national canal museum

Went to the new museum for the first time laast summer and was impressed. They have the story of the local canals which is detailed and fascinating. There is the canal boat ride that you should go on, actually drewn by two mules.

This museum is great for Canal afficianados. There are two canals in Easton, the Lehigh and Delaware and there was another across the river in New Jersey. This museum does a nice job explaining how canals operated. It also explains the history of the local canals and their impact on the community.

This was well worth the delay in our trip. We normally leave after breakfast but decided we would like to take a canal boat ride. The museum and rides do not open until 11:30 and the first ride was at noon. Two mules pulled the barge down und up a short section of the canal while a docent gave a running commentary on the history of the canal and the transportation of coal. As well as an explanation as to why mules were preferred over horses to pull the barges.

It is somehow invigorating to travel back in time on a canal boat moving 2 mph.The formal museum is small but packed with history and education material.Be sure to read the lifelike mule which stands in the middle of the main room. The beautiful park in which the attraction sits is so green and inviting. Please remember not to feed the family of goats that keep the underbrush under control. What a lazy afternoon and inquisitive children of invested parents will love it. But,it must be on a bright day.

We were looking for a way to spend the day with our parents- that didn't require a lot of walking. The shaded boat ride allowed us to spend the day together, learning about the history of the canal. We packed a nice lunch and had a picnic. The museum has improved since the last time we visited. The kids had a great time with the "hands on" displays. The volunteers were very helpful, and we're able to answer our questions.

I never realized how much history there is behind the canal. I had a great time at the National Canal Museum and on the Canal Boat Ride. It was very informational but extremely interesting.

I took my grand kids on the Canal Boat Excursion. It was very boring for them and they kept asking will it be over soon. The history was interesting, but it is hard to keep young children's attention on this ride. I wasn't real impressed with it, either.

Visited here during Smithsonian museum 'free' day. Most museums let you into all parts of their museum for free. Not here and their prices are ridiculous! $11.75 for museum and boat ride. Way too expensive. Hours are terrible too. They don't open until noon and Bob, the lock tender volunteer/employee? didn't show until 10 min past opening time and then said he couldn't let us in for 'awhile' longer. We wound up walking back the half mile so we could catch the boat ride and never did get to see the lock house.When we rode past the lock house on the boat, Bob was standing outside ( no visitors) and couldn't even wave at those of us on the boat. Totally unfriendly!The boat ride was even worse! The narrator/guide promised us a quiet serene trip yet she screamed into the microphone for the entire 45 min trip. It was tiresome and awful. My ears were ringing for a half hour afterward.The museum is geared toward kids. It's junky and unkempt. The volunteers/employees in it were also unfriendly and seemed to wish we weren't there. Lucky for them. We'll never be back.On the plus side the grounds are pretty and shaded and there are plenty of picnic tables. But save your money and enjoy a picnic and a walk and don't waste your money on this paid attraction.

There is a lot of great history here. Don't forget the Crayloa factory too. The history of how the canals were used was really interesting.

Very interesting museum with knowledgeable staff. We did the canal boat tour, visited the lock keeper's house and the museum. During the canal boat tour, the lady gave a fascinating and informative talk about the history of the canal, living and working condition of the canalers and the look keepers, a social history of 19th century canal life. Highly recommended for people interested in local history.

I really enjoyed this attraction as part of a joint visit to it and the Crayola Factory. We had three little kids with us who enjoyed most of it but wanted to get to the crayon part, so I couldn't stay as long as I wanted. The miniature scale dioramas were awesome and the history is very well interpreted. I'll go back when I can take my time, but it's a great double feature if you have the time.

A relaxing sail through the park. Guide explains about life on the canal boats with facts and little stories to bring the experience to life. Would follow boat ride with visit to the Canal Museum to round out the trip. Volunteer very friendly and knowledgeable. Been there twice and plan to go again!

This museum has a lot of hands-on activities that children and adults will find interesting. Admission also includes a ride on a canal boat that is a replica of an actual canal boat used in the 19th century. There are picnic facilities and a playground on the site.

We went to the National Canal Museum and boat ride after we visited the Crayola Experience. I thought the kids would enjoy it. The museum was small and they had a few hands on exhibits for the kids. I didn't see anyone else but us in the museum. One gentleman was very nice and spoke a little about the history of the museum. The boat ride was slow and boring, My son fell asleep. Two mules pulled the boat which I didn't like at all. I saw one woman yell at one of the mules which ticked me off. Don't waste your time It wasn't worth the money.

I'll be honest and say I only went here because it was included in our Crayola experience years ago, but there are a lot of interactive exhibits and if you're into this type of thing, a LOT of information. Pretty neat.