About

                                                    A MUSEUM WITHOUT WALLS!

The Erie Canal opened in 1825 and initiated a flurry of American canal building, faciliatated westward migration and made New York the Empire State.  Over nearly two centuries, the canal went through three eras of emlargement and improvements and today is a scenic, navigable waterway with many miles of multi-use trail alongside.  

The Western Erie Canal Heritage Corridor features the longest section of the canal that still follows its original path and retains its historic relationship to the communities and landscapes along its banks. As you travel through the corridor by land or by water you will find village Main Streets, lift bridges, farm fields-orchards & vineyards, 20th century Locks along side historic lock ruins, canal engineering marvels, cobblestone and local sandstone buildings.

The villages and cities that you visit today are here because of the Erie Canal.  Some were small settlements that grew into industrial giants such as Buffalo & Rochester, some were built because of the Erie Canal such as Newark.  Today you can feel the past and live the future.  The Erie Canal no longer carries goods and products to ports all over the world but it welcomes people from all over the world to come - relax - and be a guest of this historic marvel that helped to create our wonderful country.

The Western Erie Canal counties of Wayne, Monroe, Orleans, Niagara and Erie were designated a heritage corridor by the New York State legislature in 1999 in recognition of the distinctive history and cohesive character of the region.  The corridor is part of the New York State Heritage Area Program under the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

The non-profit Western Erie Canal Alliance 501(c)3 was incorporated in 2006 to implement the Heritage Corridor Management Plan.  The objectives of this plan are:
 A vibrant Regional Economy
        - Enhanced Regional Quality of Life
        - Resource Conservation
        - Increased Appreciation of Natural and Cultural
          Resources