Grounds are open from sunrise to sunset. The Visitor Center is open by Reservation Only – please call to schedule a time to visit our Pathway to Empire Exhibit.
Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the Erie Canal as one of the 19th century's greatest commercial and engineering projects. The Visitor Center exhibit traces the history of the Erie Canal and its impact on the growth of New York State and the nation.
Within the site's boundaries are many structures dating from the three eras of the canal's development. At the eastern end of the site is the Putnam Lock Stand at Yankee Hill that houses an exhibit on Erie Canal stores. The site's largest structure is the remains of the Schoharie Aqueduct, which carried the water of the Enlarged Erie Canal over the Schoharie Creek.
Schoharie Crossing is also the location of 18th century Fort Hunter and the Lower Castle Mohawk village. See artifacts from that portion of our history on display at the Visitor Center.
Stop into the Visitor Center to orient yourself to the site, check out the exhibit space and gift shop.
Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site offers educational outreach programs as well as an on-site school field trips and special events.
Pavilion Information
Schoharie Crossing has three tents available. Prices range from $50 to $75 and can accommodate up to 25 people. Check availability at ReserveAmerica.com.
Schoharie Crossing Grounds are open from Sunrise to Sunset.
The Visitor Center is open by Reservation Only – Please Call to Schedule a time to Visit the Pathway to Empire Exhibit.
Hours available between 10am and 4pm Wednesday to Saturday and between 1pm and 4pm on Sundays.
Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site does not charge a vehicle fee
Most New York State Parks charge a vehicle use fee to enter the facility. Fees vary by location and season. A list of entry fees and other park use fees is available below. For fees not listed or to verify information, please contact the park directly.
The easy-to-use Empire Pass card is $80- and your key to all-season enjoyment with unlimited day-use entry at most facilities operated by State Parks and the State Dept. of Environmental Conservation including forests, beaches, trails and more. Purchase online or contact your favorite park for more information. Learn more about our Admission Programs including the Empire Pass.
There is no admission fee however some fees apply for special events, educational services, tours and the use of picnic areas.
$3 per person for guided tours (available by reservation)
Contact the site for Student Group rates and options. Outreach program rates and topics are available by request."
New! Download this park's digital map to your iOS Apple and Android device.
Our new exhibit, "Pathway to Empire: How the Erie Canal Helped Build America" helps us mark the Bicentennial Celebrations of the Erie Canal. This exhibit highlights the major themes associated with the history of the canal and illustrates them with interesting artifacts and interactive displays. A major focal point of the exhibit is a scale model of the Schoharie Creek Aqueduct and Lock 30, along with the Browns Cash Store that once stood along the canal here in Fort Hunter, NY. By using artifacts and primary documents, this exhibit delves into the geology, social and economic impacts, political motivations, and engineering of the nationally significant and historic waterway we know as the Erie Canal. With its rich history, the canal continues to play a critical role in the lives of all New Yorkers and Americans to this day.
Inside of our Visitor Center you can also view panels on the pre-canal history of the site. This portion of our exhibit highlights the Mohawk Village as well as the British Colonial fort that once existed along the banks of the Schoharie Creek. Witness artifacts that were excavated onsite that help tell the story of this era of New York and American History.
In partnership with the United States Geological Survey, there are panels that illustrate the historic water conditions of the Schoharie Creek and Mohawk River. This exhibit demonstrates the immense power of water and the destructive nature of flooding in the valleys.
Featured on the east end of the historic site at the Putman Canal Store - Yankee Hill Lock, there is an exhibit on canal commerce along the waterway. Coming soon there will be a display monitor by USGS providing information on the stream gauging of the Schoharie Creek and Mohawk River.
Join us in celebration of Otis Eddy, builder of the Schoharie Creek Aqueduct, on his birthday!
The Schoharie Creek Aqueduct was one of the major improvements to the Erie Canal during its Enlargement Era. Otis Eddy was the contractor responsible for the construction of one of the most iconic engineering remnants of the canal era in the Mohawk Valley.
This program is offered for FREE via Webex. The link for the program goes live at 6:20pm. There are no ticket sales and no need to pre-register.
It is no stretch to state that World War II would have been very different if not for the City of Schenectady. Between the war time production and ground breaking technologies created by the city's twin economic powerhouses, General Electric and the American Locomotive Company, and the resiliency of its population, Schenectady helped turn the tide of the war. Join Chris Leonard, the City Historian of Schenectady, as he looks back at the importance of Schenectady's home front 75 years after the war's end.
This is a FREE program via Webex. There are no ticket sales nor pre-registration required. Link will go live at 6:20pm.
Join us as Bill Merchant, curator of the D&H Canal Museum, explores The Black Experience on the D&H.
This is a free event open to the public via Webex. The link will go live ten minutes prior to the start of the program. Please ensure your cameras are disabled. Everyone will be muted upon entry.
Join us as we host Anne Clothier presenting on the History of Phrenology.
This is a Free event that requires no pre-registration, offered "virtually" through the Webex platform. The link will go live at 6:20pm. Please disable your cameras. Participants are muted upon entry.
Join us as we welcome professor Matt Zembo who will be presenting, "The 34th Regiment of Foot: A British Regiment in the Norther Frontier of the American War of Independence"
This is a Free event that requires no pre-registration, offered through the Webex platform. The link will go live at 6:20pm. Participants are automatically muted upon entry, but we ask that you please disable your camera to save bandwidth and avoid distractions.