America 250 Celebration
Canal Boat Ride

The Monticello III is a working historic canal boat pulled by draft horses along the towpath — exactly as it was done in the 1830s.

The ride runs about a mile along the canal and back — covered, comfortable, and open to all ages. Ohio’s canal once stretched more than 308 miles across the state through 146 hand-built locks — an engineering phenomenon of its era, dug entirely by hand and completed in 1832. It moved people and goods across the region and helped transform Ohio into the third most populated state in the nation by 1850.

Most of Ohio’s canal system today is trails and dry land. Historic Roscoe Village is one of the few places where it still operates on the water.

Before or after your ride, explore beautiful Lake Park on foot. Walk the towpath, take in the scenery, and discover the remnants of Locks 26 and 27.

Your canal boat captain brings the history to life — how the boats moved, how crews lived, and what it really meant to build and ride the canal.