Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief Bicentennial Voyage Visits Kingston, Hudson River Maritime Museum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Sara Russell/Museum Educator/[email protected]/845-338-0071 x11

Event: Buffalo Maritime Center’s Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief Bicentennial Voyage Visits Kingston, Hudson River Maritime Museum
Date & Time: October 21st, 2025 - October 22nd, 2025
Location: Hudson River Maritime Museum - Kingston, NY
Pricing: No charge. Registration Required

To mark the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal’s opening, the Buffalo Maritime Center (BMC) has built a full-scale replica of the Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief – the vessel that first journeyed from Buffalo to New York City to mark the canal’s completion. Constructed by nearly 200 volunteers and students between October 2020 and its launch in June 2024, the wooden boat was handcrafted in full public view inside the Longshed at Canalside on Buffalo’s waterfront. This extraordinary community boatbuilding effort stands as the largest project of its kind, making the Seneca Chief not only a historic replica but a powerful symbol of craftsmanship, collaboration, and Buffalo’s enduring maritime legacy.

On Wednesday, September 24, 2025, the Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief will embark on the Bicentennial Voyage – a 33-day journey commemorating Governor DeWitt Clinton’s historic trip in 1825. Traveling 500 miles along the Erie Canal and Hudson River, the Seneca Chief will visit 28 communities across New York State, concluding with a grand arrival at Pier 26 in New York City – exactly 200 years after the original voyage began.

The Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief arrives at the Hudson River Maritime Museum on Tuesday, October 21st with tours and events on Tuesday, October 21st and Wednesday, October 22nd.

While in Kingston, Buffalo Maritime Center will offer free, family-friendly experiences – including special events, educational programs, and hands-on activities – that invite people of all ages to engage with the legacy of the Erie Canal, sparking both local and statewide reflection on the canal’s enduring impact.

Find where Seneca Chief and the Tug CL Churchill are right now by checking the vessel tracker here.

​Additional support for the Seneca Chief HRMM visit is brought to you by American Cruise Lines.

Register to visit and find more information here.