Wabash & Erie Canal Park

A small living-history park on the northern edge of town, built around a restored section of the Wabash and Erie Canal — once the longest canal in the United States. The park includes a working replica of a wooden canal boat (the Delphi) that offers short towpath-drawn trips at weekends in summer, a reconstructed canal lock, an interpretive centre with exhibits on the canal's brief economic boom and rapid collapse, and a network of walking paths along the original towpath.

The park is at its best on a sunny weekend in spring or early autumn, when the boat is running and the volunteers in period dress give talks. Admission is by donation. Walking the paths is free at any time, year-round. A pleasant low-key half-day, particularly with children.

things to do sight
A story
The Wabash and Erie Canal, completed in the 1840s, was at 468 miles the longest canal in the United States and was supposed to connect Lake Erie to the Ohio River. It opened just as the railroad was making canals obsolete, never made a profit, and was largely abandoned within twenty years. The restored Delphi section is one of the few remaining navigable stretches.