The arsenal was founded in 1813 to support the War of 1812, and was designated as the Watervliet Arsenal in 1817. It occupies 142 acres (57 ha) of land, approximately 8 miles (13 km) north of Albany, New York. The location is adjacent to the Hudson River. The site contains manufacturing, administrative offices, storage areas, and a museum tracing weaponry from the 17th century through modern times. It also contains the Army's Benet Laboratories, which does product development, improvement, research, and testing.