Celebrate the Opening of the 2023 Erie Canal Season
Lockport will celebrate the opening of the 2023 Erie Canal Season with a series of canalside events on Saturday, May 20. Beginning at 9 am, the Lockport Community Farmers Market resumes its summer schedule on Canal Street with a variety of food and merchandise. The Erie Canal Discovery Center will honor volunteer reenactor and docent Charles Begley with its Annual Key to the Locks Award at 10 am on the grounds of the Discovery Center at 24 Church Street. A procession will depart from the Discovery Center at 10:30 am for the Lock Tenders Tribute Event. In addition to flowers being laid at the Lock Tenders Tribute Monument, a costumed reenactor will relate what life was like in the Lockport Locks in the 19th Century. Representatives from the Ames Chapter of the Lockport Masons will commemorate the installation of the original capstone in 1825 at the base of the Flight of Five Locks. Volunteer Lock Tenders will demonstrate the operation of the restored Flight of Five Locks from 11 am – 1 pm.
Welcome
We are the Lockport Locks Heritage District, and we offer the premier Erie Canal experience on the New York State Canal System. Begin your visit to Lockport, NY at the Erie Canal Discovery Center, immediately adjacent to restored Canal Street, located on the north side of the Lockport Locks.
The Locks Heritage District features the Erie Canal Flight of Five Locks, which date back to the 19th Century Enlarged Erie Canal Era. Visitors can enjoy the docent-led Flight of Five Lock Tender Tour, the Lock Tenders Tribute Monument and the Locks District Museum.
We will resume our docent-led tours of the Flight of Five in July. Lockport's Flight of Five Locks are an engineering marvel: the staircase set of five locks enabled boats to 'sail uphill' over the formidable Niagara Escarpment. The Flight of Five Lock Tender Tour also features interactive presentations of the Lock Tenders Tribute Monument and the Locks District Museum.
The Lockport Locks Heritage District
Erie Canal Discovery Center
Erie Canal Flight of Five Locks
Erie Canal Flight of Five Locks
Begin your visit to the Locks District at the Erie Canal Discovery Center (niagarahistory.org). The Erie Canal Discovery Center provides an excellent orientation to the Locks District, and it offers an exciting virtual canal boat ride through our Erie Canal Flight of Five Locks.
Erie Canal Flight of Five Locks
Erie Canal Flight of Five Locks
Erie Canal Flight of Five Locks
Erie Canal Locks 67 through 71 constitute the “Flight of Five” – the largest intact section of the historic Erie Canal still remaining. The reconstruction of Lock 68 was completed in 2019 and is now operational, along with Locks 69 & 70.
Locks District Museum
Erie Canal Flight of Five Locks
Locks District Museum
Learn about the two generations of Erie Canal that operate today in Lockport, and the changes in technology from the era of the Enlarged Erie Canal Locks to the Erie Barge Canal Locks,
Locks District Tours
Erie Barge Canal Locks 34 & 35
Locks District Museum
Enjoy two walking tours, the docent-led Flight of Five Lock Tender Tour and the self-guided Riley's Way Walking Tour. The 45 minute Flight of Five Lock Tender Tour includes stops at the Lock Tenders Tribute Monument and at the Locks District Museum. Riley's Way features 16 landmark signs located at both street level and within the Lockport Locks.
Lock Tenders Tribute
Erie Barge Canal Locks 34 & 35
Erie Barge Canal Locks 34 & 35
Lockport remembers and celebrates those who labored 12 hour days from April through November every year to enable boats to navigate through the Erie Canal Flight of Five Locks and deliver their freight to Buffalo and points west, or east to New York City and subsequent final destinations including other continents.
Erie Barge Canal Locks 34 & 35
Erie Barge Canal Locks 34 & 35
Erie Barge Canal Locks 34 & 35
The Locks District is also home to Locks 34 and 35 (constructed 1910-1915) on the currently operating Erie Barge Canal. Walk across the catwalk above Lock 35, the western-most lock on the NYS Canal System, and marvel at the 25’ lift of each of the combination locks and the massive 50 ton steel lock gates. Enjoy the manicured canalside gar
The Locks District is also home to Locks 34 and 35 (constructed 1910-1915) on the currently operating Erie Barge Canal. Walk across the catwalk above Lock 35, the western-most lock on the NYS Canal System, and marvel at the 25’ lift of each of the combination locks and the massive 50 ton steel lock gates. Enjoy the manicured canalside gardens on the south side of the locks and visit the Masonic capstone memorial along the Lockview Walkway.