Orleans County: History and Nature on Lake Ontario

Orleans County lies roughly halfway between the Buffalo/Niagara Falls and Rochester/Finger Lakes regions. Its attractions range from historic streets and places along the Erie Canal to landscapes on Lake Ontario. This makes it possible to combine cultural history with time by the water in a single destination.

Historic Routes, Buildings, and Museums

The Historic Ridge Road was first used by the Seneca and Iroquois and was developed into a stagecoach road in 1798. The Cobblestone Society Museum is located in Orleans County along historic Ridge Road and is a National Historic Landmark. It is dedicated to cobblestone masonry and is considered the only museum of its kind in the world. If you would like to visit the museum as a group, guided tours are available by appointment for groups of ten or more; confirm availability before you travel. Sandstone and cobblestone also shape the architecture in the County’s historic villages and along its historic routes.

In Medina, the Medina Railroad Museum combines a historic setting with several themes: it is housed in a 300-foot-long wooden freight depot of the New York Central and features exhibits on railroad, firefighting, and military history. The museum is also home to the largest HO-scale model railroad layout in the eastern United States. It offers a 34-mile, two-hour round trip through the Erie Canal Heritage Corridor between Medina and Lockport. The Sandstone Hall of Fame also celebrates regional architectural history: the Medina Sandstone Society founded it in 2013 to honor outstanding examples of Medina sandstone.

Holley also offers a glimpse into local history. The Holley Depot Museum is housed in a reconstructed railroad depot whose original building was built in 1907. Holley Falls is a 35-foot waterfall that cascades over red Medina sandstone in a wooded setting. Holley Falls Park has a picnic pavilion, a footbridge, and hiking trails connected to nearby Holley Canal Park. From Public Square, you can reach Holley Falls via Frisbee Terrace and Holley Falls Park Road.

Along the Erie Canal and on the Water

The Erie Canal shapes not only the County’s history but also how visitors get around. Orleans County has seven of the Erie Canal system’s 16 lift bridges. There are three public boat launches along the canal, each with parking and a picnic area. Launches for boats transported by vehicle are located at Holley Canal Park and Medina Canal Basin. In Albion, Holley, and Medina, docks are next to historic town centers, with restaurants, shops, and museums within walking distance.

For activities on larger bodies of water, Point Breeze offers a different focus: the village is located at the mouth of the Oak Orchard River, where it flows into Lake Ontario. Boats and kayaks can be launched there onto the river and lake. Orleans County Marine Park is an 11-acre public park on the Oak Orchard River in Kent, on Point Breeze Road (Route 98), beneath the bridges of the Lake Ontario State Parkway and on the Seaway Trail. It rents 72 boat slips with electrical and water hookups; check seasonal details before your trip. If you’d rather paddle, the Oak Orchard River has a meandering gorge landscape.

Lake Views, Birdwatching, and Trails

Lakeside State Park offers panoramic views of Lake Ontario and the surrounding farms and orchards. The same park is home to two 18-hole disc golf courses, Wind Rush Alley and The Beast. Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, on the border between Orleans County and Genesee County, offers opportunities for birdwatching during migration and nesting season. The grounds are open from sunrise to sunset. The Mohawk Ski Trail is a relatively flat, 7.5-mile loop through grassland and woods and along the dikes around Mohawk Pool. The county’s landscape also features the lake plain, quiet streams, and wooded wetlands.

Orleans County is connected to the New York State Thruway (I-90) via Exit 48 near Batavia and Exit 48A near Pembroke. If you’re looking for a hotel for your trip, first consider what you plan to focus on: historic places along the Erie Canal, museums, or time by the water. Then compare potential locations based on the places you plan to visit.

Discover more destinations: Albion, Montgomery County, Niagara County, Rensselaer, Albany, Oneida, Livingston County, Orange.

For the broader travel overview: New York.