The Erie Canal, originally opened in 1825 to transport crops to the east, is now a great historical feature that runs through Rochester. Locals and tourists alike visit the canal for leisure and to appreciate its historical significance. My family and I love spending days along the canal at the Village of Spencerport, and this week we visited the Spencerport Depot and Canal Museum.
Parking: The Spencerport Depot and Canal Museum is tucked behind the main buildings on the east side of South Union Street, and snuggled up to the edge of the Erie Canal. In between the buildings is a large amount of public parking, including some directly around the museum.
Public Transportation: RTS does not have a bus stop in the Spencerport area, however, RTS On Demand includes this area in its service.
The Entrance: From the parking lot, we had several options to get to the front of the museum, which faced the Erie Canal.
- Climb up the stairs that were tucked under the deck of the building.
- Walk up the paved incline from the parking lot to the Erie Canalway Trail.
- For a lesser incline (but a longer walk), we could have walked from the parking area to South Union Street and then north towards the lift bridge. Between the buildings on the right, there is a sidewalk lined with gardens leading back to the trail in front of the museum.
The front of the museum had two separate entrances, both leading into the main room where we were greeted by friendly guides.
The Museum: The Spencerport Depot and Canal Museum was originally a trolley station that has been restored with many of its original features. It has been opened up to one room, with several visual and hands-on displays. The Erie Canal is considered a National Heritage Area, so don’t forget to bring your National Parks Passport to get stamped.
While the museum itself is small, it contained a perfect amount of artifacts and information for the casual visitor looking to learn more about the history of the Erie Canal. My children enjoyed the hands-on displays that showed maps of the Erie Canal and how the lift bridge worked. They then found a little table with a station to learn Morse code and some vintage puzzles. Their interest in these bought me just enough time to read some of the displayed information.
The people working and volunteering there were passionate about the canal and its history, and told us about their work at the museum, local history, and how to enjoy the Canal in other parts of our community. We spent around 40 minutes exploring the little museum and chatting with the guides. The museum was free, although cash donations were accepted.
Before leaving, we went down to the ground floor to visit their bathroom facilities. The bathrooms are open to the public during the day. They were accessible from both indoors and outdoors and well-maintained (no changing tables).
Other things to do in the area: When we left the building and walked to the trail, we were lucky enough to catch the lift bridge rising, just as we saw in the display in the museum. My girls excitedly waved to the boaters, who docked for the night right near us. Then we wandered to South Union Street for lunch at one of the several local restaurants along the main strip. After filling our bellies, we wandered across the lift bridge to the opposite side of the canal for a walk. There are well-maintained dirt trails on both sides of the Canal that host a steady flow of walkers, bikers, scooters, and strollers. Near the village there are places to sit on benches and eat at tables, however as you go further, the trail remains maintained, but without conveniences like benches. After a short walk, we drove just north of the village to spend the rest of our day at the Pineway Ponds playground with friends.
Related Educational Suggestions:
-Learn the Erie Canal Song
-Research how canals, lift bridges, and locks work
-Get some exercise by biking or walking along the Erie Canalway Trail
-Sit at the museum and read a book on the Erie Canal
-Research and build a model of a canal boat
-Go fishing along the Canal
-Participate in the Erie Canalway Challenge
-Look for other ways to experience the Erie Canal (lock display at RMSC, old lock on 490 by Cobbs Hill, ride the Sam Patch, ride the Colonial Belle, view the aqueduct that runs through downtown)
Additional Information: The Spencerport Depot and Canal Museum is a multi-purpose building that serves as both a restroom facility for boaters on the Canal and a museum to the community. It is open seasonally and at varying times, so community members looking to visit or schedule a tour should check their website.
