While in operation, the 184.5 mile long C&O Canal played an important role in American history. The canal served as a transportation lifeline for westward expansion of commerce and industry.

The new 550 square foot C&O Canal Exhibit—which was a joint effort of Discovery Station, the National Park Service, and the Washington County Historical Society—is home to an expansive collection of historical artifacts and fascinating video interviews and photographs. The exhibit covers the canal from its original conception by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and others in the late 1700s through the devastating flood which caused it to be permanently closed in 1924. Many of the 1,300 historical structures along the canal were engineering marvels of the 19th century.

Visitors to the exhibit can explore and learn about the many intriguing aspects of the canal, including:

• Why canals were needed and how they connected the east and west.
• The 22 year project of building the canal.
• The amazing engineering that went into canal lift locks, aqueducts, and the Paw Paw tunnel.
• The various types of cargo that were carried up and down the canal.
• How canals and lift locks operate.
• Life on the canal as experienced by the families engaged in operating the boats and locks.
• The role of the canal in the Civil War.

Four multimedia displays provide additional insight into the canal and its operation. A film made in 1917 by the Thomas Edison Company lets you ride along in a small boat on a trip down the canal from Cumberland, Maryland, to Washington, DC. Original interviews with former canalers conducted by Park Service employees in the 1970s, and a recent interview with Washington County resident Lula Harsh, who grew up in a lockhouse, provide first hand accounts of life on the canal.

Numerous canal artifacts, including lanterns, tools, and a large hatch cover and ladder from a canal boat, transport visitors back to the canal era. Original documents and canal currency reveal how commerce was conducted.

Detailed models and replicas, built and donated by local residents and post-canal model artists, provide further insight into the structures of the canal and particularly the canal boats and lift locks. Modern replicas of canal era toys allow children to connect to local history and life on the canal.

This engaging exhibit is on permanent display at Discovery Station.