In Oswego, visitors can experience the military history of Fort Ontario. A new exhibit opened there in June, showing what a soldier’s life was like in the 1800s.

People have been restoring the Fort since the mid-1980s. And now, with the completion of the soldier’s barracks, that restoration work has finally finished.

Now, when visitors step into the Fort Ontario barracks, they’ll be transported to the 1800s. Period-specific bunks and uniform-dressed mannequins mimic life as a soldier.

“We focus a lot on military history, of course, because it's a fort and there's lots of battles here. But people really connect with how soldiers were living on a day-to-day basis and, and seeing how they slept and how they ate and all of these parts of their lives … allows us to connect with them as humans,” said Danielle Funiciello, the interpretive programs assistant at Fort Ontario.

History is represented down to the details, like snoring sound effects, weapons, U.S. stitching on the blankets and 25 specially welded foldable bunks, made by local BOCES students.

“We were able to find roster lists and go through and their names are actually on, in the 1850 side, they’re on the bunks actually stenciled onto the bunks as they would have been at the time,” said Funiciello.

The recent restoration completing the project includes two barracks rooms depicting life in the pre-Civil War 1850s and post-Civil War 1868.

“The barracks, of course, is the heart and soul of any 19th century Army post, but it was the one that escaped us for many years,” said Paul Lear, the recently retired historic site manager at Fort Ontario.

The barracks was the last piece of the puzzle in a decades-long restoration project which was, in large part, overseen by Lear. He retired last month after 25 years in his position, retiring the same day the restored barracks opened to the public.

“So for 25 years, I was not bored. There's always something exciting and new. You learn something old about Fort Ontario every day. So it's just a fascinating place,” said Lear.

He started working in New York state parks almost 40 years ago. Now he’s closing the chapter on a renovation and a career.

“Culmination of a dream, to restore and furnish everything in this fort. You know, I had this dream since I was 10 years old to work in a fort, and it came true,” said Lear.

What's next? Lear says he’s going to help his wife with her candy store and continue volunteering at the fort.

Find hours and admission cost at the Fort Ontario website.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been corrected to reflect Danielle Funiciello's proper title.