Attractions in Syracuse

A lively modern city, busy Syracuse made its name first for the production of salt and, more importantly, for its central position on the Erie Canal. Despite a population nudging half a million, there's little to see, though the presence of Syracuse University gives downtown an active and youthful feel. The redevelopment of Armory Square , around Franklin and Fayette streets, as an area of specialty shops, galleries and cafés has gone some way toward adding character to the city center, but the city still feels dominated by the highways and railroads that slice through it.

Erie Canal Museum
318 E Erie Blvd
315-471-0593
Housed in one of the few surviving canal-era buildings, an 1850s weighing station, the museum tells the story of the long battle between politicians and taxpayers before work on the canal began in 1810. The waterway was designed to link the Great Lakes with New York City via the Hudson, thereby cutting hefty transportation costs which it did by an average of ninety percent. At first, however, not everyone was in favor, critics speaking of a "big ditch" in which "would be buried the treasure of the state." The project eventually took fifteen years and one thousand lives, and went three million dollars over budget, but it spawned America's first generation of engineers, and after it opened in 1825, prosperous towns quickly sprung up alongside the canal. Erie Boulevard itself was created by filling in the old canal bed, and the industrial surroundings do little to evoke the era, though the reconstructed canal boat inside the museum is definitely worth a look.

Clark's Ale House
122 W Jefferson St
315-479-9859
Oftenlocally famous for its roast beef sandwiches and cheese plates.

Clinton Square
Clinton Square was one of the busiest spots in the city during the 1800s. The Square teemed with farmers' wagons and peddlers' carts. Filling the air were the voices and music of street merchants, hawkers and entertainers-magicians, ventriloquists, and organ grinders. Canal boats noisily loaded and unloaded cargo. In the summer, excursion boats, complete with band or orchestra, departed from the Square to nearby Onondaga or Green lakes.

Columbus Circle
The Columbus Circle area is a center of civic, cultural, and religious life in Downtown Syracuse. The area has some examples of fine architecture, including several buildings designed by Syracuse architects. Among the flowers and fountains stands the restored Columbus Monument in the shadow of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Historically, this area was a quietly residential place surrounded by many churches. Currently, Columbus Circle is bordered by the stately Onondaga County Court House, the Onondaga County Civic Center, home to Onondaga County government, the former Onondaga County Public Library Building, and a number of churches. Columbus Circle is a popular lunch time spot for many downtown workers.

Hanover Square
Hanover Square has an important commercial and civic history. For most of the 1800s, this open space was used as a "hack stand" where cartmen and teamsters hired out their wagons to merchants. In those days, pedestrians, especially ladies, complained that they could not safely cross the Square due to standing carts, mud, and moving vehicles.

The Salt Museum
Discover the industry that created the City of Syracuse and supplied the entire nation with salt! Explore the site of an original boiling block where brine (salt water) was turned into what was then considered one of the country's most precious commodities. See the actual kettles, wooden barrels and other equipment that were used in this fascinating process which came to an end in the 1920's.