Utica Travel Information
Once, Utica boomed with textile mills and the wealth that the Erie
Canal brought it . In the early 1900s, Immigrants flocked in from
Germany and Italy to live the American dream. As waterways became less
important, the town no longer boomed, but the romantic remains of the
Erie Canal and role it played in the industrial growth of New York
gives Utica a weight of history. The Fountain Elms, a Victorian
mansion once home to the Munson and Proctor families, is now a museum
that reflects the elegance and charm of the Erie Canal days and
retains the families’ art collections. The more contemporary
Munsen-Williams-Proctor Institute next door houses artistic treasures
from such greats as Picasso, Dali and Pollock. Between the two
buildings, there are 20 galleries and over 25,000 works of art. The
Utica Zoo has over 300 species of animals, and the Children’s Museum
has excellent hands-on exhibits on the environment, outer space, and
regional history. Finally, one-hour tours are given at the Saranac
Brewery, after which tourists are given a trolley ride to an 1888 pub.
There, they are treated to a mug of brew or root beer, depending on
their age. The tour, trolley ride, and treat are more than worth the
three dollar tab. Utica is 90 miles west of Albany and 50 miles
east of Syracuse on I-90. Look over the links on the left-hand sidebar
for more information on Utica.
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