Along with the Bicentennial of Orleans County, this year we also celebrate the Bicentennial of the Erie Canal, which officially opened on October 26, 1825. 

The Erie Canal was the longest human-made waterway and the greatest public works project in North America at the time. It was celebrated widely as an engineering marvel and technological achievement.*

The New York State Canal system is made up of four canals: the Erie, Oswego, Champlain, and Cayuga-Seneca Canals. Here in Orleans County, we get to enjoy and explore the Erie Canal. The canal was finished in 1825 and played a big role in shaping the economic and social scene of New York. Fun fact, as stated in Ripley's Believe It or Not, a road runs under the Erie Canal here in Medina, NY - the only place where that happens (on the Erie Canal). It's located on, appropriately named, Culvert Road. 

The Erie Canal runs through many Hallmark-esque towns and scenic countryside here in Orleans County, our canal towns and villages consist of Medina, Albion, and Holley. Whether you're a history enthusiast who wants to explore locks and aqueducts or cyclists passing through, we have a lot to offer you on your days of exploring the Erie Canal. 

Medina,NY

Fine sandstone deposits brought this canal village prosperity with export of this ideal building material all over the world. The restored 19th century downtown is replete with specialty shops, restaurants, boutique hotels and the Erie Canal Marine Park on the wide turning area of the canal.

Take a leisurely hike along the towpath east the the Medina Falls and aqueduct where the Oak Orchard River passes below the canal.

Schedule a trip by waterway or roadway to coincide with one of the many events including Blue Thursday summer concert series or PTNY's Cycle the Canal event in July. The premier festival is the Saturday after Thanksgiving - Olde Tyme Christmas Festival & Parade of Lights with an entire day of family fun activities. The Medina Railroad Museum features train excursions including Thomas the Train, Fall Foliage tours and Polar Express in December.

Albion,NY

The canal side village of Albion is the county seat and is known for it's 34 architecturally significant structures surrounding Courthouse Square. In the center of the Square is the 1858 Greek Revival style domed County Courthouse. Albion boasts an impressive 65 structures listed in the New York State & National Registers of Historic Places.

The Canalside Park offers boat docking facilities and a landscaped park for watching the lift bridge operations. The Strawberry Festival in June is one of the highlights of the community as well as the Wednesday night summer concert series.

Albion's newly renamed Canal Park now features a monument honoring the victims of the 1859 bridge collapse, which killed 15 people on September 28. A crowd of 250 people, along with five horses, had gathered to watch a wirewalker perform on a tightrope over the canal when the wooden bridge collapsed. The park and monument serve as a reminder of the historical event, honoring the lives lost during the disaster.

Holley,NY

Established in 1850, the Village of Holley is a friendly and picturesque village by the Erie Canal with a rich history and a bright future.

This canal port village was settled in 1812 and named in honor of Major Myron Holley, Canal Commissioner from 1816-1824. It became a local trading center on the canal and railroad, servicing the surrounding agricultural communities. 

A main attraction is Holley Falls, a 35' classic cascade of red Medina Sandstone surrounded on each side by lush wooded landscape. Overflow water from the Erie Canal empties into the East Branch of Sandy Creek, which eventually makes its way to Lake Ontario. The park has a picnic pavilion, picturesque bridge and hiking trail to Holley Canal Park.

Join the Celebration!

Throughout 2025, we’ll be hosting Bicentennial events that highlight Orleans County’s and the Erie Canal's incredible history. See below, some of our current, scheduled Bicentennial events. 

* Quoted and sourced from Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor