Corn Hill Navigation Christens New Riverie Tour Boat and Opens New Corn Hill Navigation Waterfront Center at the City of Rochester Downtown Harbor
Book Online Now for Cruises!
Corn Hill Navigation staff and board members and Mayor Malik D. Evans christen Riverie. Photo by Renée Veniskey.
Rochester, New York, June 6, 2023— Corn Hill Navigation christened Riverie, its newest cruise boat, today and opened the new Corn Hill Navigation Waterfront Center at the City of Rochester Downtown Harbor. Riverie is the first boat to offer cruises on the Genesee River in downtown Rochester since 2013. Online cruise booking is open now at CornHillNav.org.
The 40-passenger Riverie, whose name incorporates River and Erie (Canal), offers a wide spectrum of entertainment options for families, businesses, and organizations, as well as on-the-water, STEEM-based experiential learning opportunities for thousands of students annually. It is available for private charters and themed cruises, including Live Music Sunset, Birding, Bike and Boat, Pizza, Quiet, Lock 33 trips, Citizen Science, Full Moon, and more.
- Cruises range from $30 to $45 per adult and can be booked online now at cornhillnav.org/riverie
- Discounts for seniors, students, and children under 13 years are available.
- Educational charters are custom designed and start at $525.
- Private charters are also available. Rates vary.
- For information on charters, contact Corn Hill Navigation at (585) 662-5748 or email [email protected].
New Corn Hill Navigation Waterfront Center at the City of Rochester Downtown Harbor
In its goal to lead the way in attracting recreational boaters to downtown from near and far, the new Corn Hill Navigation Waterfront Center at the City of Rochester Downtown Harbor provides harbormaster services, amenities for boaters, including restrooms and showers, visitor services, educational displays on the Erie Canal and Genesee River and is also home to Corn Hill Navigation’s Headquarters and Ticket Office.
The 2,200 square feet multi-use facility has been fully renovated. It features a riverview patio and is available to host a broad range of educational and community programming, meetings, and business and social events.
Boater docking facilities include over 900 feet of dockage along the sea wall with an average water depth of four to six feet, water and electric hookups, and sewage pump-out. The overnight fee is $5. The pump-out fee is $5. Facilities are open for boaters starting June 7, Wednesdays through Sundays. For information, call (585) 662-5748 or email [email protected].
Riverie is the second vessel operated by Corn Hill Navigation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering the appreciation, improvement, and sustainability of the Erie Canal and Genesee River since 1991. It also operates the iconic Sam Patch replica packet boat on the Erie Canal, based at Schoen Place in Pittsford.
Riverie is a key component of the ROC the Riverway initiative to bring a cruise boat and passengers back to downtown Rochester’s Genesee River and to help establish a vibrant urban core and sense of place. The Mary Jemison tour boat, operated by Corn Hill Navigation, was retired in 2013.
Riverie was designed and constructed by Scarano Boat Building in Albany, New York at a cost of approximately $700,000. Scarano is a leading builder of period wood, aluminum, composite, and steel boats, Coast Guard–certified for public transportation and excursions.
Corn Hill Navigation staff and board members aboard Riverie. Photo by Renée Veniskey.
“Today is an incredible day for Corn Hill Navigation and everyone in the greater Rochester area as we launch Riverie and open the Waterfront Center,” said Patrick Russell-Walsh, Corn Hill Navigation executive director. “Rochester was America’s first boomtown and a notable center of innovation because it is located at the crossing of the Erie Canal and the Genesee Riin and visit Rochester an opportunity to experience these waterways firsthand – to learn about their inspiring history and the critical role they play in Rochester’s future. It’s been 10 years since we’ve had a boat docked in Corn Hill throughout the season, and we are thrilled to have Riverie back in the neighborhood where we started over thirty years ago!”
