The Roanoke Canal Museum and Trail

Now a hiking trail, the Roanoke Canal "shows some of the best preserved early 19th-century canal construction in the nation."

Preview your trip on the web: The Roanoke Canal Museum and Trail

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Begun before 1819, and completed in 1823, the Roanoke Canal was built as the North Carolina segment of the ambitious Roanoke Navigation System. It was designed to connect the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with Norfolk, over a distance of 400 miles. Today you can experience the seven-mile trail along the old Canal in Roanoke Rapids. The museum has traditional and interactive exhibits which explains how the canal was built and its importance to the economy of the region.

Three guided tours are available: a museum tour of the middle locks and powerhouse, a walking tour of Weldon and the aqueduct, and a nature hike. Class sizes of 20 or more will be divided into separate manageable groups which will tour simultaneously. Tours cost $2.00 per person. Museum staff will also come to classrooms. A small fee may apply.

Choices for activities during visits to the Museum include:

• Animal Tracks Mix and Match
• Cost of Canal Trade Today
• Crossword Puzzle, Elementary
• Crossword Puzzle, Advanced
• Eco-Explorer
• History of the Canal in Five Paragraphs
• Museum Treasure Hunt
• Vocabulary of the Canal

Call 252-537-2769 to schedule a visit or for more information.

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