Canalside Tours & NYS Songs

Name: Canalside Tours & NYS Songs
Start: 2025-10-16T10:00:00-04:00
End: 2025-10-16T15:30:00-04:00
Location: Canalside Buffalo

Schedule

Thu Oct 16 2025 at 10:00 am to 03:30 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Canalside Buffalo | Buffalo, NY

📅 Canalside Homeschool Field Trip Day in Buffalo
🕙 Schedule of Events
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM | Guided Tour @ Erie Canal Exhibit | Longshed — FREE
This is a scheduled tour, please RSVP by Thurs, Oct 9.
Visitors will explore the transformative story of the Erie Canal—from the traditional homeland of the Haudenosaunee to the canal’s opening in 1825, and Buffalo’s rise as a bustling port by the late 19th century. The exhibit highlights the diverse perspectives of Indigenous Peoples, Black individuals, women, and immigrant communities impacted by the canal’s development.
Through short films, touchscreens, audio, historical artifacts, and dramatic lighting, guests of all ages will experience Buffalo’s rapid transformation, the canal’s technical innovations, and the human contributions behind it all.
⏳ A typical visit takes 45–60 minutes.
🎟️ Free, but requires a timed ticket.
🔗 Learn more: https://eriecanalturns200.com/things-to-do
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM | Self-Guided Tour @ Buffalo Naval Park — $10/person age 5+ (pre-registration only)
Step aboard America’s largest inland naval park! Families can explore three naval vessels—the guided missile cruiser USS Little Rock, the destroyer USS The Sullivans, and the submarine USS Croaker. Exhibits highlight military history, technology, and personal stories of service members.
This is a flexible, self-paced tour—plan 1–2 hours depending on your interest.
💵 $10/person age 5+, pre-registration required.
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM | NY State & Folk Songs with David Ruch @ Buffalo Naval Park | Hangar Building — $25/family
With guitar, banjo, jaw harp, bones, spoons and more, Dave Ruch takes students on a lively musical journey into American and New York State history. Children will sing, act out songs, and become active participants in their own learning.
Dave has performed in schools for 30+ years, sharing Erie Canal songs, Adirondack ballads, Native American chants, Great Lakes ditties, and forgotten tunes from New York’s farms, kitchens, and lumber camps.
He is a former Public Scholar for the NY Council for the Humanities, a full-time musician and researcher, and has performed across the region and internationally.
📀 Dave’s CD The Oldest Was Born First will be available, along with books and other items.
🔗 Learn more: https://daveruch.com/about-dave/
👩‍👩‍👧‍👦 Who’s it for?
All homeschool ages welcome!
🌟 Make a Day of It
Come for one or all. Explore & More Children’s Museum is right across the street. Pack a lunch and enjoy a full day of history, music, and hands-on learning.
✅ RSVP Required
Please confirm your RSVP by completing this form by Thursday, October 9th: https://forms.gle/q8PyHak7unK4Lvb87
Hi guys David Ruch is being brought in for a concert for homeschoolers! We need 17 more families to make this happen. Oct 16th- $25 a family get your history and music in with a fun filled day of learning. Guided canal tour bicentennial canal is downtown for learning only this fall. Come experience a day of learning like you never had before. These are the core homeschooling memories right here!