Canalside

The Erie Canal: Commerce. Community. Change.

Join us at the Waterway of Change Exhibit on Wednesday, March 11th from 5pm-6pm to learn about the creation of the Erie Canal and its lasting impact.

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Wednesday, March 25, 2026

5:00pm - 6:00pm

  • Waterway of change lockup

The Erie Canal was one of the greatest engineering marvels of the 19th century. It opened the west to immigration and brought grain from the Great Plains east and transformed Buffalo. Not only did the Erie Canal open the west to immigration, it also spread social movements along its banks. Temperance, abolition, religious revivalism and women’s rights movements all spread and took root across NYS, due in large part to the Erie Canal. Join Erie County Historian Douglas Kohler for a look at the creation and impact of the Erie Canal.

The Erie Canal: Commerce. Community. Change.

A 19th-century engineering marvel that opened the West, fueled trade, transformed Buffalo — and carried powerful social movements across New York State.

Join Erie County Historian Douglas Kohler to explore its creation and lasting impact.

Date: Wednesday, March 25th from 5pm-6pm

*This is a free event

The Erie Canal