1. Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park
2. Benjamin Long Homestead
3. Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum
4. Amherst Museum
5. Lockport Locks and Erie Canal Cruises
6. Lockport Canal Museum at Locks 34 & 35
7. Niagara & Western New York Railroad Co.
8. Cobblestone Complex Museum

GATEWAY TO THE WEST: AN ERIE CANAL TOUR

Start from the six-acre Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park on Buffalo's waterfront, site of the original terminus of the Erie Canal. The Park features the missile cruiser USS Little Rock, the destroyer USS The Sullivans, and World War II submarine USS Croaker, along with several land-based exhibits.

Take I-190 north from Buffalo to the River Road exit, turn right and follow River Road to Main Street parking in Tonawanda to see the Benjamin Long Homestead, an 1829 Pennsylvania Dutch style residence built of hand-hewn black walnut walls and white oak beams.

From the Homestead, take the Webster Street Bridge to cross the Erie Canal and follow Webster north for five traffic signals to Thompson Street. Turn right on Thompson, right on Payne Avenue to Sweeney Street. Left on Sweeney leads you to the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum (180 Thompson Street). Here an historic 1916 carousel offers rides and wood carvers demonstrate their art in the creation of new carousel animals.

From the Carrousel Museum, turn left onto Sweeney Street and follow the Erie Canal to Robinson Road. Turn right and follow to Niagara Falls Boulevard. Turn left (Route 62) and follow to Tonawanda Creek Road. A right will take you to the Amherst Museum. This 35-acre historic park has restored 19th century buildings and an array of indoor exhibits including the children's Discovery Room and Western New York Aviation Gallery.

Leaving the Amherst Museum continue east on Tonawanda Creek Road to Transit Road (Route 78) and turn left to Lockport. A major stopping point on the Erie Canal, Lockport is the site of the original "Famous Five" stair locks, an engineering marvel hewn out of rock to raise traffic 56 feet up the Niagara Escarpment (at Ontario Street). While there, take in a narrated ride on a Lockport Locks & Erie Canal Cruises' tour boat along the Erie Canal and through the locks. Located at the base of the flight of locks the Lockport Canal Museum recounts the history of the Erie Canal.

Driving out of Lockport, take Route 31 east to Middleport. This quaint village boasts a fine cobblestone church plus several enticing restaurants and shops. In Medina, board the Niagara & Western New York Railroad Co. excursion, a narrated sightseeing tour along the old Erie Canal (June - September). From Medina, take Route 31E east to Albion, turn left onto Route 98 north and continue to the Cobblestone Museum Complex at Rts. 98 and 104. Seven historic buildings feature cobblestone masonry from the 1800s including a church, house, one-room school and blacksmith, print and harness shops.

Leave the Cobblestone museum driving south on Route 98 to the NYS Thruway (I-90) and take the Thruway back to Buffalo.