Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New York State New York City Lockport Lockport Cave
AO Edited

Lockport Cave

Take an underground boat ride through a former hydraulic raceway that was built in the late 19th century.

Lockport, New York

Added By
David Jarka
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Lockport Cave   sk / CC BY-ND 2.0
A view down the Lockport Cave.   sk / CC BY-ND 2.0
Lockport Cave   bobistraveling / CC BY 2.0
Lockport Cave exterior   sk / CC BY-ND 2.0
Lockport Cave entrance   bobistraveling / CC BY 2.0
  Julius Spada / Atlas Obscura User
  Julius Spada / Atlas Obscura User
Location of the upside down train bridge   Julius Spada / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Beneath the City of Lockport, New York, lies one of the longest underground boat rides in the United States. It goes down one of two caverns that exist under Lockport, following the path of the Erie Canal through a manmade hydraulic raceway that was constructed between 1858 and 1900 to supply water to local industries. 

The other cave in Lockport is a naturally-formed cavern in the underlying dolomite and limestone bedrocks and was unsuccessfully attempted to be explored due to funding and flooding issues until its mouth was sealed in 1886. Although the true extent of the natural cave system is unknown, it is estimated to be in an area of several square miles. 

Over the years other entries to the original Lockport Cave have been discovered, and several people made trips into the cave system in the 1960s and 70s. In an interview with the Buffalo News, one of those explorers described a series of complicated passageways and tight tunnels, as well as a wide cavern filled with several feet of sediment and 10-foot waterfall in a side passage.

Today, it's the human-made tunnel that tends to get more attention. The raceway was first opened as a tourist attraction in 1977. Along with the boat ride, a walking tour of the surrounding area is also available. Haunted cave lantern tours are held around Halloween and the cave is open to paranormal research teams after being featured on Syfy's Ghost Hunters in 2012.

Update as of August 2023: The cave is closed indefinitely. 

Related Tags

Engineering Subterranean Sites Underground Caves

Community Contributors

Added By

davidjarka

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy, Julius Spada

  • Michelle Cassidy
  • Julius Spada

Published

May 12, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://buffalonews.com/news/a-natural-wonder-lost-to-time-lockports-underground-cave-system-was-never-fully-explored-and/article_60adcd67-d3e5-50ba-a5bb-f8ac39cc33f5.html
  • https://lockportcave.com/history/
Lockport Cave
5 Gooding St
Lockport, New York, 14094
United States
43.171889, -78.692588
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Destroyer Park Golf

Akron, New York

miles away

Native American Museum of Art

Sanborn, New York

miles away

Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum

North Tonawanda, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New York State

New York State

United States

Places 807
Stories 45

Nearby Places

Destroyer Park Golf

Akron, New York

miles away

Native American Museum of Art

Sanborn, New York

miles away

Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum

North Tonawanda, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New York State

New York State

United States

Places 807
Stories 45

Related Places

  • Inside the cave

    Taşkuyu, Turkey

    Taşkuyu Mağarası (Taskuyu Cave)

    This 470-meter-long dripstone cave was discovered by chance in 2006.

  • Minnetonka Cave.

    Saint Charles, Idaho

    Minnetonka Cave

    Idaho’s largest, deepest limestone cave is known for its quirky rock formations and bat population.

  • Tham Nang Ene Cave lit up with colorful neon lights.

    Xiangliab, Laos

    Tham Nang Ene Cave

    Mythological depictions of Laos’ national animal make this cave sacred.

  • Stalactites in King Solomon’s Cave

    Liena, Australia

    King Solomon's Cave

    A limestone cave filled with impressive formations in Mole Creek Karst National Park.

  • Sand Cave is basically one giant sand dune.

    Ewing, Virginia

    Sand Cave

    Erosion has transformed this sandstone boulder into a massive dune-filled cavern.

  • Gruta de Las Maravillas

    Aracena, Spain

    Gruta de las Maravillas (Cave of Wonders)

    An underground spring in a labyrinthine cave system, decorated with stalagmites and stalactites.

  • Cueva de Valporquero

    Vegacervera, Spain

    Cueva de Valporquero

    The spectacular geological formations make it one of the most impressive caves in Europe.

  • One of the chambers, with reliefs of Sanskrit characters.

    Yokohama, Japan

    Taya Caves

    A network of ancient tunnels and vaulted chambers with mystical Buddhist reliefs, built for ascetic training.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.