Sims Store

Sims Store was originally located about 2 miles down the canal closer to Belle Isle and Gere Lock but was rebuilt as a museum near the village of Camillus. The canal store was conveniently located to service people who needed to stop before the lock and was stocked with fresh water, medicine, food, animal feed, kerosene and more.

The original Sims Store was built by John Sims in 1856 and was a departure point for people traveling on the canal. Destroyed by a fire in 1963, the new Sims Store museum was built in 1976 by volunteers Liz and Dave Beebe. This museum is designed to look exactly like the original store on the main level and has historical exhibits on the upper level.

The museum is divided into many sections. The store section is a replica of the original with many Erie Canal artifacts of the past and includes a small gift shop. There is also a local history section, an Erie Canal barge display, an 1800s room, and a section describing the canal's construction, including some tools used. An original mural of a boat traveling over the Nine Mile Creek Aqueduct can be viewed on the second floor and much more!