Replica Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief Coming to Utica

This month, The Buffalo Maritime Center’s full-scale replica of the Seneca Chief (the Erie Canal boat that first carried Governor DeWitt Clinton on his legendary 1825 voyage) will be sailing east to celebrate 200 years of the canal that changed New York forever.

Each stop transforms into a floating museum experience. You’ll be able to step aboard, wander through recreated cabins, check out 1820s artifacts, and meet the volunteers who spent years building this 73-foot wooden boat by hand. On shore, expect family-friendly events, hands-on wooden boatbuilding, and programs that highlight the role of Indigenous communities in canal history.

And the best part? It’s free.

Upcoming Local Stops:

Brewerton – October 7
Sylvan Beach – October 8
Rome – October 9
Utica – October 10

The boat’s journey runs from Buffalo all the way to New York City, wrapping up on October 26. Get the whole schedule here: https://buffalomaritimecenter.org/buffalo-maritime-center-events-calendar/

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16 Delicious Places to Eat Along the Erie Canal!

Thousands of tourists travel the Erie Canal route, by car and boat, in Upstate New York annually. For a convenient reference guide we have picked out sixteen great places to dine along the canal for single folks traveling through or for families making this region their summer vacation. From elegant waterfront dining, to a delicious plate of spaghetti or slice of pizza, there are many great little restaurants along Upstate New York's most famous waterway. This gallery looks at places from Canastota westward. We will look "the other half" in a future gallery.

Gallery Credit: Chuck D'Imperio

"Erie Canal Snapshot" A Look At 5 Pretty Canal Towns

The Erie Canal is our very own treasure. For miles and miles from Albany to Buffalo, this magical waterway plays hosts to many small "canal towns" along its way. This gallery looks at five of them (we will do other galleries featuring more towns, until we have covered them all).

Identified as "ports" and "fords," many of these villages have seen their better days when referencing their canal boom times. But even today, these places welcome thousands of visitors a year for fun and exploring. Each one of these, and the others, has a lot to offer and we highly recommend that our readers give them a shot when out on the road!

Gallery Credit: Chuck DImperio