Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park

Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park Preserving & interpreting Paterson NJ's natural splendor, rich history, & industrial innovation
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Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park is one of the newest units of the National Park Service...and the newest in New Jersey.

As another summer comes to an end, we want to take a moment to say thank you to our amazing Great Falls Youth Corps (GFY...
09/01/2026

As another summer comes to an end, we want to take a moment to say thank you to our amazing Great Falls Youth Corps (GFYC) interns as their final week comes to a close.

They were a big help this summer in maintaining the park and being able to share the history to our visitors. A highlight of what they accomplished was the development of their capstone project which included learning about the different plant species we had in the park and using bingo cards to identify them, dyeing bandanas to teach about the dye factories that were in Paterson, the teaching of kinetic energy with their water wheel demonstrations, and bringing the past to the present through photo reenactments.

We are so proud of everything they accomplished this summer and the energy, creativity, and enthusiasm they brought to the park each day. It was wonderful watching them grow, learn new skills, and become an important part of our park. Their presence will be missed but help us in wishing them good luck at school this year!

Image Description
1. Great Falls Youth Corp members and a Ranger standing Infront of a table containing Junior Ranger Books
2. Great Falls Youth Corp member standing in front of their native plant bingo station
3. Great Falls Youth Corp members holding up their dyed bandanas
4. A black board filled with different pictures of people in historic clothes and a revolutionary war uniform on the table

Credit: NPS Staff

Happy Birthday to the National Park Service! We're looking pretty good for 110! 🥳🎂 on August 25, 1916, the National Par...
08/25/2026

Happy Birthday to the National Park Service! We're looking pretty good for 110! 🥳🎂

on August 25, 1916, the National Park Service was created, in what has been called "America's best idea." Visit a park near you to celebrate and enjoy the rest of !

📸: NPS
Image description:
Paterson Great Falls ranger staff, volunteers, and Great Falls Youth Corps members standing in front of the waterfall with a blue sky behind them.

Join the us for Lenape/Delaware Heritage Days to experience the music, social dances, and history of the Lenape people! ...
08/22/2026

Join the us for Lenape/Delaware Heritage Days to experience the music, social dances, and history of the Lenape people! We're looking forward to hosting a delegation of Delaware Tribe of Indians educators at the end of this month for public education programming.

Programs are Saturday, August 29 at 10:00AM & 2:00PM and Sunday, August 30 at 12:00PM.
https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?id=06CC6AA5-908B-7DCC-31CB083AB4A512CE

📸: NPS
Image description:
Members of the DTI delegation, park staff, and park visitors holding hands in a spiral shape as part of the traditional Lenape Bean Dance.

There's going to be partial solar eclipse over Paterson this Wednesday, 8/12! The moon will cover about 9.5–10% of the S...
08/11/2026

There's going to be partial solar eclipse over Paterson this Wednesday, 8/12! The moon will cover about 9.5–10% of the Sun’s disc at maximum around 1:53. Join us from 12:00-3:00pm to get your eclipse viewing glasses and fill out our Solar Eclipse Junior Ranger book to earn a special badge. Rangers will be operating our SeeStar telescope to give visitors an even closer look at this solar event! 🌞🌚

Partial eclipse begins: ~1:06 PM
Maximum eclipse: ~1:53 PM
Partial eclipse ends: ~2:38 PM

📸: NPS
Image description:
A young park visitor dressed in a Junior Park Ranger costume holding eclipse glasses to her eyes and looking skyward.

Ashley, the park's Community Volunteer Ambassador for the past year, is finishing up her term! Ashley has been a dedicat...
08/11/2026

Ashley, the park's Community Volunteer Ambassador for the past year, is finishing up her term! Ashley has been a dedicated member of our interpretation team, working collaboratively as well as leading the charge on her own projects. She spearheaded this summer's America 250th celebrations, among other things. Thank you for all your hard work, Ashley! 🤩🥳

📸: NPS
Image description:
CVA Ashley smiling in front of the Paterson Great Falls. She's wearing a light blue button-up shirt with the CVA logo on it.

07/31/2026

On World Ranger Day, we celebrate the dedication, courage, and commitment of rangers who protect and care for national parks and protected areas around the world. Rangers serve in countless roles, from law enforcement and search and rescue to conservation, fire management, interpretation, and education, helping safeguard the places, stories, and communities entrusted to their care.

The day also recognizes the power of collaboration among rangers worldwide, including efforts by the National Park Service to share knowledge, exchange expertise, and advance innovative approaches to protecting our natural and cultural heritage.

