Hamilton Partnership
Programs & Events
Alexander Hamilton
Visitor Center
The Alexander Hamilton Visitor Center (AHVC) will be at the heart of the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, in the foundation of the early 20th-century steam plant—directly below the statue of Alexander Hamilton and directly opposite the cascading water of the Great Falls. The AHVC will redefine the standard for national park visitor centers with dynamic and interactive exhibitions telling the story of how Paterson and its people secured America’s economic independence.
We are expecting for the Alexander Hamilton Visitor Center to break ground sometime in 2025.
Great Falls YouthCorps (GFYC)
2024 was HPP’s first year assisting the GFYC with administrative and logistical support through recruitment and payroll processes, and contributed to program planning. Beginning in April, we received 77 applications, 21 individuals were interviewed, and six were chosen. Four of the finalists were local youth and two were visiting youth from the Delaware Tribe of Indians in Oklahoma. We also provided supplementary financial support for travel, food, and uniforms as needed. HPP also supplements park staff with part-time support through a YouthCorps Mentor role that works with park staff and helps with program planning and implementation along with supervision of the participants.
The program provided participants with learning opportunities and paid, hands-on work experience in public speaking, visitor services, and natural and cultural resource preservation projects. Youth learned skills such as carpentry, landscaping, trail rehabilitation and historic preservation, and also engaged with visitors at the park’s orientation table and co-led guided tours with park staff. The GFYC also visited seven national parks across three states and met with National Park Service (NPS) staff to learn about various career opportunities within the NPS. In conclusion of the summer, the GFYC developed a capstone project in collaboration with the Paterson Museum, which invited park visitors to create art projects inspired by America’s upcoming 250th anniversary celebration.
We concluded the year with a GFYC and VIPs dinner where we celebrated the youth participants along with the Volunteers in the Park who give their time to the PAGR. We are thankful to our volunteers and our youth for their dedication!
Educating Paterson
The PAGR hosts a variety of programs such as ranger-led “Programs at the Park” that offer students a site-based exploration of Paterson’s nature and history. Or the “Skip The Trip” Rangers in Classrooms program for classrooms that can’t visit in-person. Rangers can bring Paterson’s rich history to your own classroom! You can also explore educational options through virtual programs, teacher resources, and web resources.
HPP has also been able to provide the PAGR with an additional $9,600 grant award through the The Passaic County Cultural & Heritage Council to expand transportation to Paterson schools in 2025.
You can visit the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park website for more information on education programs.
Events at PAGR
HPP has supported and coordinated a variety of community based events at/for the PAGR such as the 2024 Wellness Fair, the yearly Naturalization ceremony, the Delaware Tribe of Indian visits, Eclipse ceremonies, and the City Green’s Dig in! program funded through the Passaic County Board of County Commissioners, to name a few.
In 2025, we look forward to bringing a variety of cultural and historical events to the PAGR and the City of Paterson celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, Holidays Around the World, Black History Month, and public health-related expansion through mindfulness in greenspace programming.
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