Join us on October 24 from 4:00–6:00 PM at the Shattemuc Yacht Club in Ossining for a celebration marking the 200th anniversaries of the Erie Canal and Sing Sing Prison. Enjoy live music from local band Betty and the Baby Boomers, a special "Voyage Brew" beer by Big Ditch Brewing, and snacks for attendees. The event will also include a ceremony to plant a Great Tree of Peace, an Eastern White Pine, to honor the Haudenosaunee, as well as educational information about river health. The Sing Sing Prison Museum will be sharing information about the first phase of opening in December 2025, as well as its mission to explore the history of incarceration and promote dialogue on criminal justice reform. Attendees will have the opportunity to step aboard a full-sized replica of the Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief, built by the Buffalo Maritime Center, as it docks in Ossining on its commemorative voyage.
Event highlights:
- Step aboard the Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief
- Live music by Betty and the Baby Boomers
- Special craft beer and snacks
- Tree planting ceremony
- Get to know the Sing Sing Prison Museum
More info:
The Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief, pushed by the tugboat C.L. Churchill, will be transformed into a floating museum, offering free, family-friendly activities that bring canal history to life. The public is invited to step aboard to explore recreated cabins, view historical artifacts, and engage with interactive exhibits that illuminate the canal’s cultural, economic, and environmental significance, including the contributions of Indigenous communities. To mark the Erie Canal's 200th anniversary, the boat is touring 28 ports along the Erie Canal and Hudson River. This year also marks 200 years since the building of Sing Sing Prison, a story deeply connected to the Erie Canal. Just months before the Seneca Chief's inaugural journey in 1825, 100 incarcerated men were transported from Auburn State Prison via the Erie Canal and Hudson River to Mount Pleasant (now Ossining), where they began quarrying Sing Sing marble..
About Parking and Shuttle:
There is no onsite parking at the Shattemuc Yacht Club. There is parking in and around Snowden Park. There is significant parking at the Ossining Train Station, along Westerly Avenue, as well as N Water Street. This is a mix of free and metered parking. The Club is within walking distance of all these locations. However, for visitor comfort, the Museum is running a shuttle service for those who are parking in these areas. Attendees can meet the shuttle at the boat launch at Louis Engel Waterfront Park, Here Café, or on Snowden Road, right at the Snowden Park Playground.
Photo of the Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief courtesy of the Buffalo Maritime Center.
Registration is encouraged, but not required.
You may also like the following events from Sing Sing Prison Museum:
Also check out other
Music events in Ossining,
Entertainment events in Ossining.
