I went with my parents as "something to do" in Syracuse and ended up really enjoying myself. Henry, a volunteer, greeted us at the door and verbally took us through a much better history of the canal than displays ever could and answered all my questions. He was knowledgable, friendly and overall just made my experience of the museum!
Pallavi Keluskar
Great place to visit. Lots of interactive set ups help people of different areas and learning preferences have equally positive experience. We were also able to see the Gingerbread house set up and were pleasantly surprised with the participation of multiple partners - the whole set up was great, with live music, treats and smiling volunteers made experience memorable.
Lee Roder
We thoroughly enjoyed the museum. The exhibits were very well done - from standard photos and historical information to audio, video, and interactive activities. We live further south, and it was all railroads and cattle trails as that area was settled. Being able to take in the scale of the Erie canal project and the incredible amount of labor performed before the advent of the Industrial Age was such a great experience. Also, learning of how the building itself (once a weigh lock on the original canal) was saved from demolition, of the shameful practice of redlining, and the present-day efforts to right those wrongs was an unexpected and much appreciated bit of area history
Daniel Lucente
A formerly wonderful museum that detailed the extraordinary efforts resulting in the completion of the Erie canal. Many great exhibits, including a complete canal boat from the 1850 canal era.
Unfortunately, like many parts of our society, they have given themselves fully over to self-loathing and to inaccurate and ugly historical judgments. Someone, probably someone of below average IQ who has an inflated sense of self-worth and a desire to assuage their own guilt, has gone through the museum and added plaques to many of the exhibits detailing the great wrongs that are not mentioned in the exhibit.
This is the typical response of a certain low IQ segment of our society when they come to the realization that not everything was as ideal as they would like it to be several hundred years ago. Instead of celebrating the wonderful efforts that resulted in this incredible historic achievement, they would rather spend more time talking about anything that they deem to be unpleasant.
It is disgusting and the height of ingratitude. What a sad thing that this once worthwhile museum is being taken over by this type of thinking. Do not support this by visiting. If you do visit, do not pay anything to go in.
Leona Stewart
? Not the first time here. And not the last. I like it and think it should be visited.
Randy Melcombe
Housed in the actual historic building that weighed the boats and cargo. You will learn a very good general history of the Erie Canal. If you like to read everything, it will take you 2-2.5 hours to go through the whole museum? (start with the bottom floor). Also, they have two hour free parking! It is in the government employee lot across Erie Boulevard (entrance from James Street). Look in my posted pictures for the signs to look out for?
John Lyons
Reminded me of the bytowne museum in Ottawa. Lots of information about the early days of the Erie canal. Provides a great background on Syracuse in its early days.
miranda paquette
We were welcomed by a wonderful staff member who was clearly well informed. We did the tour by following the arrows as advised, it was perfect. There are some interactive parts and lots of information readily available. There were spots where there were questions on dark red signs asking you to think deeper on a given topic which culminated in an opportunity to share your thoughts on the second floor. My favourite part was the boat you can walked through. The blue dress in the second floor is a close second because of how beautiful it is.
Shelly's 411
Very well done. I also appreciate the nod to lack of representation in the museum. As they work to update and improve, they are acknowledge their weakness.
The Erie Canal Museum proved to be an exceptional venue for our recent Librarian Networking event, accommodating 30 guests with ease. The turnout was fantastic, and attendees thoroughly enjoyed their time exploring this historic gem.Our tour guides were both knowledgeable and friendly, offering insightful commentary that enriched our understanding of the canal's significance. The museum's space itself is a testament to its unique charm, providing a beautiful backdrop for our gathering.One of the highlights of our experience was undoubtedly the professionalism and helpfulness of the museum staff. From the initial planning stages to the execution of the event, they were a pleasure to work with, ensuring everything ran smoothly and efficiently.Overall, the Erie Canal Museum exceeded our expectations as a venue, offering both an enriching experience and excellent service. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to host an event with a touch of history and charm.
Japheth Wood
Amazing exhibit of the transportation method that turned New York State into an empire.The exhibit has some but not many spaces that are interactive for kids.A promise of offering indigenous perspectives, for whom European expansion was a genocide, is promised.
rhdk9
very interesting, if you want to know about the erie canal, this is where you sart
Theresa St. John
Great museum if you are interested in learning about the Erie Canal and life of the people who worked/lived there. I loved all of the history and culture, learning about this mode of transportation while gleaning a little insight on Syracuse NY.
Maria
Free entry museum (donations recommended) with a cute gift shop inside. The first floor is mostly for the canal, the second floor is other localized history. Super neat! There's also a canal boat you can walk through. Restrooms are on the second floor.
