Canal Fulton Canalway Center

Canal Town

The Canal Fulton Canalway Center offers the perfect setting for learning about the importance of the Oho and Erie Canal.

Canal Fulton’s Canalway Center is located in St. Helena Heritage Park right along the Ohio and Erie Towpath Trail. The Ohio and Erie Canal was built during the 1820s and early 1830s to connect the growing agricultural and industrial production centers in Ohio to the Great Lakes and eventually the Eastern seaboard. The canal itself was 40 feet wide on the surface and at least 4 feet deep and a canal boat or barge was pulled along an adjacent towpath by mule. Although the average speed was only about 3 miles per hour, the comparatively huge carrying capacity of the canal boat made this form of shipment vastly superior to available alternatives. While originally serving Northeast Ohio, access to the canalway was expanded all the way to the Ohio river, thus becoming a major artery for the transport of goods throughout Ohio to the rest of the nation.

The Canal Fulton Canalway Center offers the perfect setting for learning about the importance of the Oho and Erie Canal. While the first canal boats did not come through until 1828, the village of Fulton was founded in 1826 in anticipation of the economic gains that would be provided by the growing canal system. The town was designed around the future canal, and this can still be seen in the landscape today, including the remaining Lock 4, which although no longer in operation, can still be visited. The Canalway Center offers a variety of artifacts as well as interpretation of canal and local history. During the summer months, travelers can take a trip on the St. Helena III, which is modeled after the canal boats of old.

Notes for Travelers

The St. Helena III canal ride takes approximately 55 minutes and may be canceled for weather or other conditions, so please call ahead.