Experience the canal like never before

Explore the five outdoor installations at Canalside — portals to the Erie Canalʼs enduring impact. Discover Indigenous, Black, and immigrant stories, the entertainment and vice of the Canal District, and the commerce at the Western Terminus that shaped our world we know today. Be sure to visit all the Thresholds and step into the Longshed for the Waterway of Change exhibit!

Waterway of Change: Complex Legacies of the Erie Canal

Through an interactive multimedia experience featuring short films, touchscreens, audio, historical artifacts, and dramatic lighting, visitors of all ages and abilities can discover Buffalo’s rapid growth in the 19th century. The Longshed exhibit shares personal stories, highlights the technical innovations behind the canal’s construction, and celebrates the vital role immigrants have played – and continue to play – in the city’s development.

Get tickets to the Longshed

Image credits

Thank you to these organizations for the use of the images featured in this installation.

Indigenous Experience

The Great Peace… The Gathering of Good Minds, Raymond R. Skye, Six Nations Grand River Territory, Turtle Clan.

Entertainment and Vice

Need credit

Industry and Commerce

Courtesy Library of Congress

Black Experience

Need credit

Immigrant Experience

Need credit