Syracuse Things to Do

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The International Boxing Hall of Fame was established in the 1980s to honor the greatest names in boxing. Over 190 pugilists are remembered with photos and busts and plaques in the new building. Included in the commemorations are some of the famous referees and announcers and sports casters that helped to make international boxing the popular sport it is today.

Every June, the list of inductees gets longer as a special event is held to enshrine the newest members. The proceedings cover three days and the price for attending any one day is in the hundred dallar range.

The gift shop is pricey but besides tee-shirts you can buy autographed apparel actually used by famous boxers. We get a commemorative mug as a souvenier of each of the places we visit.

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Nice family park(s) area of northwest Syracuse,NY. Easily accessible from NY Thruway (I-90) via exit 38 to Oswego Street south (NY57). On Oswego Street you will find Onondaga Lake Park and Long Branch Park and the Salt Museum and St. Marie of the Iroquois all within a few miles. There are also several restaurants and small shops on Oswego Street.
Long Branch has(had) small amusement area, walking trails, picnic area and playground. Onondaga Park has the Salt Mine Museum, a skate park (cement ramps), picnic areas, a tour-shuttle, walking/riding paths and several playgrounds. St. Marie of the Iroquois is a two story building housing a museum and artifact center for Iroquois Indian history. Well kept and informative with a small Indian village behind and up the hill from the main building.

Tour the National Register Landmark Weighblock Building, restored to its appearance in the 1850's when it functioned as a canal boat weighing station. Board a 65-foot long canal boat to experience life and work on the Erie Canal and explore the history of Syracuse as it grew from swamp to city. Visit the Education Gallery filled with interactive exhibits, the re-created weighmaster's office and the orientation theater, with its overview of the adventurous history of the world's most successful canal.
Open seven days a week 10am - 5pm. Admission is free.

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Before coming to Syracuse, all I really knew about it was that it was the home of Syracuse University and their relatively famous basketball team, the Orangemen. Legendary coach Jim Boeheim has been around for as long as I can remember and it was great to finally visit the home court of the team at the Carrier Dome. The campus itself sits high on the hill in downtown and has a few nice buildings and a small area of bars and restaurants called "The Hill."

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From what I can tell, Clinton Square (seen on the second photo) is the historical hub of downtown Syracuse. There's a big monument in the middle of the square and in the winter time, there is an ice rink. Many events and festivals are also held in the square. Syracuse's tallest building, the State Tower Building is seen to the right of the monument in the second picture. The first picture was taken from my friend Gina's apartment and shows Syracuse University and the Hill.

This church was organized in 1846, the current structure was occupied in 1875. In many ways when you "belong" here, you are part of something much larger than yourself .
We have MANY "features", not the least of these is the Word in prayer, sermons and music, in Sunday services at 10:30 am (during July and August 9:30 am)
Yes this is not truly an "unbiased" opinion, I am a member here AND I sing with a WONDERFUL group of people in the choir under the direction of Dr. Julie Pretzat, professor and chair of music at SUNY Oswego. There is a bell choir as well. If Worship = pray, sing, listen and act, together, then join us in Worship if you get to Syracuse on a Sunday. Our organist is SU Prof. Emeritus of Organ, Will Headlee

The Erie canal was one of the first "devices" that opened up westren expansion of the US. The fact that it went right through Syracuse where there was a branch to Lake Onterio via the Oswego canal made Syracuse the hub that it was, long before we ever thought about "networking".
There is a URL for the Erie Canal Museum but there are MANY site on the WEB about it as well. One of the most informative I have found is listed below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erie_Canal

The picture I have included here is a postcard of the weighlock when it was actually in use on the canal. If the steeple in the background looks vaguely familar, it is because that is Park Central Presbyterian Chuch, the same as my opening photo 100 years later!

Go to the Middle Ages Brewing Company. It's a small microbrewery in the western part of Syracuse on this little side street. It's easy to miss because if's out of the typical "touristy" area of Syracuse (if there is such a thing!) It's gaining in popularity which is good to see. You can tour the Brewery, or you can just hang out in their tasting room which is open almost all the time. They let you taste whatever they have on tap that day, usually 5 or 6 beers. They sell all their beers in the gift shop and various other things like t-shirts, can openers, etc. They also sell gift certificates, and 1/2 gallon jugs (growlers). This is how I learned about them in the first place - a friend gave me a jug and a gift certificate for having it filled. I went and tasted the beers they had (and they have cool names like Grail Ale, Druid Fluid, and Beast Bitter) and got it filled up. The beer stays good in the jug for about a week.