Blake Walsh

15 Best Things to Do in Lockport, NY

  • Published 2022/05/27

Lockport is a picturesque community 20 miles east of Niagara Falls, home of the historic Erie Canal and its locks.

At the Erie Canal Discovery Center, learn about the canal’s history and experience a unique subterranean boat trip down the canal.

Lockport and its leaders constantly strive to make the city more active, liveable, and recreationally diverse.

Go out on a trip with your family or friends to visit different parks and trails, whether it’s Day Road Park with its extensive playground and soccer fields or nature parks with fantastic walking routes.

Here are the best things to do in Lockport, NY:

Take a Ride with the Lockport Cave & Underground Boat Ride

The Lockport Cave & Underground Boat Ride along the Erie Canal is a fantastic 75-minute historical guided walking tour through America’s past.

View historic engineering marvels from the 1800s on the Erie Canal and industrial ruins, offering an insight into America’s industrial revolution and the courage required to create the Erie Canal.

Explore the famous “Flight of Five” Erie Canal Locks 67-71, built in 1838, and Locks 34 & 35, which allow vessels to sail 60 feet “uphill” over the Niagara Escarpment.

Experience a one-of-a-kind underground boat trip that is both unique and mysterious.

The next phase of your adventure is an underground boat ride, the main event.

Experience a once-in-a-lifetime voyage on one of America’s longest underground boat trips down the Erie Canal.

The boat cruises over the lifeless water, lighted only by small, irregularly placed electric lights, leaving visitors speechless.

Play Golf at the Niagara County Golf Course

The Niagara County Golf Course, located in the center of Niagara County, is a large public golf course set on 380 lovely acres in Lockport.

It has a golf range, including a real grass tee, as well as a pro shop that offers personalized club fitting and on-site repairs.

The blue tees play to a par 72 of 6400 yards, while the red tees play to a par 73 of 5200 yards.

For newcomers and foreign guests, the golf courses provide a ride or pull carts as well as club rentals.

The course is divided by a stream, which comes into the picture in eight holes, making the course challenging for both beginners and seasoned players.

Learn about History at the Erie Canal Discovery Center

The Erie Canal Discovery Center is an intriguing and fun site to learn about the canal and locks in the 19th century.

You can find the center in an 1843 “canal stone” structure near the famous “Flight of Five” and Locks 34 and 35.

The Discovery Center’s most famous attraction is “Gateways East & West,” a 15-minute film on the canal’s construction, including the Flight of Five and Deep Cut–the gigantic Lockport project.

Halfway through the film, visitors join a “packet boat” for a realistic nighttime trip through one of the 1820s locks.

Visitors may try their hand at maneuvering a boat via locks, learn from workers who’ve worked on the canal and developed Lockport, and demonstrate their canal mastery with interactive displays.

Visitors may wander around the locks section to better grasp what they see.

Gain a deeper appreciation of the massive engineering marvel in Lockport after hearing about the locks and canal.

The City of Lockport Visitor Center, including the “Lock, Stock & Barrel” Museum Shop, is on the structure’s ground level.

On the third level, visitors may examine a piece of the Charles Rand Penney Collection of historic Niagara County items.

Take a Long Stroll along the John B. Austin Nature Trail

It was once the Town of Lockport Nature Trail before changing its name to John Austin Nature Trail.

The name is in honor of the long-serving Town Supervisor and Town Justice, John B. Austin.

Located at Slayton Settlement Road, John B. Austin Nature Trail is suitable for new hikers, youngsters, and those who want to hike a relatively easy trail.

It’ll provide you serenity without the stress of a long trail, and it’s also great for jogging since it’s steep yet well-mapped.

You can complete loops while getting an excellent workout.

There are benches overlooking the lovely waterfall, stationed away at the rear of the route but adequately marked.

The route also has two massive oak trees over 250 years old and eight feet in diameter.

Treat your senses along the trail by listening to the relaxing sounds of a rushing stream and waterfall.

Revel in Luxury Rooms at the Lockport Inn and Suites

​Look no further than Lockport Inn & Suites for calm and economical hotel accommodations for your next vacation or business trip to the Buffalo area.

Lockport Inn and Suites lets you feel at home.

Its staff will recommend many activities you can do at Lockport Inn & Suites or provide you with the tranquil setting you need to relax.

