Tavern and Store Panel

Canal Exploration Center was a rest stop at Lock 38.

NPS / Arrye Rosser

Quick Facts

Location:

Canal Exploration Center, 7104 Canal Road, Valley View, Ohio 44125

Significance:

This twin-peaked structure has been here at least as long as the Ohio & Erie Canal. It originally served as a tavern for passengers weary of canal boat travel. Later it was a store. In the 1900s it became a residence, a blacksmith shop, and then multiple residences.

Designation:

Ohio & Erie Canal District, Ohio and Erie Canalway National Heritage Area, Ohio to Erie Trail, Industrial Heartland Trail Network, National Register of Historic Places

Amenities

16 listed

Audio Description, Baby Changing Station, Bicycle - Rack, Elevator, Gifts/Souvenirs/Books, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto, Parking - Bus/RV, Restroom, Restroom - Accessible, Restroom - Family, Tactile Exhibit, Toilet - Flush, Trash/Litter Receptacles, Water - Drinking/Potable, Wheelchair Accessible

This building has witnessed many changes through the years. Documents reveal that Ma Parker had her tavern on or near this location by the time of canal construction. Artifacts uncovered here also suggest this was a pre-canal tavern. The original building was the southern half of the structure. By 1841, Moses Gleason bought the property and sold it to his son. Isaac Gleason added the southern part of the building, turning it into a store serving travelers waiting at Lock 38. The Gleason family continued to live here until the early 1900s. After that, the building became a residence and later housed a blacksmith shop. As the building wore down, it became a multi-resident structure.

The National Park Service purchased the property and began historic reconstruction in the early 1990s. In 1996 it opened as Canal Visitor Center. Today it operates as Canal Exploration Center, where visitors can explore Ohio & Erie Canal history through hands-on exhibits.