Lock House Museum Opens for the Season

The Lock House Museum located off Erie Street in Havre de Grace is happy to finally open its doors to visitors. With a few new safety precautions in place because of the virus the museum’s guides are ready to give tours and tell stories about early canal life.

The Lock House Museum tells the story of the by-gone era of canal transportation and life in Havre de Grace in the mid to late 1800s. The Susquehanna & Tidewater Canal opened in 1840 to bring materials, namely coal, out of the interior of Pennsylvania to the terminal end of the canal at Havre de Grace where it went on to the ports of Baltimore and Philadelphia and beyond. The museum, overlooking the Susquehanna River, still has its granite-lined lock intact and inside the museum there is a working scale model of the lock. The 19th century building was home to the lock tender and his family and also served as the office of the toll collector.

This year celebrates the museum’s 50th anniversary. “It is a big milestone for a small museum. We are always reflecting on the past, but now we are also focused on looking to the next 50 years and how we can keep history interesting and relevant while also continuing to be an important and vital member of the Havre de Grace community so we are really excited to continue tell our stories now that we are open,” explains Joanne Healey, Director, of the Lock House Museum.

There are few changes because of the virus in the way tours will be handled for the rest of the season. Masks and social distancing inside the museum are required and guided tours only every 45 minutes with the first tour at 1 pm. The museum website has all the information on these changes (www.thelockhousemuseum.org). The museum is open Friday-Sunday 1-5 pm until the end of October. Admission is free, though, donations are always welcome.