Current and Upcoming Events

Weir Tour

Saturday, November 9, 2024 - 10:00am

Walk Leader:

Mario Medici

Presenter:

Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct

Free, easy, 2-hour tour. Meet at the front (upper level/south side) of the Joseph Caputo Center, which is located at 95 Broadway, Ossining, NY, 10562, just west of Rte. 9/Highland Ave. at the junction of Croton Ave., Rte. 133 (from Metro-North Ossining Train Station by taxi or 15-minute uphill walk - parking lots nearby). After a brief walk, descend into the Weir in Ossining and explore the original 1842 brick water tunnel and learn its history.

Required: pre-registration. Walk may be rescheduled if weather does not cooperate.

Divided Loyalties - Revolutionary War on the Aqueduct: Irvington

Saturday, November 16, 2024 - 9:30am

Walk Leader:

Char Weigel

Presenter:

Revolutionary Westchester 250

PLEASE NOTE DATE CHANGE!

The Old Croton Aqueduct between Irvington and South Tarrytown crosses several colonial tenant farms impacted by the Revolutionary War. Walk and learn how the war divided neighbors and families into patriots or loyalists and everything in between. Discuss their lives in the dangerous, war-torn contested ground of Westchester County and how it shaped our area following its conclusion. This free, two-hour tour is offered in partnership with Revolutionary Westchester 250, the Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park, and Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct and will cover about 4 miles. Tour starts at the Mercy College parking lot next to the Smith Ball Field and the OCA and will proceed north along the trail.

This walk may be rescheduled due to bad weather.

9:30 AM | Location: Smith Field next to the OCA, Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry | Free | Ages: All Ages

Weir Tour

Saturday, November 16, 2024 - 10:00am

Walk Leader:

Pete Dispensa

Presenter:

Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct

Free, easy, 2-hour tour. Meet at the front (upper level/south side) of the Joseph Caputo Center, which is located at 95 Broadway, Ossining, NY 10562, just west of Rte. 9/Highland Ave. at the junction of Croton Ave., Rte. 133 (from Metro-North Ossining Train Station by taxi or 15-minute uphill walk - parking lots nearby). After a brief walk, descend into the Weir in Ossining and explore the original 1842 brick water tunnel and learn its history.

Required: pre-registration. Walk may be rescheduled if weather does not cooperate.

Fall Walk on the Aqueduct in Van Cortlandt Park

Sunday, November 17, 2024 - 11:00am

Walk Leader:

Ian Klein

Presenter:

Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct

Free one-way walk of approximately 3 miles, 3 hours. Meet in front of St. Paul the Apostle Church (602 McLean Ave.) at Sherman Ave. in Yonkers. Street parking is available on McLean Ave. or use W20 bus to McLean Ave or W4 bus to Sherman Ave. From McLean Avenue we will walk on the Aqueduct thru Van Cortlandt Park to Bedford Park Blvd. West and Goulden Avenue, with a stop by the Jerome Park reservoir. Public bathrooms are available in the park on Bedford Park Blvd. To return to the start of walk, take W4 bus or W20 bus back to McLean avenue and # 4 train and D train available at Bedford Park Blvd. Trail is mostly flat, but rocky, so wear appropriate shoes.

Walk may be rescheduled if weather does not cooperate. Required: pre-registration.

Pollinator Pathway Lecture

Wednesday, November 20, 2024 - 1:00pm

Presenter:

NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation

Chet Kerr

Inspired by the Old Croton Aqueduct Trailway

Climate change, loss of habitat, and overuse of pesticides all present challenges to pollinators – the bees, butterflies and other invertebrates that provide a crucial link in the process of pollination, an essential element of environmental sustainability and the food chain.

To counter these challenges, environmentalists, communities, and everyday residents are working to develop Pollinator Pathways – corridors of public and private properties that provide native plant habitat and nutrition for pollinators.

Here in the Rivertowns, we have an existing framework for such a pathway drawn from history – the Old Croton Aqueduct State Park. To meet the goal of supporting pollinators and to take advantage of the existing OCA pathway, the Office of State Parks has worked with local Pollinator Pathway groups to create an OCA Pollinator Pathway program, allowing for the creation of native plant gardens along the OCA managed by adjacent property owners.

Join us for a conversation with Chet Kerr to discuss how this program uses our historic Aqueduct Trailway as a space to begin to tackle the challenges of today.

File attachments:

Download polinator_pathways_flyer.pdf (290.24 KB)

Takings: A History of Land Disputes Along the Aqueduct

Thursday, November 21, 2024 - 7:00pm

Presenter:

Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct and Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area

At the Croton on Hudson Free Library

When the first Croton Aqueduct was built, it disrupted many long-standing working farms and estates throughout Westchester, the Bronx, and Manhattan through eminent domain. Although local landowners were powerless to stop the project, they did win several concessions, including tunnels, ramps, route diversions, and even the glorious High Bridge.

