Canal Corridor Association

You can now book your trip for a tour along the I&M Canal on our 1840s-Replica, Mule-Powered I&M Canal Boat. In addition to the leisurely 60-to-90-minute ride, the experience includes the opportunity to meet Moe the Mule as part of our "Mule Tending 101" pre-tour introduction, be

New for this year, we’re dedicating the 11:30 am ride each day to providing a fun adventure for our younger passengers aged 5-12. Purchase tickets for the 11:30 am I&M Canal Boat Ride, and children and their guardians will discover what it would have been like to

The evolution of nineteenth-century agriculture in northern Illinois. The first wave of settlers transplanted the time-honored extensive agricultural methodologies to the Midwest. But with a market-oriented base of farmers migrating to the northern counties from other northern states, this antiquated methodology was replaced with intensive agriculture which set the stage for commercial and monocultural agricultural processes. 

“Nellie Bly: Adventures of a ‘Mad’ Woman” Tricia brings to life one of Victorian America’s true mavericks, New York journalist Nellie Bly. In addition to her famous trip around the world, Bly also took on the role of an inmate at Blackwell’s Asylum, writing of the horrors

Learn about the current day plants that are being grown and how they are benefiting the world. Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO’s have been around since the early 1990’s.  Understanding how they are created and why they are used in modern day agriculture will be the focus

Interview with a Victorian Ever wonder what it would be like to live in another time?  Wish you could travel back to the ‘good old days’ of the late 19th century?  Think you were born in the wrong era?  Well, think again! Historian Tricia Kelly dons a

Meet the young families that are the co-owners of Homegrown Meat Market in Newark, IL.  Learn about how they started this business and how they are providing a wonderful resource to the area.   Their store is filled with fresh meats, cheeses, eggs and a wonderful ice

"Irish Need Not Apply" REMEMBER THE LADIES Series Sundays at 1PM during the Month of March Presented by Tricia Kelly, first person interpreter and famed storyteller What was life like for Irish women living in America during the 19th century? What obstacles did they have to face,

Discover the joys of sustainable gardening, where you'll discover easy and affordable methods to transform your home garden! Learn about techniques for rain collection, composting, saving seeds and so much more! Pearl will guide you through each step, ensuring you leave with the knowledge and confidence to cultivate

Prairie Iron: The Remarkable Life of Pioneer Elsie Armstrong In this emotionally charged presentation, storyteller Tricia Kelly becomes Elsie Armstrong—a mother and adventurer who relocated to Illinois in 1830 with her sons in tow.  Her will knew no limits and her spiritual, physical, and emotional strength surpassed

I&M Canal Lecture March Series Submarines Down the Illinois River by Joe Tokarz  Sunday, March 30th  at 1PM during the Month of March During World War 2, twenty-eight submarines were built in Wisconsin. Twenty-five went to war, but tragically, four never returned home. Join us to discover

I&M Canal Lecture March Series Author and historian Dick Joyce  Lecture Series Sundays at 1PM during the Month of March Richard Joyce is a retired educator who has been researching northern Illinois coal miners and their communities for decades.  He recently published a book on Spring Valley

Picture it: 1848 Illinois. Prairie covers the state. Overland transportation is slow and treacherous. And only a few small communities exist, including a small port town on Lake Michigan called Chicago. Then the I&M Canal opens, and everything changes. Relive the fateful turning point in our history

Picture it: 1848 Illinois. Prairie covers the state. Overland transportation is slow and treacherous. And only a few small communities exist, including a small port town on Lake Michigan called Chicago. Then the I&M Canal opens, and everything changes. Relive the fateful turning point in our history