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Upcoming
2022 Events
September
5th
Labor Day
Operating on Weekends
Only
October 10
Museum closes for
the season
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Almost
the end of the 2022 season...
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Come
visit us before we close...
Starting Labor Day - September 5th and running up to
Columbus Day - October 10th, we will be open only on
the weekends.
Our hours haven't changed...
10:00AM to 4:00PM
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The
Boonville Black River Canal Museum is located in Boonville,
New York at the
Junction of Main Street and Route 12 on the Banks of the
Original Canal.
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 The 77-mile long Black
River Canal
was an engineering marvel of the 19th
century. Built between 1837 and 1855,
the Black River
Canal
ran uphill, connecting the waters of the Erie
Canal with those of Black
River. The southern section
of the overland canal linked Rome
and Boonville, a distance of
25 miles. Following the rugged
Lansing Kill Gorge, this section of the canal
rose 693 feet and required 70 locks. The
northern section of the overland canal connected
Boonville and Lyons
Falls,
a distance of 10 miles. This section of
the canal descended 386 feet and required 39
locks. All together, the Black River Canal
had 109 locks--still a world record.
Between Lyons
Falls
and Carthage,
a distance of 42 miles, the Black
River itself was canalized for
slack-water navigation. By giving the North
Country access to
eastern and midwestern
markets, the Black
River Canal
was instrumental in the region's growth and
prosperity.
(History of the Black
River Canal)
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For
more than a half a century, the Black
River Canal
played a central role in the life of
the North Country.
Appreciating the rich
historical legacy of the canal, a group of interested
Boonville residents secured a charter from the New York
State Board of Regents to construct a museum that will
preserve, house, and display artifacts from the canal
era. The museum grounds are located near the Main
St. bridge in Boonville,
NY. Three
buildings are planned for the site: an exhibit hall, a small
theater, and a gift shop. A full-scale replica
of canal boat is located on the museum grounds, a
recently restored original warehouse that will house some
exhibits, and soon to be constructed building to hold
artifacts, exhibits, and more.
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1874
Beers Map of Boonville Canal District.
(Click on image for large
view)
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The
Boonville Black River Canal Museum is located on a
site formerly occupied by the Titus Powers Iron
Works, built circa 1850 near the Main Street
Bridge. The site later became the Holdridge
and Gilbert Foundry and Machine Shop. This
foundry is shown on the 1874 Beers map.
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Foundry
Circa 1932
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