LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Erie Canal is celebrating 200 years this year.
In Lockport, Captain Roger Murphy and his family have been sharing the canal's history for nearly four decades through Lockport Locks and Erie Canal Cruises.
Murphy’s tours take passengers through Locks 34 and 35, which lift boats 50 feet in two chambers, and on to Widewater Marina to explore the lower canal. For Murphy, the bicentennial is a milestone worth celebrating.
“It’s very special that it’s 200 years and it’s part of history that doesn’t seem to want to go away, which is great,” he said.
WATCH: Bicentennial ride: The Erie Canal celebrates 200 years
Visitors say the experience is not only scenic but educational. Rona Cash, visiting with her family from Shawnee, Kansas, said she learned a lot from the tour.
“I had no idea that you could actually move the boat in such a short time with 50 feet,” she said. “It was really neat to see it.”
Charlene and David, visiting from Potsdam, said the trip took on added meaning this year.
“It’s very educational, and it’s a big part of our history in this part of the country," David said. "It was very important over the years, and it’s still being used.”
Murphy believes the revitalized area, close to Niagara Falls, Canada, and Buffalo, makes it worth the trip for anyone.
“If you’ve never done it before, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” one tourist added. “If you live in Western New York, you gotta be here once.”
So, I spoke to those who took tours through Locks 34 and 35, and my colleague Derek Heid spoke to the man at the head of that operation of moving boats up and down through the locks.
You can read more here and watch his report below.
WATCH: 'Carrying on the history': Leading the Lockport locks into the Erie Canal’s bicentennial
More information about Lockport Locks and Erie Canal Cruises can be found here.
We also spoke with Ray Wigle, the director of the Erie Canal Discovery Center, who discussed some of the history. You can watch our conversation below.
