An outside walking tour of the Locks District is available, weather permitting.
Time: 45 minutes to one hour.
Admission fee: $6 per student; no charge teachers and two chaperones; more than two, $6 each.
The tour is led by interpreters who are knowledgeable about the history of the Erie Canal and the construction of the Flight of Five locks. Students will learn why the Erie Canal was needed for transportation and commerce; how geology played a role in where the locks were built; what obstacles had to be overcome and how these were solved by ordinary people who had no formal engineering experience; what was the life and work of an average canal laborer like here in Lockport in the 1820s; how the locks carried boats up and down the 60 ft. high Niagara Escarpment; see the two “new” 1918 locks in operation; and discuss how the Erie Canal has impacted the history of New York State and the United States. The tour is centered on the STEM curriculum and requires answering questions and problem solving on the part of the students.
For questions about the educational opportunities for your students, please call Ann Marie or email annmarie@niagarahistory.org.
** Important Note to Teachers: Please call Ann Marie Linnabery, Education Coordinator at the Niagara History Center at 716-434-7433 to make a school tour reservation.