SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Erie Canal Museum announced “Beers, Bikes, and Barges,” a captivating, summer-long cycling series along the historic Erie Canal. This engaging initiative aims to showcase the rich history of the Erie Canal, the Empire State Trail and the diverse breweries found throughout New York State. Taking place…
Exploring Abolition Along the Empire State Trail
New York State, much like the rest of the country, has a long, complex, and challenging history with the institution of slavery and the movement to abolish it. Evidence of this history can still be seen throughout the state; including along the historic route of the Erie Canal and its…
From the Research Desk
In October 2022, the Erie Canal Museum brought new meaning to the words “Reimagine the Canals” at the New York State Canal Conference in Rochester, NY. As the 2021-2023 Erie Canal Research Fellow, I had the distinct privilege to collaborate with local scholars on a panel called “Expanding the Erie…
Lunchtime Lecture
Register Here Learn more about the restoration of the historic Nine Mile Creek Aqueduct, the only restored towpath era aqueduct on the Erie Canal. Explore this engineering marvel and the tremendous effort involved in its rehabilitation! Presenting is David Beebe, President of the Camillus Canal Society and Director of the…
Call for bakers!
The Erie Canal Museum in downtown Syracuse invites bakers of all ages to register for the 36th Annual Gingerbread Gallery, a display of confectionery creations that celebrates the holidays and the Erie Canal. The first Gingerbread Gallery at the Erie Canal Museum celebrated the architecture of local buildings. It was…
They Sustain Us: Food Sovereignty on the Onondaga Nation
Please join the Ska•noñh-Great Law of Peace Center and the Erie Canal Museum for a virtual discussion with Onondaga Nation Farm Supervisor, Angela Ferguson, about the many ways in which the Onondaga Nation is achieving food sovereignty. Angela is a member of the Onondaga Nation Eel Clan. She has been…
Model Canal Boats Make a Splash
Digital exhibit features entries in Erie Canal Museum’s Brick-a-Boat model canal boat contest. Works go on the museum website August 28. By Vicki Krisak, Erie Canal Museum A steam-powered cargo boat, a tugboat that traveled the Great Lakes, a railroad barge, and a replica of the Independence, a packet boat…
Through the Mire: A Look at the Environmental History of the Erie Canal
By David Brooks, Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site An examination of the environmental history of Upstate New York and its impact on the Erie Canal The waterways of New York State have been utilized for hundreds of years but with the arrival of Europeans and the age of colonialism, their…
CNY Hops: The Birth, Death & Rebirth of an Industry
Images of the hops industry in Central New York The Erie Canal Museum’s July 9 Quarantine Coffee Hour features Madison County Historian Matthew Urtz discussing the history of the hops industry in Central New York. The program will be streamed on Facebook Live beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. It’s free…
Erie Canal Museum Reopening Survey
Syracuse museum seeks public input on reopening during COVID-19 pandemic On March 16, 2020, the Erie Canal Museum closed its doors to protect visitors, volunteers, and staff from the deadly coronavirus that swept the nation. We canceled or postponed until further notice all in-person programs and events. We continued to…
Syracuse’s First Fourth of July Celebration
A look at Syracuse’s 1820 Fourth of July celebration By Derrick Pratt, Erie Canal Museum Educator The Erie Canal totally transformed the state of New York. In few places was that transformation as clear as in the Erie Canal Museum’s hometown, Syracuse. Prior to the Canal, what became the City…
Exploring New Jersey’s Morris Canal
Courtesy of the Canal Society of New Jersey A brief overview of New Jersey’s historic Morris Canal In 1824 the Morris Canal & Banking Company (MC&BC) was chartered to build a canal that would carry coal, mined in Pennsylvania, to developing markets along the eastern seaboard. The canal would pass…