Today, we honor the rangers who answer the call to serve and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting these special places for generations to come.

Image: A close-up of a classic park ranger flat hat bathed in sunset light, resting on a rocky surface at Acadia National Park.

Happy World Ranger Day! 🥳🤠
07/31/2026

Happy World Ranger Day! 🥳🤠

07/28/2026

From Hamilton to Home Runs: A Full-Day Professional Development Workshop for Middle Grades Educators

Thursday, August 20, 9:00am - 2:30pm

Connecting Paterson's Historic Sites to Civics Education in the Classroom:
-Join Park Rangers at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park to explore Alexander Hamilton’s vision for America’s first planned industrial city and its impact on the nation’s economic development. Complete the morning with a hands-on STEM program that will lead the transition to afternoon activities.
-Step onto the field at historic Hinchliffe Stadium and join the staff of the Muth Museum for an in‑depth look at the Negro Leagues and how baseball’s integration shaped the Civil Rights Movement, led by journalist Dave Kaplan and Larry Doby Jr.
-End the day with practical strategies from Montclair State University’s Erik Jacobson to help you bring these stories—and their civic lessons—into your teaching.

Space is limited! Registration required; lunch included
Call: 862-385-1240
Email: [email protected]

📸: Muth Museum
Image description:
A blue banner graphic that of an Alexander Hamilton statue and Larry Doby that says "From Hamilton to Home Runs." Text above and below the banner says "A Full-Day Professional Development Workshop for Middle Grades Educators" and "Thursday, August 20, 9:00am - 2:30pm"

Help us welcome the newest cohort of Great Falls Youth Corps members! The 2026 GFYC program started earlier this month, ...
07/27/2026

Help us welcome the newest cohort of Great Falls Youth Corps members! The 2026 GFYC program started earlier this month, and our youth have been getting training on public speaking, park history, and interactive programming to help serve our park visitors. Our GFYC members are being supported by a graduate of Passaic County Community College who's helping mentor them alongside NPS staff. When you come visit the park, be sure to say hi to GFYC members Mahdi, Rahid, Tanisha, and Daniel as well as Ashley, their mentor.

📸: NPS
Image description:
Five people in green polo shirts standing in front of the Paterson Great Falls and hydroelectric building. From left to right: Ashley, Mahdi, Rahid, Tanisha, and Daniel.

07/11/2026

At five in the morning, 222 years ago, Alexander Hamilton, Dr. David Hosack, and Nathaniel Pendleton set off on a small boat across the Hudson River to meet Aaron Burr in Weehawken, NJ. Three weeks earlier, Hamilton had received a letter from Burr, asking him to explain several comments he had made at a dinner party. The report that Hamilton had expressed a “despicable opinion” was the final straw for Burr. Hamilton opposed both his presidential bid in 1800, and, more recently, his unsuccessful New York gubernatorial bid. Hamilton, Burr had decided, would no longer stand between him and his political aspirations. Hamilton contended that he could not disavow something as vague as a “despicable opinion”. This was not satisfactory to Burr, and the duel was arranged.

Dueling at the time was a way for “gentlemen” to assert their honor. In many cases, it was more about displaying a willingness to face death than it was about a desire to kill your opponent. Many duels took place with no death or even injuries. Before the duel, Hamilton stated that he had no wish to harm Burr, and that he intended to fire into the air. His hope was that Burr, seeing his intentions, would also abstain from shooting to kill. Burr’s intentions are murkier. Whether he intended to kill Hamilton has been debated since the duel happened.

The duel took place on a bluff above the river overlooking the city. Who fired first has also been debated, as it seems both men fired at nearly the same time. Several witnesses, including Burr himself, describe Hamilton’s shot breaking off a tree branch above Burr’s head, indicating that Hamilton was true to his word about firing into the air. Burr’s shot struck Hamilton in the side and lodged in his spine. “This is a mortal wound, doctor” Hamilton said to Dr. Hosack, before passing out.

Hamilton was carried to the boat and rowed back across the river. He regained consciousness on the way long enough to ask for his wife Eliza, and to ask that the news be broken to her “gradually”. On reaching the shore, Hamilton was taken to the home of his friend William Bayard. There, with family and friends, he was to spend the final night of his life.

Image: Wikimedia Commons “Duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr,” after a painting by J. Mund, published in John Lord’s (1902) Beacon Lights of History, Vol. XI: “American Founders.”

Address

72 McBride Avenue Extension
Paterson, NJ
07501ORUSEGPSCOORDINATES-N40.91533°W74.17992°

Telephone

+19735230370

Website

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