With the arrival of spring comes the promise of warmer temperatures, longer days, and a new season of tours at Deer Haven Park.
Deer Haven Park will be offering Auto Tours again this year, every Saturday in 2021 from April 17 through October 30. The 8-mile journey will go deep into the former Seneca Army Depot and uncover some of the mysteries of the historic munition storage base.
The Seneca Army Depot played a vital role in every overseas military conflict from WWII through the first Gulf War. You’ll see the original ammunition storage igloos, gunpowder buildings, and railroads used by the US Army. See railcar loading platforms that were used to load and offload bombs and ammunition to support our troops abroad. Observe abandoned foundations and evidence of pre-1940 civilian farm life in early Seneca County. And of course, you will have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the Majestic Seneca white deer and American Bald Eagles that reside at Deer Haven Park.
AN IMPROVED AUTO TOUR EXPERIENCE
In 2020, Deer Haven Park introduced the Auto Tour as a safer alternative to the popular bus tours during a global pandemic. The new tour’s special introductory price and free downloadable “Tour Guide” app allowed hundreds of people to visit the former military base and its unique wildlife habitat.
The informational Tour Guide app was very well received but was not without its minor hiccups. Slow download times due to spotty cellular service here at the park caused many delays. Additionally, an occasional compatibility issue with a visitor’s device proved frustrating and disappointing at times.
Deer Haven Park has been working hard during the off-season to help improve our visitor experience. This year we are providing guests with a pre-loaded Samsung Tablet to guide them along their journey. This tablet will save time and frustration, offering a better guest experience while providing a larger canvas to view illustrations.
BUS TOUR UPDATE
Deer Haven Park looks forward to a time when we can offer public bus tours once again. We will continue to closely monitor the social distancing and health guidelines as the season progresses. We are hopeful that vaccines and continued healthy lifestyles will allow public bus tours to operate again soon. Please watch our website for updates.
Deer Haven Park is currently offering Private Bus Tours for anyone wanting to reserve the entire bus for themself. Private bus tours can accommodate up to 18 friends or family in the same social circle. Like Public Bus Tours, Private Tours offer the ability to get out and see the park up close. Step off the bus to see the inside of an ammunition storage igloo and personnel bunker. You’ll visit some of the many remaining pre-1941 home and barn foundations, evidence of Seneca County life before the war.
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