To best understand who we are, you’ll need to know about these three entities…

The I&M Canal was a 96-mile hand-dug canal that was opened in 1848 and connected the Illinois River to Lake Michigan. The canal was the final link needed to complete an all-water route that ran from the East Coast through the Great Lakes down to the Gulf of Mexico. For more information about its history and impact, click here >

The I&M Canal National Heritage Area, the first of its kind, was designated by Congress in 1984 to promote the economic development, culture, heritage and stories of the region and communities that owe their growth to the canal. Find out more about what Ronald Reagan called a “new kind of national park” here >

The Canal Corridor Association is the nonprofit, coordinating agency that has been given authorization by Congress and works closely with the National Park Service to oversee the I&M Canal National Heritage Area. Learn more about this organization here >