Walnutport Canal Association, Inc.
The Walnutport Canal Association was incorporated on February 4th, 1982, "for improving and maintaining the Lehigh Canal in Walnutport and its banks." Meetings are held every third Wednesday of the month at 7:00 PM in the Walnutport Borough council meeting room. The Association currently oversees and maintains a canal park consisting of 145 acres and 4.5 miles of canal and adjoining towpath. Over the years, numerous activities and events have been sponsored by the Association to make use of the canal area and to raise funds to maintain and improve the area. This fundraising currently continues as we strive to keep our Association operational. 
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The Walnutport Canal Association, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
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For local residents, a beautiful day often includes a walk along the canal's towpath, fishing from the banks, or a serene moment of gazing into the waters of the canal while resting on the bankside benches. 

Mission Statement

To maintain and preserve the Walnutport section of the Lehigh Canal and to present an interpretive history of the Canal Era at the Locktender's House and Museum.

Getting There

From Allentown, take Route 145 north 13 miles to Walnutport. Turn left at traffic light where Burger King and McDonald's are located. Proceed over railroad tracks and make 3rd left onto Lehigh Street. 
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From Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, take turnpike 476 south to exit 74 (Mahoning Valley). Go west on Route 209 then east on Route 248 to Route 145 south. At traffic light near Burger King and McDonald's, go right and follow directions above.

Building Addresses

  1. General Mailing Address for the Walnutport Canal Association, Inc. 417 Lincoln Avenue, Walnutport, PA 18088
  2. Locktender’s House, 309 Lehigh Street, Walnutport, PA 18088
  3. Heritage Center, 420 Lehigh Street, Walnutport, PA 18088
  4. WCA Pavilion, 416 Lehigh Street, Walnutport, PA 18088

The Canal Chronicle

The Canal Chronicle, published bi-annually, is the official newsletter of the Walnutport Canal Association, Inc.
​To access the latest issue of The Canal Chronicle please click here.

WCA By-Laws

To access the Walnutport Canal Association, By-Laws please click here.

Heritage Center and Museum

In 2012, the Walnutport Canal Association, Inc., constructed a 40' x 20' addition to an existing storage building to accommodate an office, a museum, and a second-floor loft area. We took occupancy of the office in the spring of 2013. 
In the fall of 2017, we began working on museum exhibits by placing a full wall mural of the wood frame Walnutport Train Station that was built by the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad around 1868.  The mural was installed in the spring of 2018, and the museum opened to the public for the first time at our Walnutport Canal Festival on Sunday, October 21, 2018. 
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Initially, the loft area was set up as a small meeting room and general storage space, but in 2024, we had a total of 22 pieces of media, i.e., old VCR tapes, reel-to-reel film, slides, and CDs transferred onto USB drives. This conversion allows us to begin sharing our remarkable canal history with visitors whenever the museum is open.  To help us accomplish this, we were fortunate to have a new 43” flat screen TV donated to us by the family of the late Dorothy Kelchner George, granddaughter of Frank Kelchner. 

In the fall of 2024, we expanded the museum by converting a workshop just beyond the general store into an additional showroom.  On February 18, 2025, we reached an agreement with the Lehighton Borough to acquire a 22’ quarter-scale canal boat, which is on display in the new Boat Room along with a variety of canal boat heirlooms, pictures, and historic documentation about the canal. 
The Heritage Museum, as well as the restored Locktender’s House, is open for tours every year on designated Sundays from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM from May through September.  

Both venues are also open during the Walnutport Canal Days Festival from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM on the third Saturday and Sunday in October.  Tours for individuals or groups at other times can also be scheduled.  Please refer to our contacts page for more information.
Walnutport Canal Association, Inc. 417 Lincoln Avenue, Walnutport, Pennsylvania 18088
Last updated April 6, 2026
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