Veterans Get Free Tours or Tower Entry at Washington Crossing Wednesday

By Nick Rau | Bucks Co. & Beyond Daily | November 8, 2026

Bowman's Hill Tower's 14-mile view is 125 stairs up, and on Wednesday it costs veterans nothing: Washington Crossing Historic Park is opening its guided tours and Bowman's Hill Tower free for Veterans Day.

On Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, the park invites all United States veterans and active-duty military personnel, plus their families, to take a free tour of the Historic Village or the Thompson-Neely House & Grist Mill, or to enjoy free admission to Bowman's Hill Tower, according to the park's Free Tours for Veterans event page. The ask is simple: bring your military ID.

It is a fitting place to say thank you. In December 1776 the Continental Army camped along this stretch of the Delaware before Washington's crossing, and the park's Thompson-Neely House page notes that sick and injured soldiers recovered at the farmstead while they waited for orders.

Pick your tour

Historic Village: the Taylorsville section at Routes 32 and 532, home of McConkey's Ferry Inn, where Washington wrote on Dec. 25, 1776, "I am determined as the night is favorable to cross the River," per the park's Historic Village page.

Thompson-Neely House & Grist Mill: the Upper Park farmstead and mill. This tour requires pre-registration. If you sign up online, the park says to enter the code VETS2026 in the discount code field.

Bowman's Hill Tower: free admission instead of a tour, weather permitting.

The park words the offer as a choice, a free tour or free tower admission, so pick the experience you want most. If you hope to do more than one, call the park first.

About that tower

Bowman's Hill Tower rises 125 feet and offers a 14-mile view on a clear day, per the park's tower page. It sits near Route 32 (River Road) and Lurgan Road, a few miles south of New Hope, at 1 Tower Rd. A fun myth-buster: the tower did not exist in Washington's day. It was built of local fieldstone in 1929 to 1931 to commemorate what may have been a lookout point, and the park says historians treat the lookout story as more oral tradition than documented fact.

Two practical notes. The park's Bowman's Hill Tower page says the elevator is not operational, so the trip to the observation deck is 125 stairs; the park FAQ currently says the elevator is operational, so confirm before you go. The tower moves to winter hours soon: Friday to Sunday in December and March, closed in January and February.

Plan your visit

When: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. The park lists guided tours and tower admission Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern. Tower entry is timed, so check ticket times when you book.

Where: Washington Crossing Historic Park, 1112 River Road, Washington Crossing, PA 18977. Bowman's Hill Tower: 1 Tower Rd., New Hope, PA 18938.

Who: U.S. veterans, active-duty military personnel and their families. Bring a military ID.

Questions: Friends of Washington Crossing Park, (215) 493-4076.

Not a veteran? You can still enjoy the park that day. The park's FAQ says there is no admission fee to enter the grounds or the Lower Park Visitor Center, the Historic Village grounds are open dawn to dusk for self-guided visits, and the introductory film and exhibit galleries are free. Fees apply to guided tours and tower entry, guided tours are free for active military year-round, and the park partners with the Bucks County Free Library on complimentary family passes.

Quick answers

Is Washington Crossing Historic Park free on Veterans Day 2026? For veterans, active-duty military and their families, yes. On Nov. 11, 2026, they can take a free Historic Village tour or Thompson-Neely House & Grist Mill tour, or get free admission to Bowman's Hill Tower, with a military ID.

Do I need to register? For the Thompson-Neely House & Grist Mill tour, yes. Pre-register online with code VETS2026, per the park.

Can you take the elevator up Bowman's Hill Tower? Confirm before you go. The tower page says the elevator is not operational and the deck is 125 stairs up; the park FAQ currently says the elevator is operational.

If you are curious about the towns around the park, my Washington Crossing guide, New Hope guide and Bucks County neighborhood guides are good places to start.

Note from Nick

If there is a veteran in your life, this is an easy Wednesday plan: bring the ID, pick the tour or the tower, and save the climb for a clear day. I'm Nick Rau with the Rarity Real Estate Team, ranked in the Top 1% of agents nationally (RealTrends 2025, individual), and I live right here in Bucks County. Questions about Washington Crossing or New Hope? Call (215) 593-7498 or email [email protected].

Rarity Real Estate Team, 1100 N Delaware Ave Suite A, Philadelphia, PA 19125 · (215) 593-7498 · [email protected]

Photo: "Bowman's Hill Tower - IMG 8248" by Daderot / Wikimedia Commons, released into the public domain by the author. File photograph taken May 10, 2010; not a photograph of Veterans Day 2026. Cropped and naturally darkened for the cover and featured image; no scenery added or removed. No endorsement is implied.

Reporting checked November 8, 2026. Primary sources: Washington Crossing Historic Park's Free Tours for Veterans event page, Bowman's Hill Tower page, Historic Village page, Thompson-Neely House page and FAQ. Event details can change; call the park before you go.

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