Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway turning 75

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September 13, 2010

Anonymous Press-Republican The Press Republican Mon Sep 13, 2010, 03:28 AM EDT

WILMINGTON — The Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway turns 75 on Tuesday.

Whiteface, its staff and the Town of Wilmington will celebrate the occasion by rolling back prices to $1 per person, the same rate it was in 1935. And since the highway is dedicated to all veterans, they will be admitted for free.

Once at the top, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy historical displays at the castle and a specially priced barbecue. At 1 p.m., a ceremony will include the reading of then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech that dedicated the highway to all the fallen veterans of World War I. Other speakers will include New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority President and CEO Ted Blazer and Town of Wilmington Supervisor Randy Preston.

Opened to automobile traffic July 20, 1935, the highway "officially" opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Sept. 14, 1935, which was attended by Roosevelt. During the ceremony, the 32nd U.S. president, who had also been governor of New York, dedicated the highway to all the fallen veterans of the "Great War." Later, in 1985, then-New York Gov. Mario Cuomo re-dedicated the highway to all veterans.

Whiteface Mountain is the fifth-largest peak in the Adirondack Mountain range, and it's the only mountain in the Adirondacks that offers accessibility by vehicle.

Today, from mid-May to early October, visitors to the area can take a drive or cycle up the five-mile long scenic highway, from the toll booth to the top. Along the way, there are scenic lookout points and picnic areas where visitors can stop and enjoy views of the Adirondack region.

Once at the top of the 4,867-foot high Whiteface Mountain, guests can enjoy a spectacular 360-degree, panoramic view of the region, spanning hundreds of square miles of wild land reaching out to Vermont and Canada. Guests can also visit the castle, built from native stone, where they will find a gift shop and restaurant.

For those who are unable to reach the summit on foot, an elevator is available to take guests the final 26 stories to the summit's observation deck.

The Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. For more information about the Memorial Highway, log onto www.whiteface.com/summer/activities/hiway.php. For more information about all of ORDA's Olympic venues, log onto www.white facelakeplacid.com.