The Erie Canal Museum will be offering 5 different walking tours through the summer months of 2025.
The Erie Canal Museum's summer programs are made possible by support from New York State Canal Corporation's On the Canals Program.
All walking tours are through urban districts over paved and step free surfaces, with mild slope and cross slope in certain sections. Many of our tours have rest areas or places to sit half way, be sure to pace yourself.
If you have specific accessibility needs, please let us know how we can assist you by reaching out to our Inclusion Point of Contact, Derrick at outreach@eriecanalmuseum.org or by calling 315-471-0593.
2025 Schedule of Walking Tours:
Friday, July 25 @ 12:00 PM - Pathways of Resistance Walking Tour
This tour examines African-American experiences on and along the banks of the Erie Canal, from the waterway's beginnings to contemporary times. This tour begins in the lobby of the Erie Canal Museum and includes about a half mile of walking.
Saturday, July 26 @ 10:30 AM - Burned Over: The Erie Canal and Fire Walking Tour
Join the Erie Canal Museum for this mile-long walk through Downtown Syracuse examining how fires along the Erie Canal, both literal and figurative, shaped the city and state that we know today.
Saturday, August 2 @ 10:30 AM - Pathways of Resistance Walking Tour
This tour examines African-American experiences on and along the banks of the Erie Canal, from the waterway's beginnings to contemporary times. This tour begins in the lobby of the Erie Canal Museum and includes about a half mile of walking.
Saturday, August 9 @ 10:30 AM - Downtown Architecture Walking Tour
Join us for this guided walking tour of historic Downtown Syracuse, exploring how the Erie Canal shaped all aspects of the community, and seeing how the neighborhood has changed since the days when the waterway was its centerpiece. This tour begins in the lobby of the Erie Canal Museum and involves about a half mile of walking. American Sign Language Interpretation will be available on this tour.
Saturday, August 16 @ 10:30 AM - Baldwinsville Lock E24 Infrastructure Tour
This walking tour will focus on the social history of Baldwinsville, infrastructure of the lock and the Erie Barge canal, as well as earlier attempts at improving the Seneca River for transportation. This tour will begin in the Baldwinsville Village Square AKA Baldwin Canal Park, located between the B'ville Diner and the Seneca River. It will include about a half mile of walking.
Saturday, August 23 @ 10:30 AM - Women on the Water Walking Tour
This 1 mile-long guided tour between Clinton Square and Fayette Park includes stops at many sites of significant events in the fight for women's rights, with a special focus on Syracuse residents' contributions to the suffrage movement along the Canal. This tour begins in the lobby of the Erie Canal Museum. American Sign Language interpretation will be available on this tour.
The walking tours go through an urban district over paved and step-free surfaces, with some sidewalk inconsistencies, slopes between 0 and 3 degrees throughout and a cross slope up to 4 degrees for about two blocks. This tour has a bench at the halfway point. The walk leader uses a portable audio system that you may request earbud receivers for to enhance the audio experience. If you have specific accessibility concerns or questions, please reach out to our Inclusion Point of Contact, Derrick at outreach@eriecanalmuseum.org or by calling 315-471-0593. He is eager to work with you and make your time with us a very positive experience.
