The Erie Canal is a waterway that runs from Albany, New York on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York at Lake Erie. It was the first way of transportation between NYC and the Great Lakes. The opening of the canal nurtured a population growth in western New York State and also helped NYC become the chief U.S. port.

It was on this day, August 10, 1954, that the Saint Lawrence Seaway opened, making the Erie Canal obsolete for shipping and commercial use. The Seaway consists of a system of canals, locks, and channels that allows vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. It goes as far inland as the western end of Lake Superior.

The Saint Lawrence Seaway also provides residents and visitors with boating, camping, fishing, scuba diving, and other recreational activities. There are also old shipwrecks that scuba divers can check out with water temperatures as warm as 75 degrees Fahrenheit.