Sampson State Park (along with Sampson State Park Beach) is a
state park located in
Seneca County,
New York.
[ The park is south of the city of ]Geneva
, neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier
, website = https://www.geneve.ch/
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevr ...
in the Town of Romulus on the east shore of Seneca Lake, one of the Finger Lakes
The Finger Lakes are a group of eleven long, narrow, roughly north–south lakes located south of Lake Ontario in an area called the ''Finger Lakes region'' in New York, in the United States. This region straddles the northern and transitional ...
.
The park is located on the site of the former Sampson Naval Training Station, which later became the Sampson Air Force Base
Sampson Air Force Base is a closed United States military facility, last used by the United States Air Force Air Training Command as a Basic Military Training Center. It was closed in 1956 and put into caretaker status.
As of at least the 20 ...
.
History
During World War II, the site was the location of the Sampson Naval Training Station; during the Korean War, it became the Sampson Air Force Base
Sampson Air Force Base is a closed United States military facility, last used by the United States Air Force Air Training Command as a Basic Military Training Center. It was closed in 1956 and put into caretaker status.
As of at least the 20 ...
, again providing basic training. It is also located next to the former Seneca Army Depot, a munitions storage site. Most buildings are gone leaving a network of of once-paved roads and trails in a wooded area. The surviving building housing the "brig" today hosts a museum featuring displays that depict the activities and lives of the hundreds of thousands of Navy and Air Force personnel as they trained to go to war at Sampson.
After the United States declared the site as surplus, it was purchased in 1960 by the New York State Council of Parks
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYS OPRHP) is a state agency within the New York State Executive DepartmentParks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law § 3.03. "The office of parks, recreation an ...
for $500,000.[
Both the state park and the former naval training station are named after Rear Admiral ]William T. Sampson
William Thomas Sampson (February 9, 1840 – May 6, 1902) was a United States Navy rear admiral known for his victory in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish–American War.
Biography
He was born in Palmyra, New York, and entered ...
, who was born in nearby Palmyra
Palmyra (; Palmyrene: () ''Tadmor''; ar, تَدْمُر ''Tadmur'') is an ancient city in present-day Homs Governorate, Syria. Archaeological finds date back to the Neolithic period, and documents first mention the city in the early secon ...
.
Park facilities
Sampson State Park includes a military museum, a campground with 309 campsites, a sandy beach on Seneca Lake, boat launches, and a marina with over 100 boat slips.[
]
Military Museum
The park is home to a museum run by volunteer Air Force and Navy veterans. The museum holds many artifacts and displays that were around when Sampson was a military base. The hours of the museum are dependent on volunteer support, but is usually open on the weekend.
See also
* List of New York state parks
References
External links
New York State Parks: Sampson State Park
Sampson Air Force Veterans Website
Historical Marker about Sampson Naval Station beginnings
State parks of New York (state)
Campgrounds in New York (state)
Museums in Seneca County, New York
Military and war museums in New York (state)
Parks in Seneca County, New York
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