Palmyra is a small town on the Erie Canal in upstate New York, significant in American history for two reasons: the canal that transformed commerce in the early republic, and the birthplace of the Mormon movement. Joseph Smith grew up here, and the Hill Cumorah where he reported finding the golden plates is just outside town.
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Erie Canal
The Erie Canal opened in 1825, connecting the Hudson River to the Great Lakes and making New York City the dominant port in North America. Palmyra sits along the original canal route. The Aqueduct Park has remnants of the original canal infrastructure. The canal towpath is now a walking and cycling trail.
The Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse (about an hour west) has the most comprehensive exhibits, but Palmyra’s section of the canal with its locks and historic buildings gives a good sense of the scale of the engineering project.
Mormon History Sites
The Joseph Smith Farm and the Sacred Grove are maintained by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The frame house where Smith lived and the grove where he reported his first vision are open to visitors. The Hill Cumorah visitor center has exhibits on the Book of Mormon narrative. The Grandin Building in town is where the Book of Mormon was first printed in 1830.
These sites are maintained as religious heritage and admission is free. Guides are typically LDS missionaries. The sites are well-maintained regardless of your relationship with the religion.
Getting There
Palmyra is about 25 miles east of Rochester, New York, on Route 31. It is a small town with limited accommodation — Rochester or Canandaigua are better bases with hotel options. The Finger Lakes wine region starts just south of Palmyra.