Based inside a mid-19th century 'canal stone' building, next to the legendary locks on the canal, this excellent museum explains the waterway's complex history.
On the ground floor is Lockport's visitor center.
Erie Canal Discovery Center
Western New York
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
20.29 MILES
The centerpiece of any visit here are the Horseshoe Falls. Named after their 670m curved shape, they have the highest flow rate of any waterfall in North…
17.97 MILES
This 15,000-sq-ft house, completed in 1905, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for his friend and patron Darwin D Martin. Representing Wright's Prairie…
18.85 MILES
The gallery's superb collection, which ranges from Degas and Picasso to Ruscha, Rauschenberg and other abstract expressionists, occupies a neoclassical…
21.73 MILES
This 32-story art deco masterpiece, opened in 1931 and beautifully detailed inside and out, towers over downtown. It's worth joining the free tour at noon…
20.34 MILES
The Skylon Tower is a 158m concrete spire with yellow pill-shaped elevators crawling up and down the tower's neck to the top. The interior itself is dated…
19.96 MILES
On the northern corner of Goat Island, don a souvenir rain poncho and sandals (provided) and take an elevator down to walkways just 25ft from the crashing…
20.87 MILES
Stratus, south of Niagara-on-the-Lake, is a sleek, modern affair – the first building in Canada to earn LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design)…
20.39 MILES
The prime falls-watching spot is Table Rock, poised just meters from the drop of Horseshoe Falls, the main attraction of the Niagara Falls. Though it can…
Nearby Western New York attractions
17.87 MILES
This classic photo stop – people love it! – is a 40-foot-wide clock planted with more than 15,000 plants to create whimsical and intricate designs;…
17.97 MILES
This 15,000-sq-ft house, completed in 1905, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for his friend and patron Darwin D Martin. Representing Wright's Prairie…
18.05 MILES
In Queenston village, a snoozy historic throwback north of the falls near the Lewiston Bridge to the US, is Queenston Heights Park, a national historic…
4. Mackenzie Printery & Newspaper Museum
18.14 MILES
This ivy-covered museum was where the esteemed William Lyon Mackenzie once edited the hell-raising Colonial Advocate. Geek out over the Louis Roy Press,…
18.29 MILES
A country home turned art museum, Riverbrink has well-curated exhibits of fine and decorative works of art, with a focus on Canadian historical pieces…
6. Botanical Gardens & Butterfly Conservatory
18.38 MILES
Entry to the 40 hectares of the Botanical Gardens is free, but you'll need to pay to enter the Butterfly Conservatory, with its more than 45 species of…
7. Niagara Glen Nature Reserve
18.66 MILES
About 8km north of the falls is this exceptional reserve, where you can get a sense of what the area was like pre-Europeans. There are 4km of walking…
18.75 MILES
Founded in 1982, the 50-hectare Reif Estate Winery (pronounced ‘Rife’) is one of the oldest wineries in the region. Ice wines are its specialty –…