the boonville black river canal museum

This is a great museum that had really neat, interactive displays. There are four main buildings: the Hemlock Mercantile where the gift shop is and the introduction, then you move into another attached building where there are lots of pictures and you can watch a video. They have pictures of all the remaining locks that they could find. From there you walk int another attached building especially for kids. They have an actual mini canal set up with mini locks, so you can take a boat and run it through the locks. Kids will have fun playing with the boats and the water. They can also try loading a canal boat with a crane, or experiment with different block and tackles. You then go outside to the Canal Boat, where you can see what an actual canal boat was like. There is a short walk around the boat and by the canal that brings you back into the building. Overall, it's a great place that has up to date displays. Don't be fooled by their skimpy-looking website. Fun for the entire family with a history lesson!