Take a step back in time on a canal boat ride

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Image of a river with tree lined bank and words saying "Travel back in time: Take a canal boat ride in Canal Fulton."

In Canal Fulton, Ohio, you can step back in time to travel the Ohio & Erie Canal on a relaxing canal boat ride.

Growing up, I actually got to do this on a school field trip. Going back as an adult, I appreciated the history shared on the canal boat ride tour more than I had as a child!

Relaxing on a canal boat ride

Getting to experience a canal boat ride in Canal Fulton was not only relaxing, it was fun, too!

Besides learning the history of the Ohio & Erie Canal, we got to see beautiful flowers and some wildlife along the shore.

Photo collage of an old barn building seen on the canal boat ride on the Ohio & Erie Canal

We also got to see some old buildings, some of which used to be part of the Underground Railroad.

Remnants of a building that was part of the Underground Railroad

Along with admiring the scenery, we got to hear the history of the Ohio & Erie Canal, and its influence on early development of this region of Ohio.

Our guide dressed up in an old-fashioned costume and told us about how the Ohio & Erie Canal first came to be, how it was built at the expense of many lives, how people actually lived on the boats, and how there’s only so much of the canal left. He even played the banjo for us!

Photo collage of the canal boat ride tour guide in costume in a straw hat, playing his banjo

The Ohio & Erie Canal was Ohio’s main transportation system until the railroads came through. It helped boost the state’s economy.

Today, there is little left of the Ohio & Erie Canal. Canal Fulton is one of the few places offering canal boat rides past the locks and along the river.

Canal boat rides on the St. Helena III

A canal boat ride on the St. Helena III covers about two miles and takes an hour from start to finish.

The canal boat, the St. Helena III, is modeled after the original St. Helena, which traveled on the Ohio & Erie Canal over 100 years ago.

Canal Boat Ride in Canal Fulton on the St. Helena III. Shows boat on the water with bridge ahead and tree lined waterway

The boat is pulled along by two Percheron horses, which was how the canal boats were able to move up and down the canals.

Image of two Percheron horses harnessed and led by costumed guides on the canal boat ride in Canal Fulton

Along the journey, the guide shares the history of the Ohio & Erie Canal as well as how it is used for tourism today.

Plan your visit on the St. Helena canal boat ride

Address: 125 Tuscarawas St., Canal Fulton, Ohio 44614

Operating Dates and Hours: Open from mid-May through mid-October with ride times at 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Tickets: Adults & Teens (ages 18-59) – $9, Seniors (60+) & Veterans – $8, Children (ages 6-17) – $5, Children (5&under) – Free with a paid adult.

To learn more about canal boat rides on the St. Helena III and other historical attractions in Canal Fulton, Ohio, visit their site!