A new exhibit marking 200 years of the Erie Canal is now open at the Women’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, the National Park Service announced Tuesday.
Titled “Enterprising Waters: New York’s Erie Canal,” the exhibit traces the canal’s evolution and its impact on Central and Western New York. It is on display at the park’s visitor center through October.
“We are honored to host a New York State Museum exhibit highlighting the revolutionary history of the Erie Canal in celebration of its bicentennial,” said Park Superintendent Ahna Wilson. “The Erie Canal played a pivotal role in the transportation of people and ideas across Central New York, laying the groundwork for movements such as abolition, women’s suffrage, mental health reform, and temperance.”
The traveling exhibit, created by the New York State Museum, was secured with support from the Friends of Women’s Rights National Historical Park. It features eight panels detailing the canal’s influence on social reform and American development.
The exhibit’s themes will also shape the park’s annual Convention Days event, “Ripples of Reform,” scheduled for July 18–20. The 177th anniversary of the 1848 Women’s Rights Convention will feature family activities, historical reenactments, ranger-led programs, and guest speakers.
All events and exhibits at the visitor center are free and open to the public daily.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].