erie canal cruises herkimer ny

Erie Canal Cruises

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ERIE CANAL CRUISES (Herkimer) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Erie Canal Cruises

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

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Erie Canal Cruises - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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Erie Canal Cruises

• 800 Mohawk St
• Herkimer, NY 13350
• (315) 717-0350
• Visit Site | E-Mail

Imagine yourself in the early 1800's traveling the Erie Canal, being raised and lowered in the lock and listening to tales being spun by the captain. This experience can be yours aboard Lil' Diamond II. Hear the history of the canal, from its origin in Rome, to its current role. Experience the thrill of being raised and lowered 20 feet inside the lock - the smoothest elevator you've ever ridden. All this and more on a calm and relaxing 90-minute cruise. There are two vessels, both U.S. Coast Guard certified. Lil'Diamond II can take a maximum of 52 passengers and Lil' Diamond III can take up to 130 passengers.

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Tours & excursions, accessible amenities, blind/low vision.

• Signage: Partial
• Accessible Car Parking Onsite: Yes
• Service Animal Relief: Yes

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• Accessible Entrance: Yes

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Erie Canal Cruises

Review Highlights

“ The day was sunny, the water sparkled, and the experience of going through the lock was totally cool. ” in 10 reviews

“ Easy to get tickets, lovely spot to wait for the boat since we could shop at Gems on the Mohawk, the boat was spacious and comfortable. ” in 2 reviews

“ Students learn about NYS history in 4th grade so we thought this was a great way to further our children's understanding of the Erie Canal and NY history. ” in 2 reviews

Location & Hours

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800 Mohawk St

Herkimer, NY 13350

About the Business

Business owner information

Captain Jerry G.

Business Owner

Cruise the calm waters of the Historic Erie Canal and enjoy the spectacular scenery and nature. Travel through a 100 year old lock where you are raised and lowered 20 feet. Relive the history of this storied waterway as your captain delivers an award-winning narration of the past, present and future of the Erie Canal. End your week on a high note with our themed Friday Night Party Cruises! Check out our new Erie Canal Pirate Adventure and search for treasure! Relive the thrill of traveling on the Erie Canal through the big Lock 17 in Little Falls and experience the Historic Herkimer Home on our Living History Cruise! Treat Mom to the best Mother's Day brunch in the area, and then take Dad on a special Father's Day BBQ cruise! We also offer Private Charters, a unique setting for your special events. Contact us today to learn about the exciting options we can offer for a truly memorable occasion. …

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Overall rating

Great time and very informative. We tried their 1.5 hour cruise which was very interesting and going through Lock 18 was pretty awesome! It's leisurely and fun. The captain has a terrible sense of humor, but he owned it. If you want a chill way to take a boat ride and learn a little something along the way - I highly recommend.

Beautiful slow safe cruise with excellent Captain and Crew. Definitely a must do event. Good value. Thanks!

Wonderful trip! We are definitely going to come back with the whole family. Easy to get tickets, lovely spot to wait for the boat since we could shop at Gems on the Mohawk, the boat was spacious and comfortable. Boat captain was delightful and answered lots of questions with interesting responses. Learned a lot about the history of the area as well as the workings of a Lock on the Erie Canal.

I have taken many boat tours before, but I never went through an actual historic lock. This was an exciting experience for me! The crew was very friendly and helpful and the narrative was informative. The cruises leave from a big complex which also houses a restaurant and a vast gift store. There is something for everybody!

While traveling throughout the country we stopped here. We made plans for something in the morning then lunch then this cruise which was to be at 3:00. We showed up early to get the tickets but was told they were not doing it that afternoon. They do state they can cancel at any time but when we went we were offered no explanation at all. If someone was sick or had an appointment of some sort we would have understood but it was a plain and simple no we are not running without explanation. Maybe an explanation would have made it easier to give it some understanding.

Fun and educational. We loved what we learned, and going through Lock 18 was a treat. Highly recommend this!

This is a mixed review and I find it hard to give a fair rating. My wife and I were traveling with a tour group. The tour company had arranged for the group to have a boat ride through the nearby canal lock and, on returning to the dock, Erie Canal Cruises, presumably through their on-site restaurant, were to cater a meal for the group. 1.) Boat ride through the lock: Great. Loved it! It was educational and very scenic. The boat captain told us about things along the canal such as an old, historic church on the south shore as well as an on-going dredging operation that was in the process of removing a sand bar. In between his monologs, he played some tapes that outlined the history of the canal, from its inception in the early 1800s (opening in 1825) the rebuilding of the canal to the making of the Erie Canal's replacement, the Barge Canal. We both felt we'd learned a lot and we were very happy we'd taken the tour/ride. 2.) The meal included in the tour group's arrangement was not what we expected: ham (tasteless), chicken (meh) and scalloped potatoes that tasted like flour. We're guessing the meal was catered by the restaurant there on the dock. If that's the case, we hope the meal wasn't representative of what the restaurant serves. So, only focusing on the meal we received, if you're traveling with a group, skip the meal that might be bundled with the boat ride as part of the deal and eat someplace else. 5 Stars for the boat tour 1 Star for the meal 3 stars over-all.

We had such a good time taking this cruise! The day was sunny, the water sparkled, and the experience of going through the lock was totally cool. I enjoyed hearing the history of the 3 canals, the opening of commerce and passenger boats, the emergence of New York as the Empire State. All in all, it was a delightful way to spend a Sunday morning.

I Went on a cruise in late September with my kids and friends. We had a fantastic time. We were in the smaller boat since there wasn't a huge crowd, but the boat was full. Def order tickets ahead of time online. The boat has clear plastic that pulls down over the sides so there's no worry about it being too cold, or raining. There is an open section at the front of the boat with benches, which is where we ended up. Great view from the front as you watch and listen. The cruise includes history about the canal and process for building it. We went down the river through lock 18, then turned around and came back up. Lots of info and great sights.

Entering lock 18

Great narrated 90 minute Cruise. Takes you through a lock. Captain and crew were experienced and knowledgeable.

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Erie Canal Cruises

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Similar Experiences

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Erie Canal Cruises - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024) - Tripadvisor

Erie Canal Cruises

• See all photos

Similar Experiences

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Erie Canal Cruises - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Erie Canal Cruises

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