Trip Idea

Visit the C&O Canal at Williamsport

Multiple Parks

The Cushwa Warehouse and Turning Basin at the C&O Canal
Duration Half Day
Topic(s) Scenic Views, Trails, Canals, Wilderness, American Revolution, Animals, Birds, Fish, Tortoises and Turtles, Architecture and Building, Arts, Photography, Burial, Cemetery and Gravesite, Trade, Dams, Engineering, Farming and Agriculture, Immigration, Industry, Factories, Mills, Mining, Military, Infantry and Militia, River and Riparian, Transportation, Bridges, Tunnels, Wars and Conflicts, Civil War, Colonial/European Contact Conflicts, French and Indian War, Women's History, Commerce
Activities Biking, Self-Guided Tours - Walking, Museum Exhibits
Type Kid Friendly, Active, Relaxed, Educational
Parks Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail
Things to Do at the C&O Canal in Williamsport
  • Multiple Parks

    Explore the C&O Canal Williamsport Visitors Center
    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Self-Guided Tours - Walking
    • Pets: Yes
    • Location: Williamsport Visitor Center, 205 West Potomac Street, Williamsport, MD
    • Duration: 20–60 Minutes
    • Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day
    Cushwa Basin and Warehouse view from towpath

    Visit the Williamsport Visitor Center at Cushwa Basin for information about the Canal and the surrounding area, sites including an aqueduct, rail lift-bridge, lockhouse, and operable locks.

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  • Multiple Parks

    Explore the Trolley Barn at Cushwa Basin
    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Museum Exhibits
    • Pets: No
    • Location: Williamsport, MD
    • Duration: 15–60 Minutes
    • Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day
    Image of large brick trolley barn viewed from the front

    The trolley barn is located across the parking lot from the Cushwa Building. In 1896, the first trolley line in Washington County, Maryland was built running from Williamsport to Hagerstown. The water supply from the Conococheague Creek made this location ideal for a steam-powered generating station. Today, the trolley barn contains historic photos, historic toys, children's costumes, a scale model of a canal boat’s mule stable, and dioramas.

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  • Multiple Parks

    Borrow a Bike at Cushwa Basin
    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Biking
    • Age: 5 and Older
    • Pets: No
    • Location: Cushwa Basin Visitor Center
    • Duration: 1–7 Hours
    • Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day
    view of towpath over bike handles

    If you’d like to explore the stretch of towpath near the Cushwa Basin, you can borrow a bike from the visitor center free of charge! Simply leave a driver’s license or car keys at the front desk and pick the right bicycle for you. We have a collection of well-maintained bikes for men, women, and children. For this half-day trip idea, we recommend staying within just a few miles of Cushwa Basin.

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Last updated: October 7, 2020