Last updated: June 18, 2026
Place
Lock 29 Inside Exhibits
© JJ Prekop, Jr.
Quick Facts
Location:
Lock 29 Trailhead, 1648 Mill Street, Peninsula, Ohio 44264. Walk toward the Towpath Trail.
Significance:
Inside Lock 29, visitors can learn about the workers who built the Ohio & Erie Canal and how locks operated. You can also scan the walls for mason marks.
Designation:
Peninsula Village Historic District; Ohio to Erie Trail; Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area; Ohio and Erie Canal District
Amenities
5 listed
Accessible Sites, Audio Description, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Tactile Exhibit, Wheelchair Accessible
Imagine carving stone all day long, six days a week. This describes the life of many of the masons who worked in the nearby Peninsula quarries, today’s Deep Lock Quarry. Locks along the Ohio & Erie Canal required massive amounts of large sandstone block. Masons were kept busy during and after canal construction. Each mason left his own unique mark on the blocks he carved, as a way of tracking his work. If you look closely at the lock walls, you can still see these carvings.
The first exhibit, on the right as you enter Lock 29, describes the work force hired by the State of Ohio to build this 308-mile canal. In addition to masons, this included laborers, foreman, engineers, craftsmen and drivers. Some joined this massive project after the Erie Canal finished in upstate New York. Others were local farmers. Many were Irish or German immigrants. Conditions were brutal. They often worked in marshy areas filled with mosquitos and malaria.
The second exhibit, on the opposite wall, features a model of Lock 29 with labels for the canal, towpath, aqueduct, and river. Diagrams show how a boat “locked” through. A panel on the lock wall marks the upstream and downstream water levels. Consider how much water was needed to lift a boat to the next level.
When you are done, there is another exhibit above that considers the Village of Peninsula. Exit Lock 29 in either direction and walk up the stairs or the Towpath Trail ramp.
The first exhibit, on the right as you enter Lock 29, describes the work force hired by the State of Ohio to build this 308-mile canal. In addition to masons, this included laborers, foreman, engineers, craftsmen and drivers. Some joined this massive project after the Erie Canal finished in upstate New York. Others were local farmers. Many were Irish or German immigrants. Conditions were brutal. They often worked in marshy areas filled with mosquitos and malaria.
The second exhibit, on the opposite wall, features a model of Lock 29 with labels for the canal, towpath, aqueduct, and river. Diagrams show how a boat “locked” through. A panel on the lock wall marks the upstream and downstream water levels. Consider how much water was needed to lift a boat to the next level.
When you are done, there is another exhibit above that considers the Village of Peninsula. Exit Lock 29 in either direction and walk up the stairs or the Towpath Trail ramp.