Sophie and I went to the Erie Canal Museum yesterday. We had passed over the canal several times during our drive through New York State and she wanted to know what "river" it was. When I explained that it was a canal and that people actually made it, she was confused. I figured it was easier to bring her to the museum then to try and explain the entire thing myself.
The museum is in the historic Weighlock Building, the only building of it's kind that still stands in the United States. As is the case with most people, Sophie was amazed that a canal used to run right through the middle of the city of Syracuse and that it is currently a paved street. All the way back to her Aunt's house, she kept asking, "was there water here"? You can click the picture below to see some great "before and after" pics that explain a little of what I mean.
Inside the building, canal boats would get weighed and then pay a toll to pass along the canal. There is a replica of a real canal boat in the weighlock. This was the highlight of her visit and she spent almost a half-hour "steering" the boat. She watched a lot of films about the canal and it's construction and even played a game where you virtually dock, weigh and collect tolls from canal boats. It will be interesting to ask her about this in a couple days to see how much of her experience she retains.
