Museum

Board of Trustees at Museum Opening October 25, 1962

Opening Day

When the Erie Canal Museum opened its doors on October 25, 1962, it celebrated and preserved the life of the last remaining weighlock building in America. This Greek revival building stands as a monument to the Erie Canal’s transformative role in the history of the United States.

The Erie Canal Museum Today

The present professional Museum, which houses the Syracuse Heritage Area Visitor Center, stands as testimony to the work of many dedicated people. The Museum, which is accredited by the American Association of Museums, is visited annually by more than 23,000 visitors from all 50 states and many foreign countries. We are open seven days a week with free admission.

Information about visiting, including our new regular guided tours, can be found here. A full calendar of our events can be found here. Information about scheduled group tours is here and school field trips is here.

In 2015 we opened The Erie Canal Made New York, a new permanent exhibit that includes interactive displays, narrative audio tracks and original artifacts. The exhibit explains why and by whom the Erie Canal was conceived, the technology used in its construction, Canal-inspired inventions, and the waterway’s role in our country’s social and economic development. A display of the 1825 Wedding of the Waters ceremonial Canal opening, complete with fireworks sound effects, leads visitors to the 1850 Syracuse Weighlock Building, the Museum’s most important artifact.