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Welcome to the Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society's museum. Our exhibits are always changing as we aquire new material or complete new displays from our holdings. Please join us on a quick virtual tour of our facility.
"Dad, what's the Erie Canal? Who was Samuel Wilkinson? Did Buffalo ever have tall ships? Was there really a boat that walked on the water?"
There is little evidence left on the Buffalo waterfront to document that it was once the fourth largest port in the world. Far more immigrants passed through Buffalo, heading west, than ever went through Ellis Island.
Buffalo was once the grain-storage capital of the world and is still a leading miller of grains. Most of that is now only evident in museums. But are not museums dry, dusty and stodgy places when floors creak and people whisper? Well, maybe not.
The Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society Museum is designed to tell stories. The warm, friendly atmosphere is the perfect place to ask these questions.
At the Lower Lakes Museum you can find the stories that contain the answers and friendly volunteers to help answer your questions.
The photographs, illustrations, models, documents, and displays are designed to intrigue the viewer and foster a desire to know more about our maritime history.
A display may contain the photo of a ship from 130 years ago, the chart showing where she sank, a drawing of her as she sits on the bottom today, dishes and silverware from her galley, and a video tour of the skeleton resting on the floor of the lake.
Appropriately enough, our museum is located in the former Howard H. Baker Co. ship's chandlery, once the location for City's second oldest business, which was founded in 1830 and flourished for 163 years.
Located at Sixty Six Erie Street, the chandlery was built in 1896 and is an excellent example of the many loft-style red brick buildings that once populated the maritime district of the Buffalo waterfront.
The lumber that was used for the beams and floors came from the shores of the upper Great Lakes and its quality and strength are evident as you gaze at the first floor ceiling.
What is there to see at Lower Lakes museum that will answer some of those questions we posed? Our extensive collection of Erie Canal photos, for example, will document the greatest single influence for the development of Buffalo and Western New York.
We'll show you a model and tell you about the world's oldest operating fireboat, Buffalo's EDWARD M. COTTER.
One of only a few vessels ever to be designated a National Historic Landmark.
The story of Samuel Wilkinson and his successful fight to have the Erie Canal terminate in Buffalo rather than in Black Rock, is a lesson in politics, civic pride, and engineering that laid the basis for the development of Buffalo.
You will see a model of the MERCHANT, the first US built, iron-hulled freighter on the Great Lakes, built here in Buffalo and learn of her significance in Great Lakes ship building.
You'll see the model of the US Navy gun boat, the MICHIGAN, which was built in Pittsburgh in 1843. She was the first iron-hull warship built in this country. She was hauled overland, in sections, to Erie, Pennsylvania, reassembled and sailed for the next 85 years. She was involved in many incidents that affected the Civil War and US/Canada relations.
There are models of the ferries that routinely crossed the Niagara River to Canada for over 190 years. There are displays of boat building in Buffalo.
One of our current exhibits features the story of the early days of the Erie Canal terminus and the Erie Harbor Basin in photographs.
Another exhibit tells some of the story of the Howard H. Baker Co. ship's chandlery that formerly occupied the building and it's long history on the Buffalo waterfront.
You will learn of the Elevator District and the infamous Canal Street area. You will also have access to hundreds of thousands of photos and newspaper articles concerning our maritime history.
Our inhouse gift shop has artwork, books, and many other interesting items for sale pertaining to our local and Great Lakes history.
To tour our museum in person, click here for a location map and driving directions with some information on parking in the vicinity.
For the museum's current daily schedule, hours of operation, and contact information, please click here.
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