Erie Canal Discovery Center

Erie Canal Discovery Center

The Erie Canal Discovery Center is an interactive educational center focused on the creation of the Erie Canal inside a c.1843 canal stone building. The most popular feature of the Discovery Center is “Gateways East & West,” a 15-minute movie about the building of the Canal and the Flight of Five locks. Part-way through the movie, visitors board a “packet boat” for a simulated night-time ride through one of the 1820s locks! Interactive displays let visitors try their hand at locking a boat through locks, hear from people who worked on the canal and built Lockport, and test their knowledge of the Canal. After learning about the locks and Canal, visitors can walk through the locks area with a better understanding of what they are seeing, and a greater appreciation of the monumental engineering feat that took place in Lockport. The ground floor of the building houses the City of Lockport Visitor Center and the Lock, Stock & Barrel Museum Shop. Visitors can also see a portion of the Charles Rand Penney Collection of historic Niagara County artifacts on the third floor.