What to Do in Seneca Falls, NY: Exploring The Birthplace of Women's Rights in America
Seneca Falls is an incredibly picturesque town in New York State. The town is part of the Finger Lakes District but, more importantly, it’s also an important part of American history as it is the birthplace of Women’s Rights in the nation.
The Women’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, New York
On the northern tip of Cayuga Lake, in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes Region, is the town of Seneca Falls. It’s only about 25 square miles, but the history of this little town has had a profound impact on the entirety of the United States.
I recently had a chance to visit the town alongside my good friend Carol. We made this important stop while in the midst of exploring the Cayuga Lake Blueway Trail, a public water recreation trail that connects folks to the treasured natural resource we all know as Cayuga Lake.
Seneca Falls is widely regarded as the birthplace of women’s rights in the United States, a fact I learned when visiting the Susan B. Anthony Museum and House in Rochester. And so, when the opportunity presented itself for me to visit Seneca Falls, it was one I certainly wasn’t going to pass up, and today I want to walk you through exactly how you can get the most out of your own visit.
A Brief History of Seneca Falls, New York
Seneca Falls, NY
Seneca Falls is home to a little under ten thousand residents, and is the largest of ten communities that make up Seneca County.
The city was officially founded in the late 18th century, but it really started to gain some prominence when the canal locks were built in the late 1810s, and the Cayuga-Seneca Canal was born in 1828.
For those unfamiliar with the geography, the Cayuga-Seneca Canal was connected to the Erie Canal, which meant that, all of sudden, this town could transport local manufacturing and the like, and that had a big impact on businesses opening up.
As more people were coming through the town, and it became better known, Seneca Falls became a hotbed for the important social and religious matters of the day, including temperance, slavery, and, of course, women’s rights.
Seneca falls and women’s rights
As Seneca Falls notes on their site, “in July 1848, Jane Hunt, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Ann McClintock, Lucretia Coffin Mott and her sister Martha Coffin Wright had tea to discuss these issues, and they resolved that on July 19 and 20, to hold the first Women’s Rights Convention at the Wesleyan Chapel on Fall Street.
This event was the birth of the Women’s Rights Movement.”
Seneca Falls has done a beautiful job of summarizing the key details around the birth of women’s rights (and rightfully so), and I’d encourage readers to read in-depth about the First Women’s Rights Convention 1848, the Second Convention, and more right here.
In the century that followed these historic events, Seneca Falls has embraced its important identity by building the Women’s Right National Historical Park, the National Women’s Hall of Fame and more.
They’ve focused on preserving a story that everyone needs to hear, but have also clearly aimed to build upon the the foundations of this story and to continue to do the work that people like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Amelia Bloomer worked to hard to ensure they could.
In Seneca Falls, there are currently two historic districts, and 10 properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s one of twenty designated New York State Heritage Areas.
The Top Things to Do in Seneca Falls, New York During Your Visit
A statue of some of the key members of the Women’s Rights Movement on the way into Seneca Falls, NY
Seneca Falls has long been known as the “Historic Gateway into the Finger Lakes,” so we’ll focus on activities which make that sentence ring true, and so much more.
Pop Into The Seneca Falls heritage & tourism center
We started with a visit to the Seneca Falls Heritage & Tourism Center. It’s a good place to start if you’re looking to consider and plan out how you’ll spend your time in Seneca Falls (though, the idea is that this article will have you all set as well).
Fun fact - if you’re visiting by boat, you can visit directly on the bottom floor via the Cayuga-Seneca Canal.
This is where I got a lot of the context I needed by learning about the history of Seneca Falls through the on-site Seneca Museum of Waterways and Industry. Then we headed upstairs, packed our bags with pamphlets and information alike, spoke to the helpful staff, and left with a great game-plan for how we’d spend our proceeding time in Seneca Falls.
Visit the Women’s Rights National Historical Park
The Waterfall at Declaration Park
This is the place to learn about the story of the first Women’s Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls that I mentioned up above. It highlights the women’s rights leaders, the abolitionists who stood alongside them, and the other 19th century reformers that should be celebrated as being on the right side of history.
The grounds are open every day, which means you can usually visit the Visitor Center and Wesleyan Chapel without any issue. The historic homes (Elizabeth Cady Stanton House, M’Clintock House, Hunt House etc.) are open seasonally. You can visit their site to make sure you plan your visit correctly.
