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.
Bent’s Opera House
Opened in 1865 as the center of the arts. The upper floors had been vacant since the mid-1900s. In 2012, NYS Preservation League deemed Bent’s as one of “Seven to Save”. BOH was restored to its original splendor, opening in 2021 including Harvest Restaurant, a boutique hotel and event center.
Boxwood Cemetery
Boxwood Cemetery is a twenty acre cemetery situated on the banks of Glenwood Lake. It’s on the National Register of Historic places as a representative example of 19th and 20th century cemetery design. The first burial was in 1849, but it officially opened in 1850, and is the final resting place of many prominent people from Medina and the surrounding area.
Medina Armory & Co. F Memorial
Decommissioned in 1977, the Medina Armory is the current home of the YMCA. The Company F monument was erected in 2008 and features the names of local soldiers who trained at the armory from 1898 to 1947. A 1400 lbs. bronze statue was installed in 2019 in honor of all military veterans.
Medina Historical Society
Organized in 1971, the Medina Historical Society maintains annals and relics of Western New York, especially the Village of Medina and the Townships of Shelby and Ridgeway, educating the people in the history of their community.
Medina Railroad Museum
Located in a 300’ long freight house built in 1905, exhibiting railroad and fire fighting history. Includes the largest HO scale model railroad layout in the eastern US. Enjoy a leisurely 34 mi. round trip, 2 hr. ride through the Erie Canal Heritage Corridor aboard comfortable vintage 1947 Budd passenger coaches between Medina & Lockport. Museum W-SU 11-5. Call for excursion train schedule, May-Dec. See ad on back page.
Since 2013, the Medina Sandstone Society has selected outstanding examples of Medina Sandstone representing churches, homes, public buildings and other architectural significant structures. The Hall of Fame is on display at Medina’s Visitor Center, City Hall and is open by appointment and during special events.
