The photo above was taken at a cannon demonstration at Fort Ticonderoga, in upstate New York. This historic site is a revolutionary war era fort with an active living history program.

I enjoyed my visit because of the many opportunities for rich multisensory experiences. All visitors were encouraged to touch objects. I did not have to request a touch tour in advance of my visit.

The weapons demonstration is a great example of a multisensory experience. I engaged my senses of touch, hearing, and smell.

I walked the full length of the cannon, touching the wooden wheels and metal barrel. I touched the powder horn, as shown in the photo above. I also held the heavy iron cannonball. 

I heard the sound of marching feet during the military drill, the click of the ramrods, and the loud boom of the cannon blast. The smell of burning gunpowder added to the overall experience.

Because I was given the opportunity to touch the cannon, I had a clear mental image of it, and I could follow the verbal explanation given with the cannon demonstration. The presenter described clearing the cannon barrel, loading gunpowder, and shot, aiming the barrel, and igniting the fuse to fire the cannon.

Weaponry has changed in 250 years, and many visitors needed an explanation of how it worked. They could look at the cannon as they listened to the presenter. I got the same information by touching the cannon before the demonstration, so I did not need to ask for a separate verbal description. If the cannon had been behind a barrier, I would have needed a verbal description of it.

Multisensory experiences support choice and autonomy. Visitors may touch the cannon, but they are not required to do so.

Other multisensory experiences during my visit to Fort Ticonderoga:

• Feeling the heavy material of a wool coat that was part of a soldier’s uniform.
• Touching a leather shoe and the nails used to repair it.
• Smelling the smoke from a fire where stew was being cooked.

Frequent readers of my blog may notice that I have not discussed my visit in terms of accessibility. That is because what is an exciting multisensory experience to me may not be perceived the same way by other disabled people.

I could walk around the fort, and I could bend down to touch the cannon wheels. People using wheelchairs and other mobility devices may not have that opportunity.

I enjoyed the sensory stimulation, especially the cannon boom. Some people on the autism spectrum or those who have sensory processing disabilities may find it overwhelming or uncomfortable.

This Accessibility & Sensory Visitor Guide to Fort Ticonderoga provides information on environmental, tactile, visual, and auditory conditions. It is an excellent resource for planning a visit because it provides detailed information for each area of the historic site.

The guide explains that the education center is wheelchair accessible, and there is an accessible route through the education center to the 2^nd level of the historic fort. Information about outdoor areas includes a description of the ground surface, whether it is pavement, gravel, dirt, or brick.

The sensory stimulation is listed for each area. Here is how they describe the area where I attended the cannon demonstration.

“Fort Ticonderoga – Demonstration Area”

Open space just outside of Fort Ticonderoga walls with grass and gravel surfaces where Musket and Cannon firing demonstrations take place. Open air kitchen area where soldiers cook dinner and family programming tent seasonally located here.

“Musket and Cannon firing demonstrations are loud and will produce strong smells and smoke.”

That description matches my experience. Perspective visitors who read the guide will have information that they can use to plan their visit. Then they can determine how they might spend their time and which of the multisensory experiences might interest them.