Williamsport Visitor Center, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
LOCATION
205 West Potomac Street
Williamsport, MD 21795
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park’s Williamsport Visitor Center is located near the mid-point of the C&O Canal. The National Park Service offers Launch Boat Rides from here, and you can take the 1-mile round trip Williamsport Canal Walking Tour to see five nearby canal structures.
OPERATING HOURS
Williamsport Visitor Center is open from March through November, Wednesdays through Sundays from 9 AM to 4:00 PM. Times can always change, so before making travel plans be sure to get the latest schedule on the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.
AMENITIES
- Information desk where you can ask questions and pick up a variety of brochures on the park
- Exhibits on canal warehouses
- Start of the Williamsport Canal Walking Tour
- Sign up for a free Launch Boat Ride of a short section of the canal
- Small souvenir store
- Restrooms
Information desk at the Williamsport Visitor Center, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
EXHIBITS
The Williamsport Visitor Center is housed in the restored Cushwa Warehouse, which was around even before the C&O Canal. From the water basin just outside, canal boats would pull up to the warehouse doors and load and unload cargo. Walk upstairs to see the loading area and some of the old warehouse equipment.
Williamsport Visitor Center and the Cushwa Basin in Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Loading area inside the Cushwa Warehouse in Williamsport, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Antique warehouse equipment inside the Cushwa Warehouse in Williamsport, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
On the main level are a few other exhibits, including a large map of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.
Map of Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park inside the Williamsport Visitor Center
SCHEDULING YOUR TIME
Most exhibits at the Williamsport Visitor Center are simply artifacts and don’t have any written information to go along with them, so all you are really doing is looking around the warehouse. Throw in a talk with the park Ranger on duty about what there is to do in the area and you’ll end up spending about fifteen minutes for your visit. Of course this does not include the boat ride, which takes about a hour, or the walking tour.
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Last updated on June 29, 2024
