mountains in the distance. Your ride lasts about an hour, and your guide selects a horse for your level of comfort and experience. For the youngest children, pony rides are also available.
9. Pay a Visit to Dr. Morbid
If someone in your family enjoys haunted houses, then, by all means, consider dropping in at Dr. Morbid’s Haunted House. Expect macabre decor and things that go bump in the dark. Tour guides typically stay in character to enhance your experience. It’s family-friendly for all ages.
10. Join a Charter Fishing Tour
Fish are bountiful in Lake George, and charter fishing guides want to make the most of your vacation fishing expectations. The Captains of Bolton Boat Tours like to get their guests out on the water at sunrise when the water is calm and smooth. For a different experience, Hooker Charters’ guides want to show pros to beginners how to find and get the lake bass, even in sloppy weather.
11. Experience the Lake Theater
You get to choose a matinee or evening show that follows your meal at the Lake Theatre. The meal typically consists of beef, poultry, and fish entrees served with salad, rolls, vegetables, and dessert. Shows feature professional actors and students of local academic institutions that provide arts training and experience.
12. Skim the Treetops With Adirondack Eagle Flyer
Your adventure starts in with a ride in an off-road vehicle to the top of French Mountain. Four high-speed ziplines let you fly above the treetops as high as 125 feet above the forest floor. As you soar along at speeds up to 50 mph, you get breathtaking views of Lake George and the magnificent Adirondack Mountains. Your three-quarters-of–a-mile trip ends with a smooth landing after a nearly 1,000-foot vertical drop.
13. Hop Aboard the Hoppy Trails Brew Bus
The Hoppy Trails Brew Bus takes adults age 21 and over on any of several available tours that last between four-to-five hours. As you enjoy your ride along the scenic routes, the bus takes you to three to four breweries, loops around, and returns to the starting place. You get to check out the brewing process, sample some different beers, and enjoy some snacks along the tour.
14. Check Out the Cool Eateries
The Lobster Pot offers fresh seafood with live entertainment. Depending on the evening, a magician performs up close and personal at guest tables, or musicians serenade you. The Boathouse Restaurant features a patio that extends out over the lake, and you can park your boat right out front. Enjoy your choices from the surf and turf menu indoors or outdoors. The Lake George Boardwalk Restaurant offers casual dining right on the waterfront on their upper and lower decks, with live nighttime entertainment.
15. Play Inside the Magic Castle
When outdoor attractions need to wait, just step inside the Magic Castle, climb onto the 360-degree roller coaster, and hang onto your hat. For some a different kind of experience, the high-speed motion simulator delivers a rollicking good time. Keep the adrenaline going on the exciting 18-hole miniature golf course that features real water hazards and a few tricky shots. The venue is conveniently located near shops and restaurants.
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