Burden Iron Works Museum, Troy
Henry Burden's pioneering horseshoe-making machine undoubtedly produced many of the mule shoes used on the towpaths of New York's canals. Consult the Burden Iron Works Museum to launch your visit to the RiverSpark Heritage Area.
Eastern Gateway to the Canal, Waterford Harbor
Visit the eastern gateway to the Erie Canal and see the many canal sites of interest in this area, including the Waterford Flight, Old Champlain Canal, and Cohoes Falls. [Note: Limited visitor services due to impacts from Tropical Storm Irene.]
Mohawk Towpath Byway
The Mohawk Towpath Byway is a series of local, county and state highways that follow the historic route of the Erie Canal between Schenectady and Waterford/Cohoes. Traveling the Byway unlocks the story of the Mohawk River, Erie Canal, the waterway west, and the part each community played in the westward expansion of the country and the Industrial Revolution.
Schenectady Museum & Planetarium, Schenectady
Exhibits celebrate science, invention, and imagination and explore the area's rich technological heritage. Canal-related programs include historic district tours and downtown revitalization activities.
Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site, Fort Hunter
Tour the visitor center, see the remains of the impressive Schoharie Aqueduct, and visit Putman's canal store at historic Lock 28. Walk along the original Erie Canal (1825) and Enlarged Erie Canal (1841). Hike, bike, and picnic on the banks of the present-day canal. Located on the Erie Canalway Trail. [Note: Site presently closed due to impacts from Tropical Storm Irene.]
Arkell Museum, Canajoharie
Includes exhibitions on American art and Mohawk Valley history. Paintings by American artists such as Winslow Homer, Childe Hassam, Robert Henri, Maurice Prendergast, and Georgia O'Keeffe. Easily accessible from the Erie Canalway Trail.
Fort Plain Free Library
The library showcases Fort Plain's canal heritage and serves as a Welcome Center for visitors. Close to Lock E15 and the Erie Canalway Trail.
Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum, Chittenango
90-foot-long cargo boats were built and repaired on this site during the 19th and 20th centuries. View a restored dry dock, walk onto a boat building exhibit, and enter a sawmill and blacksmith shop. Located along the old Erie Canal State Historic Park and Erie Canalway Trail.
Erie Canal Museum, Syracuse
Exhibits on all facets of the Erie Canal, housed in the only remaining Weighlock Building (1850) where canal boats were weighed during the days when they traveled through the center of Syracuse on the Erie Canal.
Camillus Erie Canal Park, Camillus
The park includes the impressive Nine Mile Creek Aqueduct, a replica canal side store circa 1856, replica lock tender's shanty, a section of the original Clinton's Ditch, and 10 miles of trail along the enlarged Erie Canal.
Seneca Museum of Waterways and Industry, Seneca Falls
Showcases history of Seneca Falls, Seneca County, and the Finger Lakes region, illustrating how the Seneca River and the Cayuga-Seneca Canal powered the rise of industry and fostered cultural development, helping to spread social reform movements.
Richmond Aqueduct, Montezuma Heritage Park
This new 140-acre park in the Town of Montezuma showcases the remains of the Richmond Aqueduct, the second largest aqueduct on the Enlarged Erie Canal.
Historic Palmyra, Palmyra
This complex of museums preserves and showcases the history of Palmrya on the Erie Canal. Visit the newly opened Erie Canal Depot, as well as William Phelps General Store, Historic Palmyra Museum, Palmrya Print Shop, and Alling Coverlet Museum. Museums are just a short walk from Lock 29 and the Erie Canalway Trail.
Rochester Museum & Science Center
Explore science and technology and their impacts on our lives. Exhibits include: hands on Erie Canal model; impacts of canal building on Native Americans; and Flight to Freedom- Rochester's Underground Railroad.
Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, Rochester
The library's collection includes many original documents about the Erie Canal. An extensive online collection shares images and maps about the impact of the Erie Canal in Rochester and surrounding areas.
Spencerport Depot & Canal Museum, Spencerport
Restored trolley depot on the south bank of the canal serves as a welcome center, museum, and lending library. Swap stories while resting in the Depot's rocking chairs, browse local history exhibits, and find information on attractions. WIFI and restrooms with showers available.
Erie Canal Discovery Center, Lockport
Begin your visit to Lockport here. This interactive interpretive and education center showcases the history of the Erie Canal and the famous "Flight of Five" Lockport Locks. The center is a short walk or trolly ride from nearby attractions.
North Tonawanda History Museum, North Tonawanda
Showcases the heritage of North Tonawanda and its role as a shipping and manufacturing center on the historic Erie Canal and Niagara River in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Museum hosts guided and self-guided history walks and tours, publications, and events throughout the year.
Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum, North Tonawanda
The Herschell Carrousel Factory produced wooden carousels from the late 1800s through the 1950s, many of which were shipped on the Erie Canal. The building is on the National Register of Historic Sites and includes the original woodworking shop and roundhouse where products were tested, as well as the Lockman Collection of hand-carved carousel animals.