What we do

By way of the membership, the Canal Society can be a vocal advocate for preservation. In the past we have helped to save endangered old vessels, buildings, and sites. Your membership, along with hundreds of others, can be a powerful voice against the loss of historic places and  objects. 

Throughout the year, the Canal Society hosts various gatherings to help you discover the history of New York’s canals.  Check out our events tab for more information!

 For over 60 years, members of the Canal Society have been collecting and archiving materials and artifacts that help to tell the story of the canals of New York and other states, and even other countries. In addition to these materials, members have documented every canal and canal site they found with photographs, allowing us to go back into time to see how these sites have aged, changed, or disappeared over the years. These collections are available to researchers who wish to find original source materials.