Amanda Bundt, tour manager at West Point Tours, told Business Insider that West Point "is one of the reasons we are a country.""We were here for all four years of the Revolutionary War fighting for our independence, so we have great honor in that aspect," Bundt said.West Point is an active military post and college, but some parts of the campus are open to the public through guided tours.I visited West Point in April to learn more about its Revolutionary War history and modern curriculum equipping soldiers for war. Take a look.West Point, located about 50 miles north of New York City, played a key role in keeping the British at bay during the Revolutionary War.A military map showing West Point in 1780.MPI/Getty ImagesWest Point overlooks the Hudson River, which was the fastest and most reliable way to transport troops, weapons, food, and other crucial supplies during the war.

George Washington knew that controlling the river was key to America's survival in the fight against the British. He established his headquarters there, calling West Point "the most important Post in America."In 1802, Congress authorized the establishment of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Sylvanus Thayer, known as the "Father of the Military Academy," became the school's superintendent in 1817 and established a strict code of conduct, rigorous fitness standards, and a standardized curriculum.Famous graduates include Presidents Ulysses S.

Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower, former Chief of Staff of the US Army Douglas MacArthur, and former CIA directors David Petraeus and Mike Pompeo.Tours of the military academy begin at the Frederic V. Malek West Point Visitors Center.The Frederic V.

Malek West Point Visitors Center.Talia Lakritz/Business InsiderI bought a $22 ticket for the West Point Story tour, which lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes.While waiting for the tour to begin, I walked through the West Point Experience exhibit that shows what it's like to be a cadet.A model of a room in the West Point barracks.Talia Lakritz/Business InsiderThe exhibit featured a model of a room in the West Point barracks, as well as details about West Point's history, values, 47-month course of study, and graduation requirements.To enroll in West Point, cadets must be between the ages of 17 and 23, be unmarried with no legal dependents, pass academic, physical, and medical examinations, and be nominated for admission by a member of Congress or the president or vice president of the United States. The acceptance rate is around 10%.

Once admitted, tuition is free.Graduates are required to serve in the Army for five years of active service and three years in the reserves.When the tour bus pulled up into the parking lot, a staff member checked our tickets and IDs.A West Point tour bus.Talia Lakritz/Business InsiderSince West Point is an active military post, everyone who takes a tour must present a government-issued photo ID to undergo a background check.Our tour guide told us to keep our phones and cameras out of sight until we passed through the security checkpoint.On the West Point tour bus.Talia Lakritz/Business InsiderHe also gave a rundown of the rules. Photographing cadets?

Permitted. Photographing security gates or military police? Not allowed.Once we were through the gate, our guide pointed out some of the brick homes where West Point instructors live.Homes where West Point instructors live.Talia Lakritz/Business InsiderWest Point has 500 instructors, 75% of whom are members of the garrison and are posted to West Point. The other 25% are civilians.With 4,400 cadets, the student-to-instructor ratio is six-to-one.The bus took us past Michie Stadium, where West Point's football and lacrosse teams play.Blaik Field at Michie Stadium.Talia Lakritz/Business InsiderThe outdoor stadium holds 40,000 people.The grounds of West Point were full of military statues and monuments like "The American Soldier" by Felix de Weldon."The American Soldier," a sculpture by Felix de Weldon.Talia Lakritz/Business InsiderThe sculpture was a gift from the classes of 1935 and 1936, honoring enlisted combat soldiers.Our first stop off the bus was the Cadet Chapel, a non-denomination