7/1/2023 0 Comments Paterson waterfall hours![]() ![]() Guided tours of the grounds are a popular option and will take you past notable sites such as the Hamilton Statue, Overlook Park and Mary Ellen Kramer Park. Now, over 240 years later, hundreds of thousands of people flock to the falls annually (on average) to bear witness to the scenery and pay tribute to the storied history. The Great Falls’ popularity reached a real turning point upon capturing the attention of one of America’s most influential figures, Alexander Hamilton, who is commemorated with a statue in the park. After a few years of planning, boom: The industrial economy was born, and this diamond in the rough transformed into a shining Jersey gem. Rather, Hamilton noticed the placement of the Passaic River was at a higher elevation relative to Paterson, which would allow for channels of water to flow downhill and power the mills and other sources of manufacturing. The setup was ideal, but not necessarily because of the falls. “I like to think of it as an incubator site for Alexander Hamilton’s economic ideas, and the economy we have today was ‘tested’ at Paterson.” “The reason why Paterson is so significant is because it’s the site of the first planned industrial city, designed to kickstart the American economy after the Revolutionary War,” Goldman said. That plan was to harness the energy contained within the Passaic River and Great Falls, effectively making Paterson the place that would jumpstart the Industrial Revolution. As the story goes, Hamilton was taken by the waterfall, so much so that he became the man with a plan. George Washington and Marquis de Lafayette during the summer of 1778. The fortuitous moment for the falls came during a picnic between Hamilton, Gen. ![]() This encounter left a lasting impression on the founding father and opened the gates for the Great Falls to become a powerhouse of historic proportions. The falls’ exhilarating and ever-changing environment has been inspiring and influential for centuries, but its popularity reached a real turning point upon capturing the attention of one of America’s most influential figures, Alexander Hamilton. ![]() Photo courtesy of Terry McKenna/Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park ![]() The energy of the flowing water is awestriking from any angle, but especially so when you get up close to feel the spray of the falls in your face at Mary Ellen Kramer Park. And finally, in the winter, with cold weather and some snow, the falls can freeze up into an ‘ice cathedral’ of sorts. In the fall, the leaves turn colors, so now you’ve got the waterfall with a beautiful backdrop of colors. Then, as summer rolls in and the rain tapers off, it becomes more like the ‘Great Trickle,’ which is great because now you get to see the geology with the basalt rocks. “In the spring, we get the rains and snowmelt, so the waterfall is swollen with water. “When you come to see the Great Falls, it’s breathtaking, but for different reasons in different seasons,” said Ilyse Goldman, division chief for interpretation, education and volunteers at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park. And, like any true wonder, its majestic beauty evolves with every season. The energy of the flowing water is awestriking from any angle, whether you soak it all in from afar at Overlook Park or get up close to feel the spray of the falls in your face at Mary Ellen Kramer Park. If the sound of the water captivates you, the sight of the National Historic Landmark will surely take your breath away. By volume, it is the second most powerful waterfall east of the Mississippi River, surpassed only by Niagara Falls. Know before you go! Click the information categories below to plan your trip to Paterson.Standing at 77-feet high and 260-feet wide, the Great Falls is prolific and dynamic with an average rate of 2 billion (yes, with a “b”) gallons of water rushing over its cliff face daily. Waterfalls, ancient geology, engineering landmarks, and the economic birth of a new nation - these are just a few of the things you will discover on your visit to the City of Paterson and the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park. Explore Paterson's history, culture, & views of the Great Falls such as captured in this winning entry from the 2013 Eastern National Photo Contest ![]()
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