The Museum has several exhibits, inside and outside, that share 200 years of Erie Canal history. Exhibits include a full-sized replica canal boat, interactive displays that teach how locks work, a canal-side General Store, and a garden outdoors. Read below for more details about what to expect when visiting the Erie Canal Museum. 

The Erie Canal Made New York

This chronological exhibit details the history and construction of the Canal, from earliest conception to the modern Barge Canal System. The exhibit features many remarkable images and artifacts from the Museum’s collection.

Weighlock Building Exhibits

The first floor of the historic 1850 Weighlock Building contains exhibits about the financing of the Canal, the function and operation of the Syracuse Weighlock, and Syracuse-specific topics, such as folk musician Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten. Next to the weigh chamber, visitors can check out the Weighmaster’s office, where the weighing of canal boats was supervised and managed 24 hours a day during the Canal’s operating season.

Weigh Chamber

The Museum’s weigh chamber contains the Frank Buchanan Thomson, which is a full-size replica line boat. It is representative of a pre-enlargement vessel that would have carried both cargo and passengers on the Canal. Museum visitors can explore the Frank Buchanan Thomson and learn about life for canal boat passengers and crew, as well as the raw materials and finished goods that traveled on the Canal.

Second Floor Exhibits

The Education Gallery on the second floor showcases life in a Canal town. You can see a Canal era tavern, general store, and theatre. There are also exhibits about Onondaga Pottery/Syracuse China, a business that originated in the early days of the Erie Canal, and stone construction in Syracuse during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Murals

The Erie Canal Museum has several murals, both inside and outside. They depict life on the Canal, Canal businesses, elevation changes along the Canal, and the operation of a lock.

Locktender’s Garden

This outdoor exhibit was created in 1992, and is a recreation of a Canalside garden, with plants authentic to the period. It was developed and is maintained by the Syracuse Garden Club. Also in the garden is a section of the replica canal boat Nathan Roberts, which is queued and ready to enter the weigh chamber!