Watervliet Arsenal

The Watervliet Arsenal is a US Army manufacturing site on the Hudson River in New York that specializes in heavy artillery systems. The facility covers about 142 acres and includes several neoclassical brick buildings and modern production halls along the waterfront.

The production site was established in 1813 during the war with Britain as an ammunition factory for the Army. From the 1880s onward, the focus shifted to large caliber guns, which remains the main role of the site today.

The name comes from a Dutch term meaning flowing water, reflecting the early Dutch settlement patterns in this region. The site itself remains an active manufacturing location today, its neoclassical brick structures along the river embodying 19th-century military architecture.

A visit requires prior authorization from the military administration and presentation of valid identification at the Gillespie Gate. The entire site is subject to strict security regulations, so free access is not possible and only certain areas become accessible after arrangement.

This facility holds the record as the oldest continuously operating site of its kind in the United States and still produces weapon systems today. A multiyear modernization program worth billions brings new technologies into the historic walls without changing the basic structure of the place.