St. Catharines Museum at Lock 3

"Our purpose at the museum is to collect, preserve, research, and exhibit and interpret artifacts and archival records, along with their associated information relative to the history of St. Catharines and the Welland Canals for the education and enjoyment of the public."

French Services 
A number of the Museum services are available in French including tours when a French guide is available.  They include the Welland Canals video, informational brochures, and a selection of retail items at Merrit's Merchantile the Museum Shop at Lock 3.

Welland Canals - Past and Present 
This is a 26 minute video detailing the history of the 4 Welland Canals.  It can be viewed as part of your Museum fee or if you do not have time to visit the Museum, you can view the video for $1.00 entrance fee.  It can also be ordered by calling 1-800-305-5134 ext. 235. The cost of $20.00 CAN includes all taxes and shipping and handling anywhere in Canada or the U.S. 

The  St. Catharines Museum is located in the Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 where you can witness ships entering and maneuvering through the lock system from the unique elevated observation platform.  Watch massive freighters from around the globe bypass the great Niagara Falls by climbing the Niagara Escarpment on a stairway of water.  From Lake Ontario to Lake Erie ships are lifted or lowered to a height of 326 feet through 7 locks the equivalent height of Niagara Falls itself! 

"This is a very special place for people to encounter history and learn about St. Catharines, and the Canal then and now - a major link in the St. Lawrence Seaway System."

Monday - Friday  9:00 am - 5 pm Saturday, Sunday and Holidays11:00 am - 4:00 pm

Administration Office  Monday - Friday  9:00 am - 5:00 pm Library and Archives  Monday, Wednesday, Friday  12:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Admission charged.

Exhibits

Community Heritage - Discover the early days of St. Catharines. Museum exhibits feature select stories and prominent people from the past.

Discovery Park - Learn how the lock works and compare the size of the present Fourth Canal Lock to a First Canal Lock in an outdoor exhibit setting. Follow the North Star - Fugitive slaves found freedom in Canada when they followed the North Star - an enduring symbol of freedom. Experience the rich legacy of Niagara's African Canadians African Canadian Heritage Network

Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame & Museum - Explore the history of North America's oldest team sport! Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum

Special Exhibits - Watch for something new all the time - new feature exhibits from other museums or new exhibits from our collection. Welland Canals - Explore the fascinating story of the Welland Canals and the City that grew up around them. Exhibits illustrate the engineering feats of yesterday and today.

Basic Educational Tours

The Museum offers educational tours on the Welland Canals, Black History, and Community History (A Lacrosse tour is under development). All the tours are 1 hours, and are based on the curriculum.

Special Educational Programs

Other educational programmes are developed throughout the school year, including a special education program for the Holiday Season.

From Toronto:

1. Merge onto Gardiner Expy W
2. Continue onto Queen Elizabeth Way
3. Merge onto ON-403 W
4. Slight left at Queen Elizabeth Way (signs for Niagara/East Hamilton/Fort Erie)
5. Take the Regional Road/ON-89/Glendale Avenue S exit
6. Merge onto Glendale Ave/Regional Road 89
7. Turn right at Welland Canal Pkwy

From Buffalo:

1. Take Queenston-Lewiston Bridge (Partial toll road)
2. Entering Canada (Ontario)
3. Continue onto ON-405 W
4. Merge onto Queen Elizabeth Way
5. Take the Regional Road 89/Glendale Avenue exit toward Niagara-on-the-Lake
6. Turn left at Glendale Ave/Regional Road 89
7. Turn right at Welland Canal Pkwy

GPS Co-ordinates