Hamilton Park Observation Deck

You are standing on a ledge of the New Jersey Palisades that has served as a focal point for American history for centuries. While the view of the Manhattan skyline across the Hudson River draws most visitors here today, the ground beneath your feet holds a much darker reputation. For nearly two hundred years, this specific stretch of the shoreline was known as the Weehawken Dueling Grounds, a secluded site favored by gentlemen seeking to settle points of honor away from the legal reach of New York authorities. At least eighteen documented duels occurred along these cliffs, making this one of the most active and lethal settings for the custom of dueling in the young American nation.