At the head of Lake Champlain [1] at the county’s northern end lies Whitehall, the birthplace of the U.S. Navy. The first American fleet was built here in 1776 under the supervision of Benedict Arnold.
Along the eastern edge of modern-day Whitehall runs a trim historic Main Street listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Nearby are pleasant waterfront parks and the Skenesborough Museum (off Rte. 4, 518/499-1155, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Mon.–Sat. and noon–4 p.m. Sun. June–Sept.), housing models of the first U.S. Navy ships, along with canal and railroad exhibits.
The museum also runs the Heritage Area Visitors Center [2], which is stocked with free walking-tour maps.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/new-york-state/the-adirondacks/champlain-valley
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/new-york-state/the-adirondacks/saratoga-springs/sights/heritage-area-visitors-center