13827 US 24 West (at SR 578), opposite Grand Rapids on the Maumee River

Canal boats once carried goods and people 249 miles between Toledo and Cincinnati, linking Lake Erie and the Ohio River. Visitors to Providence today get a sense of what canal travel was like during a trip aboard an authentic, mule-drawn canal boat on an original section of the Miami and Erie Canal.

During the 45-minute trip, including passage through an original lock, living history characters tell educational and entertaining stories about life in the late-1800s. At the Isaac Ludwig Mill, waterpower is still used to saw logs and grind grain. The mill and a nearby building that was once a hotel are two of the three remaining structures from the former canal town of Providence.

The Providence Dam, just upriver from the mill, was originally constructed to keep the canal filled with water.

Special events at Providence include lantern tours and an annual mill festival in July. Weekly family programs in the summer feature old-time crafts, from candle dipping to tinsmithing.

The canal boat and mill are open May through October.

Hours of Operation (Closed Mondays and Tuesdays)
May - Memorial Day and Labor Day - October:
Wednesday - Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Weekends and Holidays Noon to 4 p.m.

Memorial Day - Labor Day
Wednesday - Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Weekends and Holidays Noon to 4 p.m.

Canal boat tickets: $6 adults, $5 members and seniors (60 and over), $3 children (3 to 12), ages two and under free. Mill tours, free.

Video clip

Providence
From the WGTE documentary " Toledo Stories: Metroparks of the Toledo Area"
(Highspeed connection recommended)