Canal Season Set to Open May 15 as Historic Schooner Finds Permanent Home at Port Byron
Spring has arrived along the historic waterway, and New York’s Erie Canal is gearing up for a season full of milestones. From the formal dedication of a beloved replica sailing vessel to the launch of free outdoor recreation programs and a freshly funded network of community grants, 2026 is shaping up to be a landmark year for the canal corridor.
Navigation Season Opens May 15 for 202nd Consecutive Year
The New York State Canal System will officially open for the 2026 navigation season on Friday, May 15, marking the 202nd consecutive year of travel along New York’s storied canals. The system will remain open to both recreational and commercial vessels through Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Standard lock operating hours run 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, with extended hours at select locations from May 16 through September 10.
As in recent years, there are no tolls or fees for recreational use of the Canal system, making the waterway one of the most accessible boating destinations in the Northeast. Boaters, kayakers, and paddlers are encouraged to check the NYS Canal Corporation’s Notice to Mariners for real-time alerts before heading out.
Lois McClure to Be Formally Dedicated at Old Erie Canal Heritage Park
One of the season’s most anticipated events takes place before the locks even open. On Saturday, May 9, the Canal Society of New York State will formally dedicate the Lois McClure at Old Erie Canal Heritage Park in Port Byron — a ceremony that doubles as a celebration of the park’s 10th anniversary.
The Lois McClure is an 88-foot-long replica of an 1862 canal schooner, originally built between 2001 and 2004 by volunteers at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Vergennes, Vermont. Constructed from designs based on documentation of mid-19th-century boats found on the floor of Lake Champlain, the vessel served for two decades as a floating educational exhibit, traveling the length of the Erie Canal system and introducing countless visitors to the working life of the canal era.
In late December 2025, the Lois McClure completed an extraordinary overland journey to her permanent berth in the old canal bed at Port Byron, directly opposite the historic Erie House Tavern. The dedication ceremony on May 9 will mark the official opening of the vessel as a permanent interpretive exhibit — a fitting capstone to a storied career on the water.
$207,953 in Grants Awarded to 41 Canal Communities
The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and the NYS Canal Corporation have announced $207,953 in 2026 Canal System Tourism Infrastructure and Event Grants to 41 organizations and municipalities along the canal corridor. The awards support 11 infrastructure and amenity projects alongside 31 community events, with a strong emphasis on accessibility improvements.
Among the Trail Town recipients, the Canajoharie Library and Art Gallery will use its award for restroom upgrades and accessibility improvements benefiting both the library and the adjacent Arkell Museum. In Lockport, the Locks Heritage District Corporation received funding to create a tactile map and conduct an accessibility assessment of the historic locks district. The Village of Clyde will add Adirondack chairs and an accessible picnic table at its Welcome Center — small investments that make a real difference for visitors arriving by trail or towpath.
Free Outdoor Adventures Coming to Canal Communities This Summer
The NYS Canal Corporation has also launched its 2026 “On the Canals” initiative, seeking organizations to design and operate free public recreational adventures along the Erie, Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga-Seneca Canals beginning this summer. The program is open to a wide range of programming concepts — from guided paddling tours to accessible and adaptive outdoor experiences — aimed at bringing more New Yorkers to the water’s edge.
Taken together, this spring’s announcements underscore the enduring vitality of the Erie Canal not just as a historic landmark, but as a living corridor connecting communities, spurring tourism, and offering New Yorkers of every background a gateway to the outdoors. With the season opener just weeks away, the canal is ready for another year of discovery.