Covid-19 Update: NYS Parks now advises that we may begin a cautious resumption of safely controlled walks and tours. We will begin to offer open-air walks and tours involving small groups, with masks and proper social distancing required. Participation will be by reservation only. Notices of any such walks and tours will appear on our website, Facebook, Instagram and in our eBlasts.

The Keepers House is still closed until further notice. Maps of the Westchester and New York City portions of the trail are available for purchase here. Retail locations also are listed here. Of course, the Aqueduct trail is still available for personal use and enjoyment, consistent with whatever the current health advisories are at the time. We are especially lucky to have the trail readily at foot during this time.

Education

The Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct educate the public about the history or the tunnel and trail.

SCHOOL TOURS LECTURES, WALKS AND TOURS

Please find below some of our educational content.

Related Blog Entries

The Aqueduct's 175th Anniversary Celebration

Author: 
joannariesman
Post date: 
10/16/2017 - 8:39am

On Sunday, October 8, the Friends hosted a party on the lawns of the Keeper's House to commemorate the October day 175 years ago when Croton water first arrived in New York City.  The rain stopped on cue, and we were able to celebrate the flow of water without any flowing over us. 

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Bannerman Island Docent Picnic and Tour

Author: 
FOCAAdmin
Post date: 
05/30/2017 - 8:06am

A lovely Spring day was had by all. Some of us went on to Dia Beacon, while others came early for breakfast on Main Street before the boat ride to sunny Pollopel Island. A band of docents shepherded us through the ruins and showed off old photos of the castle home and arsenal. This was a wonderful way to get to know more about our group .... it turned out that 3 participants knew each other from high school. And Jane Reed's description of Dobbs Ferry 54 years ago was a stitch!

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"Turning Water Into Money: Aaron Burr's Manhattan Company

Author: 
FOCAAdmin
Post date: 
04/22/2017 - 6:30pm

SUNDAY APRIL 23, 2PM

The story of Burr’s maneuverings to found a bank (now JP Morgan Chase) by pretending to meet New York City’s urgent need for clean water is one of the more colorful sidebars of our water supply history. In this 175th anniversary year of the Old Croton Aqueduct, learn how Burr pulled it off, Alexander Hamilton’s ambiguous role, and the consequences of Burr’s ruse for the emerging metropolis.

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New Displays at the Keeper's House

Author: 
FOCAAdmin
Post date: 
02/06/2017 - 7:58am

Have you stopped by the Keeper's House recently?

We have two new displays!

One is an audio program about the Catskill Water system, with stories from the point of view of its builders and surrounding landowners.

The other is an interactive map of the Westchester portion of the Old Croton Aqueduct with pop-up details about points of interest along the trail.

Visit us Saturdays and Sundays 10am-4pm.

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Self-Guided walks by Carlos Gee

Author: 
FOCAAdmin
Post date: 
02/02/2017 - 12:19pm

Friends member and avid trail walked Carlos Gee has an excellent blog, SCENES FROM THE TRAIL, where he provides heavily-illustrated guides to his walks in the new York and New Jersey region. He was kind enough to allow us to copy his walks onto this website, so you can follow along on his adventure to walk the entire length of the Westchester section of the Old Croton Aqueduct trail (and earn a patch in the process.

You can view his reports HERE

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A Visit To The Oldest Standing Building In Weschester County

Author: 
Anonymous
Post date: 
01/04/2017 - 9:21am

The Friends invited our wonderful, hard-working Keeper's House docents to a private tour of Philipse Manor Hall during the holidays. And, since we like exploring Yonkers, we added on lunch at the locally famous Cuban restaurant La Bella Havana! Sixteen docents and board members socialized and took the fascinating tour. Our New York State Parks guide Robert A Lee, a descendant of General Robert E Lee (!), then took us outside for an impromptu walk through the newest Saw Mill River Daylighting park!

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Liquid Assets: A History of New York City's Water System

Author: 
FOCAAdmin
Post date: 
08/15/2016 - 6:22am

Our 2016 Annual Meeting speaker, Diane Galusha, has just published an expended edition of her informative book, Liquid Assets: A History of New York City's Water System, which covers the Old Croton Aqueduct, New Croton Aqueduct and Delaware system. Essential reading for anyone interested in this subject! You can order it and pay via Paypal at: http://liquidassetsbook.com

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Two Stanford White Gems Near the High Bridge

Author: 
CFahn
Post date: 
11/19/2015 - 12:44pm

A visit to the High Bridge combines well with a visit to two adjacent Bronx sites of architectural, historic, and scenic interest, about a 25-30 minute walk from the Bronx end of the bridge.

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Happy 173rd birthday!

Author: 
FOCAAdmin
Post date: 
10/14/2015 - 9:28am

Happy Birthday Old Croton Aqueduct!! The big celebration took place on Oct 14, 1842, with Croton HighBalls (Croton water with a splash of lemon) served with sandwiches to an enthusiastic audience. A five mile long parade ended at a 50 ft fountain with a chorus of women singers. Imagine something as simple as water causing so much excitement, But it was Croton Water!!

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Friends Annual Meeting: Large Cities and the Natural World with Lecture by Sidney Horenstein

Author: 
FOCAAdmin
Post date: 
03/23/2015 - 1:49pm

Please attend our Annual Meeting on Sunday, April 12 at 2pm. The relationship of large cities to the natural world is a mass of contradictions. Cities replace habitats with manmade structures of steel and concrete and consume vast amounts of resources from far beyond their limits. Ironically, cities also represent the last best hope for conserving healthy remnants of the world’s species and ecosystems, and play a crucial role in combating environmental destruction elsewhere.

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