Port Byron Old Erie Canal Heritage Park

Gregg Hanchett

2023-09

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Bridgett V

2023-10

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Gary Maloney

2023-05

Hidden gem located in plane sight!!We have driven past repeatedly and wondered what was in there — we finally stopped to find out. SO mich more than we expected.Inside the main building are displays and information about the lock system and operations. Outside is a path that brings you to the works.The hidden gem is the outbuildings located at the end of the path. The yellow “home” visible from the highway was a pub/hotel/home at the time the system was still in operation. The original building and some added outbuilding to give a feel for the spot 100 years ago. Pictures inside give a feel for the thriving maritime business being run at the time.Well kept grounds and historical society volunteers to answer all your questions.

Alex Thompson

2023-05

Very nice little museum and a short walk to stretch the legs off the thruway. We were surprised and impressed that the historic house has an elevator. There's also a ramp and accessible entrance on the left side of the building, which we guessed but there's no sign we saw indicating that. Staff were very welcoming and happy to answer questions. The walkways are paved. Very fun walking and rolling through the old canal lock.

bobbie manns

2022-05

Beautiful free museum. Volunteer jeff was super knowledgeable and takes his time explaining the history of the lock, the town and the historic buildings that have been restored on site. Tons of information can be learnt here and it can be accessed either from the toll road or from the non toll routes.

andrewjjeep

2023-05

Very cool history of the old Erie Canal system and specifically the Port Byron area! If you're a fan of anything civil engineering, regional history or Italian immigrant business sense, this is a stop for you!

scott wolf

2023-08

Clean, interesting information. You can walk the lock, visit an old tavern. I think it was 5c to sleep standing up and 20c for a bed with up to 3 people.

Brian E. Flynn

2019-05

This place is worth the stop. The staff is very dedicated to the museum. It gives a unique look at the canal system and how it shaped New York. The old tavern and blacksmith shops are also located on the site. It is much larger than it looks. Future plans are to have a canal barge across from the tavern like it was when the canal was vital to transportation.

Sue Bruno

2023-09

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Patricia Torcello Catalina

2020-05

What a wonderful exhibit explaining the building and use of the Erie Canal! Amazing how it was engineered and constructed without modern equipment! Knowledgeable Volunteers give visitors an insight to the daily life on the Canal. Clean bathrooms, a vending machine area and tourist flyers of the area. For the historical information and maintenance effort of the volunteers, a hearty donation is well worth it! 👍

Rowan Hawkins

2018-05

Free Admittance! Great place and very knowledgeable staff. Clean well maintained facility.I've been driving past this lock on the Thruway for over 10 years Im glad the Thruway Corpporation has finally invested in this very accessible part of our state history.The visitors center has an overview of the canal history with maps and photos. Further into the park you can walk through the locks and an original construction 1850's saloon which is is the process of being restored. They have a great map of where people visiting are from each month and an a yearly map covering the world.

Thomas Bewick

2019-05

A hidden historical jewel. Well worth stopping for. The volunteer staff are wonderful and give a great tour of an old 1865 saloon that has been restored by our NYS toll money. Learned a lot about the history of the canal and our state and my 16 year old son really enjoyed it too. Highly recommended.

Janice Weed

2020-05

Great place to learn about the Erie Canal! Self-guided audio available for smart phones. This is a newly constructed museum and features a few restored out-buildings. The Blacksmithy is there on the third Saturday of the month. Volunteer staff is very friendly and informative! Access available from the NYS thruway, east bound, and state Rt.31 in Port Byron.

Stewart Wattson

2019-05

This place is great! What a wonderful window into not just important NY history, but also US history. In addition to a portion of the Erie Canal that remains standing, there is a small museum and historical houses. The docents bend over backwards to help you. They are very knowledgeable. There is a walking tour where the guide in period garb will take you through the canal and some historical house kept in period appropriate state. Well worth your time if you are any where in the area.

Paul Collins

2020-05

This is a wonderful stop to stretch and learn something about the canal system. The guides were very helpful and knew their stuff - explaining what was going on 100 years ago along this segment of the canal. They ( the guides ) brought to life the people who lived and worked here. It is a worthwhile stop.

Glenn Gordon

2020-05

Marvelous quick stop. Super pet friendly. Contains new.museum, 3 restored buildings plus the old locks. Directly accessible from the NUS Thruway or from City streets. And dog treats!

Sandi Benati

2019-05

We have always driven by but they were never open. Finally we drove by when they were open. Glad we stopped. I didn’t know these other buildings were part of this. We also picked up some great literature and maps.

Robert Schmidt

2023-05

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Sharon Durkee

2020-05

This was a wonderful stopping place, right off the Thruway. The woman who greeted us was so informative and very passionate about preserving the remaining canals. Well worth your time!! Be sure to check out the Erie House!

Kevin Hackenfort

2023-05

fantastic CNY History, staff was so friendly and answered every question I had, this was a great visit

Phillip Gioia

2022-05

Nice historic center for the Erie canal withhold lock and some old canal building recreations. Accessible from route 31 in Port Byron or from the Thruway eastbound Lane but only open from spring to fall.

Euphony88

2020-05

Beautiful historic park surrounding the Old Erie Canal Lock. Built in 1851, the grounds have been restored and well maintained. The paths down to the Erie House are wheelchair accessible and it's well worth the stop. This park is extremely dog friendly, they not only allow dogs, but thank you for bringing them along. All of this is due to their historical mascot Mod the dog who protected the Erie house and its residents.Wonderful stop along the New York Thruway!

Rapidfire Gaming

2023-10

A nice place to stop. Very clean. Pet friendly - even in the building! Nice people worling there.

Chris Roop

2023-05

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Steve Locke

2019-05

Very nice restoration of an Erie canal lock & store/saloon. It is accessible from the NYS thruway, Rt90. We entered from Rochester St. during the NYS Parks &Trails Erie Canal bicycle tour.

Ezekiel OBrien

2023-10

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DrLMarini

2023-08

Great little historical spot right off the thruway with its own exit (when traveling EB). Dog friendly and they are welcomed into the little museums along the way with water and cookies! Friendly and knowledgeable docents that fill you in on the interesting facts about the area and buildings. Highly recommend as either a quick, clean, grassy place to walk the dog or if you want to spend more time and learn about the locks!

Gary Wurstner

2022-05

Great place if you are interested in the history of the Erie Canal. The staff is friendly and very very knowledgeable about the canal's history.

Kelly M

2023-09

This is a lovely stop when traveling. The staff is super friendly and inviting. It's the most dog friendly place I've ever been, short of going to the pet store. The walking path in the back is great for dogs to stretch to their legs.

Mara Cook

2023-07

The main building contains picture boards with canal history and a neat model of a set of canal locks. Outside, down a short, paved pathway is a place where you can walk through part of the old canal. There are also several other buildings a 3 -5 minute walk from the main building, including the Erie House, which was a tavern during the peak of that Era. The guide at the Erie House did a fantastic job. It made for a wonderful pit stop and leg stretch as we traveled 90 (interstate).