The Erie Canal Museum has teamed up with cultural sites and breweries across the state to develop a summer long cycling series along the Erie Canal titled “Beers, Bikes, and Barges.” The goal of this series is to showcase the Erie Canal’s diverse history, the Empire State Trail, and the unique breweries that are found throughout the state. Each event in the series will occur on Thursdays at 6pm and will consist of an approximately 60-90 minute guided cycling tour of that week’s highlighted community followed by a drink at the partner brewery or bar. The first drink will be covered as part of a $20 registration fee that will also provide a donation to the Erie Canal Museum and that week’s partnering cultural organization. Helmets are required. More information about each ride will be added soon!
2025 Schedule of Rides:
Thursday, June 12th, 6PM- Albany
Join the Historic Albany Foundation, Discover Albany, and the Erie Canal Museum for this 90 minute cycling tour through Albany looking at the city’s Erie Canal and brewing history. See sites like the location of the enormous John Taylor and Sons Brewery and Lock #1 on the Old Erie. The ride begins and ends at Common Roots Brewing Company, where you will be treated to a beer as part of your ride.
Thursday, June 26th, 6pm - Fairport
Join the Fairport Perinton Partnership, the Perinton Town Historian, and the Erie Canal Museum for an exciting 90-minute bike tour along the scenic Erie Canal in Fairport! As you roll past landmarks like the recently renovated historic lift bridge and the path where the Old Erie once flowed, you’ll hear stories that bring the past to life! Your adventure begins and ends at Donnelly’s Pub, where you’ll be treated to a beer included in your ticket price.
Thursday, July 10th, 6pm - Oneida
Join the Oneida Community Mansion House and the Erie Canal Museum for this 90 minute guided recreational cycling tour along the Erie Canalway Trail, the Oneida Rail Trail, and downtown Oneida. The (approx. 8 mile) ride will showcase Oneida area history and its unique features such as a canal aqueduct, a railroad overpass, and one of the largest greenhouses in America. The ride begins and ends at the Oneida Rail Trail Plaza, where we will walk to Callee 1945 for a beer or other beverage as part of your ride.
Thursday, July 24th, 6pm - Syracuse
Join the Erie Canal Museum and Talking Cursive Brewing Company for this 90-minute cycling tour through Syracuse looking at its unique brewing and Canal history, including Greenway’s Brewing, which once occupied the same site as Talking Cursive today! The ride begins at the Erie Canal Museum and ends at Talking Cursive, right down the street, where you will be treated to a beer as part of your ride as well as a brief history of the brewery itself.
Thursday, August 7th, 6pm - Weedsport
Join the Canal Society of New York and the Erie Canal Museum for this 90 minute long cycling tour of the historic Erie Canal in Cayuga County. This ride will take visitors through a number of interesting historic canal destination, including the locks at Port Byron! The ride begins and ends at Lunkenheimer Craft Brewing, where you will be treated to a beer as part of your ride.
Thank you to our community sponsors Beardsley Architects & Engineers and Nucor Steel for sponsoring this ride.
Thursday, August 21st, 6pm - Troy
Join the Hart Cluett Museum and the Erie Canal Museum for a guided historic cycling tour of the Erie Canal in Troy. Explore one of the Canal's eastern termini and learn all about the city's exciting brewing history. Experience Erie Canal history by bike, then enjoy a pint from Brown's Brewing Company.
Thursday, September 4th, 6pm- Lockport
Join the Erie Canal Museum for this ride through the historic city of Lockport. We'll see the iconic sites of this canal-side city. This ride will begin and end at The Lock Tender where you will be treated to a beer as part of your ride.
Thursday, September 18th, 6PM- Fort Edward
Join Evergreen Bicycle Works and the Erie Canal Museum for a ride through Fort Edward along the Empire State Trail and Champlain Canalway Trail. Highlights of the ride will include the historic Old Fort Edward Junction Locks, the Fort Edward Canal Street Marketplace, the Old Champlain Canal, and the Feeder Canal Five Combination Locks. The ride begins and ends at Evergreen Bicycle Works - just down the street from Slickfin Brewing Company, where you’ll be treated to a post-ride beer. The ride will be about 6.5-7 miles and will start and end at Evergreen Bicycle Works. Following the ride, participants can either walk down the street to Slickfin or relocate to the Canal Street Marketplace/other downtown parking areas.
The Erie Canal Museum's summer programs made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
We thank our community sponsors for their support of our 2025 Beers, Bikes, and Barges series:
Date & Time
Jun 12 - Sep 18, 2025
Venue Details
Erie Canal Museum
318 Erie Boulevard East Syracuse, New York 13202
Erie Canal Museum
The Erie Canal Museum, located in Downtown Syracuse, NY, engages the public in the story of the Erie Canal’s transformative impacts on peoples and places in the past, present, and future. We are stewards and interpreters of Erie Canal related materials and heritage. The Museum is housed in the 1850 National Register Weighlock Building, the last remaining structure of its kind. Visit us for exhibits with interactive displays and original artifacts, and engaging programs. The Erie Canal Museum is a must-see for adults and children of all ages.
