Feature Friday - Lockport Caves, New York
Lockport Caves, New York
The next stop on our New York trip was a tour of Lockport Cave and Underground Boat Ride on the Erie Canal. It's only 30 minutes from Niagara Falls. The guided walking tour is 70 minutes long. Be prepared for not only walking, but climbing stairs.
Visitors see the "Flight of Five" Erie Canal Locks 67-71 which were constructed in 1838 and have been newly rehabilitated. You will see ruins of the industrial revolution, explore a water tunnel, and see stalactites and artifacts. During the underground boat ride (one of the longest in America), you will see artifacts left by miners on the canal and see various cave formations.
The tour is $15.00 for adults and $10.00 for children ages 5-12. Children 4 and under are $3.00.
Check their calendar for actual tour dates - http://lockportcave.com/tour_calendar/
A bit of trivia - portions of Sharknado 2 starring Ian Ziering were filmed in the Lockport Caves
City Replaces New York in "Sharknado 2" - http://buffalonews.com/2014/07/09/city-replaces-new-york-in-sharknado-2/
The upside down railroad bridge:
http://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=truss/lockportrr/
The bridge was built in 1902 by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio. The main span is a Baltimore deck truss. Supposedly it was built by the railroad to limit the boats that could go through the Erie Canal to try to put the canal out of business. This is just a rumor, though. By the 1910s all the the bridges on the canal had less clearance than this one. Deck trusses were used for valley crossings which provided enough room under the deck and kept the bridge safe from flooding, tall trains, and derailing trains.
There is a lot of history surrounding the canal and the caves:
Lockport Haudraulic Company gives a great summary of the area:
http://lockportcave.com/lockport-hydraulic-company/
Holly Manufacturing Company, founded in 1859, produced sewing machines, cistern pumps, and rotary pumps:
http://lockportcave.com/birdsill-holly/
Lockport Cave & Underground Boat Ride - Experience History Come to Life on the Erie Canal - http://lockportcave.com/
