As the Erie Canal reaches its 200th year, celebrations are taking place across New York in honor of this civil engineering marvel. The 338-mile canal connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, and its completion in 1825 dug the way for the growth of commerce, social movements, and westward expansion. Though the Erie Canal has evolved from a major commercial route to a recreational region, it still shapes the character of Western New York.
The bicentennial celebration kicked off in earnest this week as a replica of the Seneca Chief departed from Buffalo Maritime Center, retracing Governor DeWitt Clinton’s journey from Buffalo to New York City to celebrate the opening of the Erie Canal. Visitors can tour the Seneca Chief in Brockport on September 26, Rochester on September 27th, Pittsford and Fairport September 28-29th, Newark September 30th, Lyons, October 1st, Clyde October 2nd, Baldwinsville October 3rd, Syracuse October 4-5th, and canal towns east as the vessel makes its many stops across the state.
Even if you miss the Seneca Chief, it’s still worth spending some time by the canal. Thanks to Congress’s establishment of the Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor in 2000, canal waterways and towpaths are now dedicated to recreation, and visitors can sail or paddle on the canal itself, walk or bike the Canalway Trail, or visit one of the many canalside parks. The Canalway Trail is open year-round, but the water access season ends November 3…