If your travels take you to the St. Lawrence River and the area near Clayton, NY, the Antique Boat Museum awaits. Its 400-acre waterfront campus includes 1900 feet of dock space, 1300 feet of St. Lawrence River shoreline and ten buildings.

In addition to hosting the Nation's oldest antique boat show and auction each summer, the museum is notable for its collection of 250 watercraft, 65 inboard engines, 138 outboard motors, some 3,000 smaller artifacts and various archived materials about recreational boating. At any given time about 40 percent of the museum's boats are on display, with the remaining boats available for viewing by appointment. The museum also maintains a fleet of boats on the water.

Be sure to check out the historic small craft, from dugout canoes to St. Lawrence skiffs to elegant sailing canoes, in the Pauline Morgan Dodge Building; the collection of racing boats (among them, the Dixie II, winner of more than 100 consecutive races, including two Gold Cups and two Harmsworth Trophies) and racing engines in the Gold Cup Building; the powered pleasure boats (among them, a steam launch, a naptha launch, runabouts, launches and cruisers) in the Cleveland Dodge Building; the boat builder in residence at the Stone Building; and the traditional rowing and sailing vessels at the Dr. Fred Thomas Skiff Livery. In fact if you opt for a short orientation at the latter, you'll be allowed to take a skiff out on the water.

You'll undoubtedly spend a lot of time in the Elizabeth and Bolling Haxall Library and Exhibition Building. Here you'll find the library, link archives, education center, theater (shows short films about boating history), the Museum Store and four exhibition galleries.

The Antique Boat Museum is located at 750 Mary Street, Clayton, NY 13624.

– Linda Hoff