Their old downstairs gym is gone, replaced by a music wing. They also marveled at the shiny blue lockers, which they said were an upgrade, along with the spacious cafeteria encased in glass that overlooked the football field.

Each hallway and every turn brought back memories half a century old, even though so much has changed.

“Some of them haven’t been here in a long time,” said George Naylor, one of the organizers of the Hendrick Hudson High School Class of 1973 reunion. “It might be their first time in the school in 50 years.”

Naylor and about four dozen of his classmates kicked off a 50th reunion weekend Friday with a tour of the school. The group was led through the buildings by interim principal Richard Leprine and four Class of 2024 seniors: Conor Prokopiak, Caitlyn Fitzmaurice, Paige Devine and George Wright.

Said Pam (Rinzivillo) Szen: “We were very, very happy with the turnout.”

Naylor and Szen were part of a committee that began formulating plans five years ago at the class’ 45th reunion and spent the last three years making a strong push to bring even more of that group together.

Naylor, largely through the alumni website hendrickhudson-alumni.com, and Szen, via a class Facebook group and individual letters, believe they managed to contact roughly 85% of the living 1973 alumni.

Friday’s building tour was part of a weekend of activities. The group also planned a night (for all Hen Hud alumni) at Fulgum’s Bar & Grill in Montrose Friday night. They also scheduled a two-hour Hudson River cruise on Saturday morning, followed by the culminating banquet Saturday night at the Cortlandt Yacht Club.

Over 100 graduates from the Class of 1973 committed to attending the banquet.

“Pam really had a great vision of what we wanted to do,” Naylor said. “It’s almost like wedding planning. It’s not just the dinner. It’s the whole weekend.”

Szen encouraged more Hen Hud alumni — of all classes — to contact Naylor through the alumni website. They hope to continue to build a database that will allow former Sailors to reconnect.

“We want to find all of them!” Szen said.