The luxury hotel grounds are a great hideaway while being near enough to the nightlife, shopping centers, and tourist attractions such as Amherst and Niagara Falls.

Lockport Inn & Suites provides clean, comfortable, and economical motel accommodations for tourists wishing to experience isolated and serene settings.

The hotel staff will provide you with exceptional accommodations.

Lockport Inn & Suites provides a range of magnificent Jacuzzi and fireplace suites to complement their modern and budget-friendly hotel rooms.

You can relax after a full day of touring in the city, knowing that you will be staying in beautiful lodgings at a fair price.

Spend a Day with Nature at the Lytle Nature Preserve

The 111-acre Lytle Nature Preserve is on the north side of North Canal Road.

William F. Lytle gave the property to the town of Lockport in 2008.

A conservation easement under the Land Conservancy protects the area.

The establishment of this nature preserve represents Mr. and Mrs. Lytle’s good intentions for the land’s conservation and development.

This nature preserve is the culmination of their dream.

They wanted present and future generations to enjoy the unblemished beauty of nature in this special place they loved so much.

The Preserve provides opportunities for education and a relaxing environment with 0.6 to 1.3-mile walking trails and boardwalks.

The Western New York Land Conservancy and Lytle Preserve are dedicated to protecting the region’s invaluable natural environment.

Likewise, they commit to preserving flora and fauna, economic means, recreational areas, and Western New York’s distinct eye-catching character.

Taste Award-Winning Wines at the Freedom Run Winery

With his wife, Laura Jean, Richard ‘Sean’ Manning owns and operates Freedom Run Winery on Lower Mountain Road.

They also “view wine as art” and host activities such as cooking demonstrations, art classes, and dancing lessons.

From land-use planning to the collection, crushing, maturing, and mixing of grapes, vineyard supervisor Kurt Guba and producer Ryan Sidoti exert great effort throughout the production process.

Retail Manager Mark Gabioud and his team mix their creativity with wine tasting, prepare delectable meals, and select unique items alongside Sean’s original art.

The winery features award-winning wines such as the Seanpenoise, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

A superb team keeps everything together.

They constantly work to keep Freedom Run Winery a fun place to visit throughout the year.

Watch Soccer Games at the Day Road Park

The County of Niagara previously owned Day Road Park, a 48-acre location at the junction of East High Street and Day Road.

The park provides multiple amenities such as a playground for kids, the Stephanie Moore Verratti Memorial Gazebo, memorial tree nature trails for all ages (trekking, bicycling, skating), and soccer fields.

Santa’s Christmas Cottage is also inside the nature park for young children to come and visit Santa Claus.

The Town and the Lockport Soccer Club signed a deal in 2010 to run and manage the soccer fields.

Since then, the facilities have seen significant use, hosting regular league play and inviting teams from other locations for tournament play.

If you love soccer, come to the Day Road Park soccer fields, which hold over 48 league games each year.

Average attendance reaches more than 90 people per field.

Grab a Bottle of Wine at the Honeymoon Trail Winery

The Famous Honeymoon Trail and the Niagara Escarpment, just minutes from Niagara Falls and Lake Ontario, are home to the Honeymoon Trail Winery.

Built in 1970, this vineyard was once the “Niagara Winery” before becoming a gunstock shop in the 1990s.

Gary and Lori Hoover, eager to restore the winery, launched the store in 2005 and renamed it “Honeymoon Trail Winery.”

Garry had a heart for winemaking, yet his creativity and experience shone in developing delectable award-winning wines.

He created wines that brought the earth and even the glass together.

The winery’s objective is to produce high-quality wines using the finest New York State ingredients that will make you want to chug the whole bottle.

Host an Event at the Arrowhead Springs Vineyards

Arrowhead Spring Vineyards makes wines that represent the carefully selected soils and climates where their grapes come from.

The winery values its surroundings, practices excellent land management, adheres to sustainable farming principles and strives to understand better the basic living systems surrounding us and their vineyard.

Winemaking begins in the vineyards.

With minimum interference, traditional winemaking processes produce wine that reflects the terroir.

Wines from their estate include Merlot Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The vineyards also source Chardonnay grapes, Syrah, and Niagara Escarpment vine grapes from their own lot.

