Seaway Trail Walks

Seaway Trail Walks to Give Visitors Unique Views of Byway Communities

Seaway Trail, Inc., Sackets Harbor, NY, is the nonprofit organization that promotes travel along the Great Lakes Seaway Trail, the America’s Byway that parallels four bodies of water that helped shape American history. Seaway Trail, Inc. created Seaway Trail Walks as a unique way to experience the history and culture of communities along the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario, the Niagara River, and Lake Erie.

Tours begin in the evening hours to encourage Walkers to arrive earlier in the day to shop and to stay after the Walk to enjoy dinner and an overnight stay in the host community. Free concerts follow the North Tonawanda Walk; the Seaway Trail Walks: Oswego tours are the same evenings as the local farmers’ market.

“These tours offer visitors and residents a narrated view of local life and encourage patronage of local restaurants, shops, farmers markets and overnight accommodations,” says Seaway Trail, Inc. Executive Director Teresa Mitchell, who developed the program after enjoying a London Walks tour while in England for World Travel Market.

Seaway Trail Walks tours are offered weather permitting. Tour cost is $8 for adults, $4 for those younger than 12, $6 per person for groups of more than 15. Call 1-800-SEAWAY-T (732-9298) for more information and to ask about school/group reservations for times other than the days scheduled..

Seaway Trail Walks 2006

North Tonawanda Seaway Trail Walks— Wednesdays, 6 pm, June 7 to September 27, 2006, North Tonawanda, NY

Each North Tonawanda Seaway Trail Walks tour participant receives a packet of information on North Tonawanda historical and cultural attractions, concerts, and restaurants with a free pass to an organ concert in the Riviera Theatre and a free ride token for the historic carrousel at the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum (see photo). A self-guided walking/driving tour brochure, funded in part by the New York Council of the Humanities, a State affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, is also included.

These Walks are hosted by the North Tonawanda History Museum, sponsored by the Landmark Society of the Niagara Frontier. Museum volunteers present two rotating tours of historic North Tonawanda, a significant 19th and early 20th industrial center at the juncture of the Erie Canal and Niagara River.

“North Tonawanda’s Historic Homes” June 7, June 21, July 12, July 13 at 4 pm as part of the Canal Fest of the Tonawandas, August 2, August 16, August 30, September 13, and September 27, walk through the historic mansion district and hear the stories of the lumber barons, bankers, insurance executives and other prominent North Tonawandas and their homes.

“North Tonawanda’s Industrial Heritage” June 14, June 28, July 11 (special 2 pm Walk during Canal Fest of the Tonawandas) July 12, July 26, August 9, August 23, September 6, and September 20, learn about the rich immigrant heritage of the “Lumber Capital of the World." Walk through the historic downtown Webster Street business district, an eclectic mix of
restaurants, small shops and cultural attractions. Stroll along the historic Erie Canal as concerts fill the air, share in the rebirth of the North Tonawanda waterfront as a summertime Mecca for boaters and other tourists. Pass by many historic structures and sites and through the historic
Oliver Street historic business district, once described as having the most taverns on one single street in the country.

Walks, hosted by the North Tonawanda History Museum, begin at Project Pride Way in historic downtown North Tonawanda shopping district. Stay after the Walk for a free concert in Gateway Park on the Erie Canal. North Tonawanda area attractions include: Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum, Ghost light Theatre, Carnegie Art Center, Railroad Museum of the Niagara Frontier, Partners in Art Studios, Riviera Theatre, 98-year-old Farmers’ Market, Botanical Gardens.

The North Tonawanda History Museum is located at 314 Oliver Street and is open Mondays/Tuesdays 9 am to 9 pm, Thursdays 9 am to 5 pm, Fridays 9 am to 12 noon, and by appointment: call 716-213-0554.

Seaway Trail Walks: Oswego, NY — Thursdays, 5 pm, June 8 to September 28, 2006

The sunset and views of Lake Ontario from the Oswego waterfront are spectacular. The City of Oswego is home to National Register neighborhoods; the Oswego River Canal is part of the Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor. Seaway Trail Walkers here enjoy historic architecture, learn about Oswego’s role in maritime and military history, and visit Underground Railroad and canal sites. Walks, sponsored by the Oswego County Historical Society, begin at 5 pm on East First Street across from the historic O&W Railroad Tunnel. Stay after the Walk to find delicious locally-grown produce, art and gifts at the local Farmers Market.