Our Organization

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The Lockport Locks Heritage District Corporation collaborates with private and public organizations to provide the premier Erie Canal experience for visitors.   

The Lockport Locks Heritage District is a nationally recognized heritage attraction, featuring the fully restored and operating circa 1842 Enlarged Erie Canal Flight of Five Locks adjacent to Barge Canal Locks 34 & 35. The Locks Heritage District is easily accessible and fully interpreted, and it attracts thousands of visitors annually.  

The Lockport Locks Heritage District Corporation is organized as a 501c3 subsidiary of the City of Lockport’s economic development agency, the Greater Lockport Development Corporation. The LHDC is governed by a 13 person Board of Directors, is audited annually and it complies with the provisions of the Public Authorities Accountability Act of the State of New York. Since the New York State Canal Corporation is the owner/operator of the New York State Canal System, the LHDC does not own the assets of the Erie Canal Flight of Five; however, the LHDC does operate the Flight of Five Locks under the terms of an annually renewable permit from the Canal Corporation.

The Lockport Locks Heritage District Corporation (LHDC) was organized in 2014 as the successor organization to the 12 year-old City of Lockport Flight of Five Committee, which had championed the rehabilitation of the Erie Canal Flight of Five Locks. The LHDC, in addition to agreeing to campaign for the complete rehabilitation of all five of the historic Erie Canal-era locks, accepted the fiduciary responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the rehabilitated locks as well as the implementation of additional improvements detailed in the Erie Canal Flight of Five Interpretive Plan (Eisterhold Associates, 2012) so that the community could realize the full economic benefit from this unique Erie Canal heritage site.

To fulfill its mission, the Lockport Locks Heritage District Corporation (LHDC) has initiated, organized, and implemented several major projects including improvement of the Locks District Museum, historical restoration of Erie Canal Locks #68, #69,and #70, and installation of the Lock Tenders Tribute.  LHDC also supports and coordinates the activities of over a hundred twenty five volunteers who beautify the area around the Locks, maintain the Locks District Museum, conduct the guided Locks District Tours, and offer demonstrations of the restored Flight of Five locks.  Current LHDC projects include completion of the Lock Tenders Tribute, development of a video documentary focused on the Locks #68, #69, and #70 restoration effort, implementation of a self-guided Locks District audio tour, and measurement of Locks District visitor pedestrian traffic using these infrared trail counters to gather data to support both on-going and future LHDC activities. .