Delaware Canal State Park

History Education Offerings

Artifacts important to navigation on the Delaware Canal: a conch shell horn, a lantern, and a mule shoe.

The story of Delaware Canal State Park began in the early 1800s, when Pennsylvania's economy was beginning to boom. Industrialization had begun to sweep the nation, creating a greater wealth of manufactured goods than had ever before been seen. Unfortunately the existing systems of transportation had a hard time keeping up with the forces of supply and demand. Roads were in poor shape and river travel was difficult due to seasonal high and low water events. A reliable, consistent system of transportation was needed, and canals were thought to be the answer.

A visit to Delaware Canal State Park brings the canal-era to life. From 1832–1931 the Delaware Canal was in operation, shuttling cargo—coal mostly—from the outlet of the Lehigh Canal at Easton to tidewater at Bristol, the highest consistently navigable point on the Delaware River. Communities around the Delaware Canal flourished. Family and company-owned boats plied the canal from March to November, before dawn to after dark. Life on and around the canal still reflects this bygone era of transportation.

Delaware Canal State Park educators offer tours and hikes along the whole canal, focusing on its importance to the local area and in relation to the bigger picture of Pennsylvania's industrial growth in the 19th century. Come learn about life on a canal boat, the history of canalside towns, and explore the marvels of engineering that made canal travel possible. Our historical learning programs can be tailored to fulfill your group's educational needs. School programs are designed to meet Pennsylvania educational standards in history, science and technology, and arts and humanities.

For more information on the history of the canal from 1827 to 1940, visit our Canal History Timeline.

History Education Programs at DCSP

Most of our historical programs take place at Lock # 11 and the Locktender's House Museum in New Hope, PA. Programs at other locations along the canal can be arranged as well. Please contact our educators to find out more.

Lock Tender's House and Canal Boat Ride

This one to two hour program focuses on the life of the locktender and his family and the workings of a canal lock. Tours of the Locktender's House, Lock #11, and the wicket shanty give perspective on the duties and life of a Delaware Canal locktender.

An optional component of this visit is a mule-driven barge ride. See a mile of the canal from the water and hear stories and songs from the canal days. Group rates for the barge ride experience are available.

Contact information for canal boat rides can be found here.

Life on the Canal

An activity packed experience that simulates life on a canal boat. Through role-playing, story telling, music, and period arts and crafts, participants learn about a typical day on the canal. A walking tour of a section of the canal gives an idea of the pace of the canal day, as well as gives an opportunity to explore canal structures and their purposes. This two to four hour program can be presented at the Locktender's House Museum in New Hope, or at a variety of other locations along the canal.

Bus Tour

This program gives the opportunity to see a larger portion of the Delaware Canal, and visit some of the historically important sites along its sixty-mile length. A two to four hour tour, beginning and ending at a convenient location along the canal, includes an overview of Delaware Canal history, and can focus on industrial development along the canalway, historic land uses, canal features, and more. A tour of the northern section of the canal can stop at Virginia Forrest Recreation Area (Centerbridge), Tohickon (or Tinnicum) Creek Aqueduct, Lock 19 and State Park Office, Durham Furnace, Groundhog Lock, and Lock 24 at Easton. A tour of the southern end of the canal can stop at Bowman's Hill/Thomson Neely House area, Washington Crossing Historical Park, Lock #5 (Yardley), Wide Waters at Black Rock Road (Yardley), Bristol Borough and the former sites of Locks #1, 2, and 3 and the tidelock. Sites visited will depend on program length and desired content.

Canal History Hikes

There is no better way to understand life along the canal than to walk a mile or four in the mule tender's shoes. Walking tours along the towpath focus on the workings of a canal, the differences between canals and rivers, historic canal structures and local sites of historic interest, and the day to day life of a canal boat crew. These programs can be designed for almost any part of the towpath and for any duration, from an hour to a whole day. Our educators can also suggest other sites along the canal that might supplement your historical field trip or outing.

Other Location-Based Programs

Some locations along the Delaware Canal have a very specific story to tell. These programs are all based at a specific point along the canal:

Innovation and Industry Along the Canal

A one to two hour program at Groundhog Lock near Raubsville, PA. Groudhog Lock (Locks 22 and 23) tells a story of using available resources to make something more. A visit to what's left of the Raubsville Hydroelectric Plant shows how the energy created by the moving waters of the canal were sometimes harnessed in different and unusual ways. We'll also talk about some of the other enterprising industries that have taken place in this spot. Finally we'll do some innovating of our own, and try to harness another type of freely available energy.

Flat-Bottomed Boats and Iron Furnaces

Durham marks what was once one of the most influential industrial centers along the canal. Today little remains of the bustling iron community that once stood in and around this spot. Historical photos and drawings will help us imagine how the site might have once looked and we'll learn about how the canal might have changed an already established industry. We'll visit nearby canal structures and figure out how they worked, and hear some local legends about the Durham area and the massive caves that once stood here.

The Mystery of the Vanishing Canal

This hike through Bristol will focus on the last mile of canal travel before the outlet to tidewater. We'll see some of the local points of historical interest and follow the traces of the Delaware Canal through town, trying to imagine what the town might have looked like during the years when the canal was in full swing. Our tour will end at the river, where the canal boats were rafted up and towed to their final destinations. We'll discuss historical preservation and modern land needs, and try to figure out what happened to the canal in Bristol and why.

Classroom Visits

Intro to the Delaware Canal

The history of the Delaware Canal comes alive in your classroom. While nothing can compare with a visit to the actual canal, a park educator can visit your classroom to share a little about the history of the canal. Photos and video help bring the past alive. We'll touch on how the river affected (and continues to affect) the canal. This broad overview of the Delaware Canal's history is a good precursor to a field trip visit to Delaware Canal State Park.

Life on the Canal

How long was a day on the Delaware Canal? How far did a canal boat go in a day? How fast did they travel? How did a boat get through a lock? How much did the boat crews earn? This presentation will address all these questions and more. Active games and simulations help the Delaware Canal come to life for your students.

Links

Visit these sites for more information about the history of the Delaware Canal and its surrounding area:

Back to Delaware Canal Education

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