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 NEWSLETTERS

Please find below some of our educational content.

Related Blog Entries

Author: 
FOCAAdmin

Mario Medici is a new 26-Miler from Bergen County, NJ, a NJ hike leader, and frequent participant in our Walks & Tours. He kindly allowed us to reproduce his thoughts and lovely photographs for this blog entry.

The following are some random thoughts having just completed walking the 26-mile portion of the OCA.

Author: 
FOCAAdmin

 

photo by Steven Oakes

 

The Friends' own Sara Kelsey is profiled in the NY State Park February 2021 newsletter! The following is reprinted with permission of State Parks.

For more information and to see the State Parks calendar of events, please go HERE.

Author: 
FOCAAdmin

Discover your next outdoor adventure with the NY State Parts Explorer App for info, updates and inspiration. Learn more about top destinations and stay connected to your favorite parks and historic sites.

 

Available for APPLE and ANDROID.

Author: 
Charlotte Fahn

photo: Tom Tarnowsky

A Salute to the High Bridge on Fifth Anniversary of Its Re-opening

Time flies! June 9, 2015, was an unforgettable day for High Bridge and Croton Aqueduct fans. On that day five years ago a throng waited eagerly at the Manhattan end of the bridge for the signal to burst upon the gleaming, completely refurbished pedestrian bridge - the centerpiece of the original (“Old”) Croton Aqueduct. New York City Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver presided over the joyous opening ceremonies.

Alligator Relic
Author: 
FOCAAdmin

Above: Alligator relic

What is this world if full of care
We have no time to stand and stare"

- W H Davies

So many walkers have called or written to say how much they treasure the trail especially through this difficult time. Please take the time to look around you as you walk. A visual treasure is there!

Buttercups. “Do you like butter?”

 

Culvert in Sleepy Hollow section

 

Author: 
FOCAAdmin

Over several days during the holiday week of 2019-2020, I was inspired to achieve a goal that I have often thought about: walking the entire 41-mile length of the Old Croton Aqueduct historic trail. Although there are certain sections of the park that I frequently visit, large swaths were, up to this point, unknown to me. It was a real pleasure to finally get out and see what the rest of the Aqueduct trail has to offer! I was not disappointed by my discoveries!

Photo by Janko Ferlič at Unsplash
Author: 
FOCAAdmin

 

We regret to announce that the Old Croton Aqueduct Keepers House will be closed until further notice.  But don't forget the Trail is always open! 

(Courtesy of our Friends at Teatown in Ossining)

With children staying home from school in the coming weeks, we wanted to share some family-friendly outdoor activities with our community as we practice social distancing:

Author: 
Mavis Cain

Visitors to the Keeper’s House in Dobbs Ferry often provide stories as intriguing as the house itself. Here’s a few; providing a big reward for those of us who work as docents there.

Echoes of Downton Abbey

1861 cross section of the High Bridge by Croes, signed JJRC.
Author: 
FOCAAdmin

As history would have it, some designers are broadly associated with their works, like Frederick Law Olmsted with Central Park or John B. Jervis with the Old Croton Aqueduct. John James Robertson Croes was not one of those, yet many of us live in a more beautiful environment because of his talents.

Croes was born in 1834 in Richmond, Virginia, son of a clergyman and grandson of a Revolutionary War veteran. He attended the College of St James in Hagerstown, Maryland, and studied civil engineering, graduating in 1853.

Author: 
FOCAAdmin

If you want to delve further into the history of the Old Croton Aqueduct, which lies just below the trail that winds through these river towns, head to a new exhibit that opened recently at the Keeper’s House Visitor Center on the trail in Dobbs Ferry.

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