Keep your eye out for The Waterfall at Declaration Park (located between the Wesleyan Chapel and the Visitor Centre), which is 100 feet long and inscribed with the words of the Declaration of Sentiments (a document written principally by Elizabeth Cody Stanton, but signed by 100 our of 300 attendees at the first Women’s Rights Convention, 32 of which were men).
If you’re visiting Seneca Falls, New York, it would be a mistake not to visit the Women’s Rights National Historical Park.
Spend some time at THE NATIONaL WOMEN’S HALL OF FAME
You’ll find the the National Women’s Hall of Fame at what was once the Seneca Knitting Miil, which was built all the way back in 1844.
At this point the “introductory exhibits are designed to introduce our vision for future exhibits when we complete additional renovations of the Mill.”
You can see the Women of the Hall so far right here, and they’ve done a nice job with both the website and the Hall itself of telling the story of these women, and clearly showcasing how they’ve help to influence other women, and the country at large.
Also, when you’re finished visiting, walk over to the nearby Ludovico Sculpture Trail.
The National Women’s Hall of Fame over the Cayuga-Seneca Canal
Check Out The Idea Center for the voices of humanity
As longtime resident Dr. A.P Sinicropi publicly noted, “ultimately, Seneca Falls is about Human Rights.
The presence of IDEA in Seneca Falls expands what we’re about into a much more complete statement about human rights.”
Dive Further Into History at The Seneca Falls Historical society
The Seneca Falls Historical Society is a 23 room mansion and museum located on Cayuga Street, which was founded back in 1896.
They have an extraordinary collection of unique documents, records, and artifacts which all aim to “enhance the understanding of our area’s past and its connection to the present” while “demonstrating that history is not just a series of events that happened to individuals long ago, but is integral to the fabric of our daily lives.”
How Else Can You Get the Most Out of a Visit to Seneca Falls?
The It’s a Wonderful Life Bridge
Set Eyes on the “It’s a Wonderful Life Bridge”: The bridge in Seneca Falls is said to the be inspiration for the famous bridge scene in the 1946 classic It’s a Wonderful Life.
Visit the It’s a Wonderful Life Museum: Frank Capra is known to have visited Seneca Falls in the 1940s, and it’s widely understood to be the “Bedford Falls” that we see in the film. This museum dives into that a little more!
Bring Your Camera to the Incredible Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge: It’s only about a ten minute drive away, but it honestly feels like you’re worlds away from the town of Seneca Falls, since this is a remarkable haven for wildlife. If you’re into waterfowl and other migratory birds in particular, it’s a place you simply cannot miss on your visit.
Grab a Glass at Montezuma Winery & Hidden Marsh Distillery: If you’re looking to sip on some award winning Finger Lakes Wine, look no further than Montezuma. They do everything from classic wine varietals to mead and fruit wine, and it’s a short drive from Seneca Falls (about 5 minutes). If wineries are something you’re particularly keen on, you should consider planning a trip along the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, which is considered “American’s First Wine Trail.” This is a nice PDF which provides an overview of all 13 wineries.
I had a local reader chime in few a more more things to consider!
“If you're not from the area, visit a Byrne Dairy. I didn't realize this, but apparently it's rare to find milk in glass jugs anymore, and people swear by its quality. They also have the best cookies (Buttercrunch) and most local stores (Byrne Dairy and otherwise) have their branded cookiewiches which are amazing.
Visit Sauder's Store. Run by the Mennonites (and closed on Sundays) they have a ton of unique items. Think of it as a combination between solid produce, fairly decent meats and cheeses, fairly decent bakery, with a center-store section. Lots of finds here you won't get anywhere else. Sauder's has an attached furniture store and there are nearby Mennonite stores on route 89. During the summer, there are often little food stands with fantastic pies and other baked goods along route 414 south of Seneca Falls
Cayuga Lake State Park. The lake is, well, just a lake, but the park is a lot of fun in general. (Consider checking out the Cayuga Lake Blueway Trail).
Kombucha and Beer at Fall Street Brewing. Nice little shop that's apparently expanding. Full menu. Some of the best kombucha I've had.”
Seneca Falls, New York Awaits, With Stories Galore
The Cayuga-Seneca Canal
I learned so much by visiting Seneca Falls. There’s something immensely powerful about seeing the faces behind one of the most important movements in American history, and seeing a town firmly committed to ensuring that history is never forgotten.
Not to mention, it’s beautiful, and place well worth visiting if you’re exploring New York. I hope this helps you explore Seneca Falls, a town that I’m all too happy I gave my attention - to learn important stories that all of humanity could benefit from knowing a little better.