ERIE CANAL BICENTENNIAL
Make plans to visit Gems Along the Mohawk and Erie Canal Cruises this summer! We have a series of free education exhibits that illustrate the challenges and triumphs of the construction of the Erie Canal.
Erie Canal Stump Puller
One of the biggest challenges during the construction of the Erie Canal was pulling stumps. One of the innovations of the time was a stump puller, a device that used leverage and horse power to pull the stumps out of the canal bed. We have a working 1817 stump puller, and will demonstrate this ingenious device that helped to speed up the construction of the Canal!
The 3 Erie Canals
The Three Erie Canals is a self-guided exhibit of 3 murals with the story of the three canals, the Original Erie Canal, the Enlarged Erie Canal, and the Barge Canal. We depict the canal prisms, how the canals were constructed and the routes they took. We also explore how each of the three canals were used and how they evolved over the years.
Erie Canal Innovation
Our Erie Canal Innovation Exhibit features exhibit items on loan from our friends at the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse, NY. We have period implements, tools, lanterns, and canal boat models to view in our fully-restored 1920 Erie Canal Freight Terminal Building.
Check out our free educational exhibits on the Erie Canal!
Our exhibits focus on the construction of the Erie Canal which began in 1817 in Rome, NY.
The original Erie Canal was a 40 foot wide by 4 foot deep ditch that was dug across New York state, primarily by hand. A device was invented that overcame an on-going challenge – the Stump Puller! We will have demonstrations and discussions on this impressive device and the amazing Erie Canal!