Visitors to the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse can try their hand at tying a variety of knots to secure a boat like they did back in the day. The new exhibit is part of a larger effort to make the museum more interactive.
“I will admit, these knots are hard. I stand there, I think at this point I have tied all of them once," said museum executive director Natalie Stetson.
The idea came last year when a replica of the Seneca Chief canal boat passed through Central New York on its voyage from Buffalo to New York City, she said.
“And we were like, we don't need to reinvent the wheel. That's a really nice knot tying exhibit. Would you share the plans with us? And they said they would," Stetson said. "And so now we've got this really wonderful hands-on exhibit that will soon be installed on the canal boat for visitors to engage with.”
While small, the exhibit is part of a larger effort to modernize displays with new information and messaging. For example, Stetson said half of the 2015 exhibit called “The Erie Canal Made New York” is devoted to just the eight years of the canal’s construction.
“The other 192 years of canal history get the other 50% of the exhibit," she said. "We want to expand upon the story of talking about the canal's impact, the canal's impact on many different populations of people, on the environment, and how it's connected to the world that we're living in today.”
Stetson said limited funding dictates just how fast they can make changes. But she added that something as simple as knots, or a future pulley exhibit, are enough to spark curiosity.
“When people walk through the museum, my personal goal is for people to have at least one ’I didn't know that before,’ or ‘I never thought of it that way’ moment," she said.
The Museum’s final summer walking tour may also create memorable moments. It takes place Saturday at 10:30.
