The Hudson River Maritime Museum opened its new 2018 exhibit, “The Hudson River and Its Canals: Building the Empire State” on Saturday, April 21, 2018.

This new temporary exhibit celebrates the bicentennial of a decade of canal construction that created bold new transportation corridors connecting the Hudson River and New York State to Canada and Vermont, the Great Lakes and Midwest, and the coal fields of Pennsylvania. Featured canals include the Champlain (1823), Erie (1825), and Delaware & Hudson (1828) and the exhibit will also include information on later feeder canals and canal expansions.

This system of interconnected waterways led to rapid growth in New York State, created new markets, led to the rise of new cities, and made New York City one of the world’s largest ports. The canals interpreted in the exhibit fulfilled the promise of the motto “Empire State” and established New York as a leader in engineering, communications, capital, and international trade. The exhibit illustrates that the geography of New York State and the Hudson and Mohawk valleys uniquely positioned it to provide transportation corridors through the barriers of the Appalachian mountain chain and demonstrates that transportation by water was much cheaper and more efficient than overland travel.

Visitors will have the opportunity to hear the voice of a woman who grew up driving a mule along the Delaware & Hudson canal from the interior of a canal boat cabin.  Children can operate small canal boats through a scale model canal with mechanical locks and an aqueduct. A large three-dimensional topographical map showcases how the geography of the state influenced canal routes. Photos show the faces of the people and animals who operated on the canals, including children who grew up in canal boats and shared the work, and videos illustrate the construction and operation of the canals throughout history.

Funding for this exhibit was generously provided by a grant from Humanities NY and ArtsMidHudson. “The Hudson River and Its Canals: Building the Empire State” will be open from April 21, 2018 until December, 2019.

Below are some photos from our opening reception:

The City of Kingston and the Hudson River Maritime Museum invites residents, non-profits, faith-based organizations, and business owners from the Rondout in Kingston, NY and surrounding communities to attend the inaugural meeting regarding the formation of the Riverport Community Coalition.

This coalition seeks to enhance and revitalize the historic Rondout waterfront by opportunities and working through collaborative partnerships to maintain a vibrant and sustainable neighborhood and business district within the City of Kingston.
Interested parties should attend an inaugural meeting held on Thursday, April 12 at 8:00 A.M in the Riverport Wooden Boat School classroom at the Hudson River Maritime Museum, 86 Rondout Landing, Kingston, NY. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.

This event is free and open to the public, however, seating is limited and registration is strongly encouraged. To RSVP, please search Eventbrite.com for “Hudson River Maritime Museum” or visit the registration site.

Please contact Lisa Cline, Executive Director for the Hudson River Maritime Museum at [email protected].

The Hudson River Maritime Museum is pleased to announce a new and exciting collection to its Museum Store offerings. Academics, amateur historians and history lovers are invited to shop the museum’s new rare and used book selection.
Previously donated books handpicked by the Hudson River Maritime Museum’s Collections Department are now available for sale. These books cover important Hudson River history including steamboats, lighthouses, tugboats, and maritime and local history. Each purchase made in the Museum Store helps the museum to preserve and interpret the history of the Hudson River, its tributaries and its related industries.
The Hudson River Maritime Museum’s rare and used book sale includes out of print editions of popular titles, hard to find historical texts, and primary source material. All books included in the sale are duplicates from the museum’s archives and collections.
“We are so excited that the public can browse these fascinating books,” says Executive Director Lisa Cline. “What better way to connect to the history of the river than with these books written by famous local and regional historians and authors.”
The Hudson River Maritime Museum is now accepting book donations. Hudson River history books will be considered for inclusion in the museum’s research library. General maritime histories and triplicates will be included in the book sale. All proceeds benefit the museum. To donate a book, please contact Collections Manager and Digital Archivist Carla Lesh at [email protected]. For more information about the book sale, please contact Membership and Museum Store Manager Joclyn Wallace at [email protected].