The Sing Sing Prison Museum is delighted welcome the Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief when it visits Ossining during its historic Bicentennial Voyage. This once-in-200-years event commemorates the enduring legacy of the Erie Canal and its profound connection to communities like Ossining. The Seneca Chief, a full-sized replica of an Erie Canal boat, is arriving in Ossining to share the story of the first boats and cargo to move through the canal. In May 1825, river barges carried 100 imprisoned men from Auburn State Prison, whose forced labor built Sing Sing Prison, forever linking two milestones of American history.
The Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief will arrive in Ossining on Friday, October 24, docking at the Shattemuc Yacht Club. A project of the Buffalo Maritime Center, the Seneca Chief and its 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 and 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.
Registration is encouraged and can found on the Sing Sing Prison Museum’s website calendar. Walk-ins are also welcome.
The arrival of the Seneca Chief in Ossining is a significant event for the Sing Sing Prison Museum as it commemorates the prison’s bicentennial in 2025. Sing Sing Prison was founded in 1825, with incarcerated men constructing the original cell block from limestone quarried on-site, a material now known as “Sing Sing marble.” This history intersects with the origins of the Erie Canal and underscores the vital role waterways and labor played in the development of New York State.
In a modern echo of the 1825 “Wedding of the Waters” tradition, the Ossining community will add local canal water to a traveling cask aboard the Seneca Chief. This water will be used to nurture the final tree planted in New York City, a symbolic act uniting the state.
“The arrival of the Seneca Chief is a fantastic opportunity for the people of Ossining to connect with our shared history,” said Brent Glass, executive director of the Sing Sing Prison Museum. “The Erie Canal and Sing Sing Prison were both transformative projects of the early 19th century that shaped our state and nation. This event allows us to better understand that history as we look forward to the opening of our own museum, which will tell a vital story of incarceration and reform.”
On shore, the Buffalo Maritime Center will host special events and educational programs, and visitors of all ages will be able to board the historic replica boat. The Ossining celebration will also feature live music from local band Betty and the Baby Boomers, a special “Voyage Brew” beer by Big Ditch Brewing, and snacks. 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 share 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.
The Bicentennial Voyage of the Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief is a statewide effort led by the Buffalo Maritime Center (BMC). The voyage officially launched from the Commercial Slip in Buffalo on Wednesday, September 24, 2025. Ossining will be the 27th stop in a six-week tour with the final stop at Hudson River Park in New York City on October 25th.
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 Louis Engel Waterfront Park’s public boat launch, Here Café, or on Snowden Road, right at the Snowden Park Playground.