Washington Crossing Historic Park Washington Crossing Historic Park is a 500 - acre ( 2 km² ) site operated by The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in partnership with the Friends Of Washington Crossing Park . The park is divided into two sections . One section of the park , the " lower park , " is headquartered in the village of Washington Crossing located in Upper Makefield Township in Bucks County , Pennsylvania . It marks the location of where George Washington crossed the Delaware River during the American Revolutionary War . The lower park includes 13 historic buildings including McConkey ' s Ferry Inn , where General George Washington and his aides ate dinner and made plans prior to the crossing . Among the historic buildings is a 20th - century barn that houses 5 replica Durham Boat s . Durham boats were large , open boats that were used to transport pig iron along the Delaware River at the time of the Revolution and these boats , along with others , were used to transport soldiers , horses , and equipment across the river on the night of December 25 – 26 , 1776 . The replica boats are used each Christmas when the famous crossing is re - enacted in the park . Located 4 . 5 miles away in Solebury Township , Bucks County , Pennsylvania , is the park ' s northern section , the " upper park . " It contains the 100 - acre ( 0 . 4 km² ) Bowman ' s Hill Tower and the Thompson - Neely House , which was used as a military hospital during Washington ' s encampment in the area , and the graves of an estimated 40 to 60 soldiers who died there . The exact location of the graves is unknown , though they were partially unearthed during the construction of the nearby Delaware Canal in the early 19th century and during other nearby construction projects . Presently there are 23 memorial headstones as a reminder that the area is a gravesite . The lower park contains a visitor ' s center ; however , it remains temporarily closed pending the completion of renovations that began in July 2011 . There is a temporary visitor services station in the large tan modular unit near the intersection of Routes 32 & 532 The newly renovated visitor ' s center is expected to re - open fall 2012 . History and mission of the park . The park was created in 1917 and the Washington Crossing Park Commission was established in 1919 to administer and develop the park . The park was formed to commememorate the famous " Crossing " as the " Turning point of the American Revolution . " The Commission ' s first objective was to develop the site as a historical shrine and its second objective was to preserve its natural beauty and develop its areas for recreational use . Bowman ' s Hill Tower was built to commemorate what may have been a lookout point for General George Washington ' s troops to watch the banks of the Delaware River for enemy activity . The park also contains the Bowman ' s Hill Wildflower Preserve and the surrounding area is the natural habitat for many native plants , trees , animals and birds . Today the park serves to preserve and interpret the site of the Washington ' s Crossing of the Delaware . The park is administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission ( PHMC ) . Cuts in funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania forced the PHMC to reduce park staffing , which resulted in closing the park to the public in late November , 2009 . The Friends Of Washington Crossing Park , a 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) private , non - profit corporation , was incorporated in January 2010 to support the PHMC in operating Washington Crossing Historic Park , and the park re - opened to the public in the spring of that same year . The Friends of Washington Crossing Park re - opened the park ' s gift shop in December 2010 . Current full - time , on - site staffing consists of 2 museum professionals and 2 maintenance personnel provided by the PHMC , who work in conjunction with the part - time staff of historical interpreters provided by the Friends of Washington Crossing Park . Washington Crossing Historic Park is open for guided tours Thursdays through Sundays from 10am – 4pm , April 1 – December 31 . The recreational areas of the park , including the picnic pavilions , are open to the public from dawn to dusk all year . This very historical site holds a reenactment of General Washington crossing the Delaware River every Christmas Day , plus other public programs on related themes throughout the year . It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966 . The Crossing . On the night of December 25 – 26 , 1776 , General George Washington and a small army of 2 , 400 men crossed the Delaware River at McKonkey ' s Ferry , Pennsylvania on their way to attack a Hessian garrison of 1 , 500 in Trenton , New Jersey . The crossing , made during a time when morale was at its lowest point during the American Revolution , renewed hope among the Continental Army , Congress ] ] and the general population . The soldiers and the Continental Army had contracts and they were all paid out , General Washington gave one of his most famous speeches , convincing the tired , hungry , miserable soldiers to stay at least until they had finished this battle , and they did . Later , at the Battle of Trenton , they were able to force the Hessian soldiers to surrender , without any American casualties . [ [ File : Washington Crossing Park Boat House . jpg | thumb | right | The park ' s boathouse , which contains replicas of the Durham Boats used in the crossing . Famous people in Washington ' s Crossing of the Delaware . Two future [ [ President of the United States | Presidents ] ] : One future Vice - President : One future Chief Justice of the United States : Others : http : / / www . friendsofwashingtoncrossingpark . com / External links . [ [ Category : National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania ] ] [ [ Category : American Revolutionary War sites ] ] [ [ Category : Museums in Bucks County , Pennsylvania ] ] [ [ Category : Open air museums in Pennsylvania ] ] [ [ Category : History museums in Pennsylvania ] ] [ [ Category : American Revolutionary War museums in Pennsylvania ] ] [ [ Category : Parks in Bucks County , Pennsylvania ] ]