I went with my parents as "something to do" in Syracuse and ended up really enjoying myself. Henry, a volunteer, greeted us at the door and verbally took us through a much better history of the canal than displays ever could and answered all my questions. He was knowledgable, friendly and overall just made my experience of the museum!
Great place to visit. Lots of interactive set ups help people of different areas and learning preferences have equally positive experience. We were also able to see the Gingerbread house set up and were pleasantly surprised with the participation of multiple partners - the whole set up was great, with live music, treats and smiling volunteers made experience memorable.
We thoroughly enjoyed the museum. The exhibits were very well done - from standard photos and historical information to audio, video, and interactive activities. We live further south, and it was all railroads and cattle trails as that area was settled. Being able to take in the scale of the Erie canal project and the incredible amount of labor performed before the advent of the Industrial Age was such a great experience. Also, learning of how the building itself (once a weigh lock on the original canal) was saved from demolition, of the shameful practice of redlining, and the present-day efforts to right those wrongs was an unexpected and much appreciated bit of area history
A formerly wonderful museum that detailed the extraordinary efforts resulting in the completion of the Erie canal. Many great exhibits, including a complete canal boat from the 1850 canal era.
Unfortunately, like many parts of our society, they have given themselves fully over to self-loathing and to inaccurate and ugly historical judgments. Someone, probably someone of below average IQ who has an inflated sense of self-worth and a desire to assuage their own guilt, has gone through the museum and added plaques to many of the exhibits detailing the great wrongs that are not mentioned in the exhibit.
This is the typical response of a certain low IQ segment of our society when they come to the realization that not everything was as ideal as they would like it to be several hundred years ago. Instead of celebrating the wonderful efforts that resulted in this incredible historic achievement, they would rather spend more time talking about anything that they deem to be unpleasant.
It is disgusting and the height of ingratitude. What a sad thing that this once worthwhile museum is being taken over by this type of thinking. Do not support this by visiting. If you do visit, do not pay anything to go in.
? Not the first time here. And not the last. I like it and think it should be visited.
Housed in the actual historic building that weighed the boats and cargo. You will learn a very good general history of the Erie Canal. If you like to read everything, it will take you 2-2.5 hours to go through the whole museum? (start with the bottom floor). Also, they have two hour free parking! It is in the government employee lot across Erie Boulevard (entrance from James Street). Look in my posted pictures for the signs to look out for?
Reminded me of the bytowne museum in Ottawa. Lots of information about the early days of the Erie canal. Provides a great background on Syracuse in its early days.
We were welcomed by a wonderful staff member who was clearly well informed. We did the tour by following the arrows as advised, it was perfect. There are some interactive parts and lots of information readily available.
There were spots where there were questions on dark red signs asking you to think deeper on a given topic which culminated in an opportunity to share your thoughts on the second floor.
My favourite part was the boat you can walked through. The blue dress in the second floor is a close second because of how beautiful it is.
Very well done. I also appreciate the nod to lack of representation in the museum. As they work to update and improve, they are acknowledge their weakness.
Looks good
Restaurantji Recommends
The Erie Canal Museum proved to be an exceptional venue for our recent Librarian Networking event, accommodating 30 guests with ease. The turnout was fantastic, and attendees thoroughly enjoyed their time exploring this historic gem.Our tour guides were both knowledgeable and friendly, offering insightful commentary that enriched our understanding of the canal's significance. The museum's space itself is a testament to its unique charm, providing a beautiful backdrop for our gathering.One of the highlights of our experience was undoubtedly the professionalism and helpfulness of the museum staff. From the initial planning stages to the execution of the event, they were a pleasure to work with, ensuring everything ran smoothly and efficiently.Overall, the Erie Canal Museum exceeded our expectations as a venue, offering both an enriching experience and excellent service. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to host an event with a touch of history and charm.
Amazing exhibit of the transportation method that turned New York State into an empire.The exhibit has some but not many spaces that are interactive for kids.A promise of offering indigenous perspectives, for whom European expansion was a genocide, is promised.
very interesting, if you want to know about the erie canal, this is where you sart
Great museum if you are interested in learning about the Erie Canal and life of the people who worked/lived there. I loved all of the history and culture, learning about this mode of transportation while gleaning a little insight on Syracuse NY.
Free entry museum (donations recommended) with a cute gift shop inside. The first floor is mostly for the canal, the second floor is other localized history. Super neat! There's also a canal boat you can walk through. Restrooms are on the second floor.
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