In this special lecture, historian Keith Doherty will document how the OCA affected the local landscape and how property owners, in turn, shaped the OCA we know today.

This program was organized by the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, sponsored by the Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct & Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, and presented in conjunction with the Croton Free Library and Croton Friends of History.

Please register in advance

Croton Dam Hike

Saturday, November 23, 2024 - 11:00am

Walk Leader:

Sara Kelsey

Presenter:

Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct

Enjoy a free, easy, 2 miles/hours (total) loop hike north along the Aqueduct and atop the beautiful Croton Dam. Meet near the restrooms at the rear (south end) of the parking lot at Croton Gorge Park, Rte. 129, Cortlandt, NY. 10567, GPS Coordinates: 41.22603, -73.85770. The leader of the hike will discuss the history and construction of the Old Croton Aqueduct and the features of the Croton Dam, the trailhead of the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail. The Aqueduct was completed in 1842 to supply fresh water to a thirsty New York City.

(From Metro-North Hudson Line Croton-Harmon Train Station: 15-minute taxi.)

Walk may be rescheduled if weather does not cooperate. Required: preregistration.

Tibbetts Brook Park Loop

Sunday, November 24, 2024 - 11:00am

Walk Leader:

Sara Kelsey

Presenter:

Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct

RESCHEDULED FROM OCT 27

Free, easy 4-mile (total) loop walk beginning and ending (where we will meet) at the admission booth near the park entrance at 355 Midland Avenue (at Teresa Avenue), Yonkers, NY 10704. Discover the connections between the Old Croton Aqueduct, Tibbetts Brook Park, and South County trails. View Tibbetts Brook and learn its history. Learn about three Croton Water structures.

Required: Pre-registration. Walk will be rescheduled in the event of rain.

Jerome Park Reservoir Walk

Sunday, December 1, 2024 - 11:00am

Walk Leader:

Ian Klein

Presenter:

Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct

Free, easy, 2 ½ -mile, 2-hour walk around the Jerome Park Reservoir, which is part of the New Croton Aqueduct system, that can supply 10-30 percent of NYC's water supply. See the beauty of this man-made reservoir, the only one in the Bronx. Learn about the incredible history of the reservoir, the Old Croton Aqueduct, the New Croton Aqueduct and the surrounding area.

The walk starts and ends at Paul Avenue and Bedford Park Blvd West. Street parking is available, or take the W4 bus, W20 bus, # 4 train or D train to Bedford Park Blvd.

Walk may be rescheduled if weather does not cooperate. Required: pre-registration.

Weir Tour

Saturday, December 7, 2024 - 10:00am

Walk Leader:

Pete Dispensa

Presenter:

Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct

Required: pre-registration. Walk may be rescheduled if weather does not cooperate.

Croton Dam Hike

Sunday, December 8, 2024 - 10:00am

Walk Leader:

Sara Kelsey

Presenter:

Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct

(From Metro-North Hudson Line Croton-Harmon Train Station: 15-minute taxi.)

Walk may be rescheduled if weather does not cooperate. Required: preregistration.

Lenoir Nature Preserve to Untermyer Gardens

Sunday, December 15, 2024 - 10:00am

Walk Leader:

Sara Kelsey

Presenter:

Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct

Free, easy, 3 mile/hour walk. Meet at the Lenoir Nature Preserve at 19 Dudley Street in Yonkers, off of Broadway (parking available). Explore the Nature Preserve before heading south from the Preserve for one mile along the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail to Untermyer Gardens. Learn the history of the Old Croton Aqueduct along the way. Tour the exquisitely restored Untermyer Gardens, once among the most famous gardens in the world. View its multi-cultural holiday decorations. Return to the Lenoir Nature Preserve.

Weir Tour

Saturday, December 21, 2024 - 10:00am

Walk Leader:

Pete Dispensa

Presenter:

Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct

Required: pre-registration. Walk may be rescheduled if weather does not cooperate.

First Day of the Year Croton Dam Hike

Wednesday, January 1, 2025 - 1:00pm

Walk Leader:

Sara Kelsey

Presenter:

Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct

Start the year on the right foot! Enjoy a free, easy, 2 miles/2 hours (total) loop hike north along the Aqueduct and atop the beautiful Croton Dam. Meet near the restrooms at the rear (south end) of the parking lot at Croton Gorge Park, Rte. 129, Cortlandt, NY. 10567, GPS Coordinates: 41°13′ 20.46” N -73°51′12.59” W. The leader of the hike will discuss the history and construction of the Old Croton Aqueduct and the features of the Croton Dam, the trailhead of the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail. The Aqueduct was completed in 1842 to supply fresh water to a thirsty New York City. (From Metro-North Hudson Line Croton-Harmon Train Station: 15-minute taxi.)

Required: preregistration. Walk may be rescheduled if weather does not cooperate.