If you’re looking for a unique venue for your event, Arrowhead Spring Vineyards offers a great space to share with up to 100 people.

Featuring their timber-frame structure overlooking acres of beautiful, well-kept vineyards, the vineyard will undoubtedly make any day unforgettable.

Appreciate Art at the Kenan Center

The Kenan Center draws enthusiastic individuals who come to study, connect with others, and get a greater understanding of the world around them.

This center has many facilities like the Kenan House Gallery, Kenan Center Arena, and the Taylor Theater.

The Kenan House Gallery, which has hosted exhibitions since 1966, focuses on local and regional fine art, emphasizing western New York artists.

The Kenan Arena follows a multi-sport programming style.

The center focuses on getting kids (and occasionally adults) engaged in various sports while emphasizing entertainment and the development of physical literacy.

The 153-seat Taylor Theater was once a carriage house or a stable that kept carriage horses.

Its authentic rough-hewn timbers and roof provide a particular character to the experience.

Get a Deeper Taste for Coffee at the Steamworks Coffee

Steamworks Coffee is a café with a warm and homey atmosphere in Canal Street, Lockport.

The coffee here is excellent and gives you the impression that coffee is much more than a simple dose of caffeine.

The café begins with sourcing some of the finest green beans from across the globe, then roasting them in tiny amounts to bring out the most fantastic flavor.

For those on a strict dairy diet, Steamworks coffee has multiple milk replacements to choose from.

Besides coffee, they offer teas.

Steamworks Coffee wants to give you only the greatest coffee experience possible, from beans to brew.

They hope their love and enthusiasm for coffee show through in every cup.

Grab Italian Food and Wine at the Spring Lake Winery

Spring Lake Winery is an Italian café and winery in Lockport, New York, bordered by nature trails, a vineyard, a park, and an eight-acre lake.

Visit the Tuscan tasting room with a bourbon and cigar bar, or eat at the Timberlodge café, which provides an Italian light-fare menu.

Whether from selected grapes from the west coast or their Estate-grown Riesling, every batch of wine follows the family recipe.

The procedure uses no sugar or chemicals, allowing the grape to tell the tale of the finished wine.

You won’t find these favorites elsewhere, such as the Red Zinfandel, made from grapes on a 150-year-old vine, and the Minx collection, made from the Muscat grape.

Reserve a seat in the pavilion, tasting room, lakeside, or wine garden for your special gatherings.

Visit Exhibits at the Niagara County Historical Society

The Niagara County Historical Society, often called the History Center, promotes the cultural legacy and rich history of the Erie Canal and Niagara County.

The Society’s headquarters are in the Outwater Memorial Building on Niagara Street.

The museum depicts life in Niagara County during the past 175 years and showcases collections such as the Charles Rand Penney Trail and the Daniel Dumych Collection.

The Victorian parlor, civil war room, old playroom, vintage pantry, and altering exhibit room are all inside this 1863 brick house.

The Charles Rand Penney Trail brings together Charles Rand Penny’s Pan-American Exposition mementos, Niagara County historical relics, Papua New Guinea antiques, Niagara Falls art, and Larkin Company memorabilia.

See a Movie at the Historic Palace Theatre

This historic jewel, built-in 1925, has served the Lockport neighborhood for almost 96 years.

On July 18, 1925, A. Edmund Lee, the Lock City Theater Company President, informed a packed house that the Palace Theatre was constructed not just for the nobility but for everyone.

They had successfully “expanded Broadway to Lockport and all of the Niagara.”

The Palace continues to be a light for the performing arts, which still holds sentimental value for the city and its citizens.

The historical landmark’s central painting depicts the muses: Literature sitting on her throne, with Music to her right and Tragedy to her left.

The Historic Palace Inc. is an organization devoted to preserving the historical and physical integrity of the theater while also serving as a performing arts venue and a base for arts integration.

Final Thoughts

The renowned Canal Street Historic District in downtown Lockport has many venues to eat, drink, and be merry.

At the same time, nature enthusiasts may enjoy hiking and bicycling on several of the district’s paths.

The famous Lockport Locks and Erie Canal are at the top of the list of things to visit in this warm and inviting neighborhood in New York State.

Plan your trip to Lockport now for an exciting vacation filled with fun nature trails, historical sites, and wine tasting.

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