“On behalf of the board, staff, and crew of Corn Hill Navigation, I am so pleased to present our newest vessel—Riverie,” said Patti Donoghue, Corn Hill Navigation board of director chair. “Through the efforts of countless people and the generous donations from ROC the Riverway (A City of Rochester and New York State initiative administered by New York Power Authority, and New York State Canal Corporation), the City of Rochester, Ted & Claire Curtis and Family, and many generous donors (including 100% of our board), Corn Hill Navigation, after a 10-year absence, is back where it all began — Corn Hill Landing. We are delighted to once again, be part of downtown Rochester — we look forward to offering fun, educational, and entertaining cruises through October.”
“The City of Rochester and the Genesee River are experiencing a renaissance, and the launch of the Riverie adds an experiential layer to this time of revival,” said Rochester Mayor Malik D. Evans. “Opening the City’s Downtown Harbor will allow canal boats and other craft navigating the Erie Canal to dock and enjoy a night on the town, attend one of our amazing festivals or museums, dine out, and then stay the night in the historic Corn Hill neighborhood. To bring something this dynamic to life takes incredible partnerships; we are grateful to Governor Hochul for the funding and appreciate all of the collaborations that made this a reality.”
Riverie is the second vessel operated by Corn Hill Navigation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering the appreciation, improvement, and sustainability of the Erie Canal and Genesee River since 1991. It also operates the iconic Sam Patch replica packet boat on the Erie Canal, based at Schoen Place in Pittsford.
Riverie is a key component of the ROC the Riverway initiative to bring a cruise boat and passengers back to downtown Rochester’s Genesee River and to help establish a vibrant urban core and sense of place. The Mary Jemison tour boat, operated by Corn Hill Navigation, was retired in 2013.
Riverie was designed and constructed by Scarano Boat Building in Albany, New York at a cost of approximately $700,000. Scarano is a leading builder of period wood, aluminum, composite, and steel boats, Coast Guard–certified for public transportation and excursions.
Student from RCSD #12 aboard Riverie today measuring the level of phosphates from a sample of the Genesee River to determine water quality as part of a series of assessments of the water’s physical chemical and biological characteristics. Photo by Renée Veniskey.
Quotables
New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “We’re thrilled to celebrate the christening of the Riverie – a brand-new vessel that will ply the Genesee River and historic Erie Canal. This beautiful new boat will give Rochesterians and visitors alike an opportunity to experience the history and beauty of these waterways in a unique way. Through ROC the Riverway, a strategic initiative to revitalize and reconnect Rochester to its waterfront, the New York Power Authority and the New York State Canal Corporation are proud to have contributed funding for the Riverie. We wish Corn Hill Navigation much success this season and in years to come as the Riverie joins the Sam Patch on the water.”
Don Jeffries, President & CEO, Visit Rochester, said, “Seeing the dream of a new tour boat for downtown and the Genesee River become a reality is a wonderful thing for both the tourism industry and downtown Rochester. We are excited to connect visitors to the Genesee River through the cruises and programming offered through Riverie and Corn Hill Navigation. The Riverie is a welcome addition to downtown, one that I am confident will be very popular with visitors and local residents alike.”
Patricia Nilsen, President and CEO of NYSEG and RG&E, said, “We are honored to have partnered with Corn Hill Navigation over the last several years and to continue that partnership today. The investments made are far-reaching, impacting the Rochester community, particularly students, and making sure individuals with financial barriers and diverse physical abilities have access. We wish you success with the launch of your new vessel, Riverie, and look forward to seeing it on the waterways!”
Dr. Carmine Peluso, Superintendent of Schools, RCSD, said, “This unique educational experience allows students to discover historical and conservation significance along the storied Genesee River. Students are gaining a deep understanding of the importance of this vital waterway, and for many, it’s their first time on a boat! Students can escape the traditional learning found in textbooks, step outside, and embark on a journey of discovery through hands-on, project-based learning.”
Kathleen Trepanier, School Principal of Anna Murray-Douglass Academy, No. 12, RCSD said, “Our scholars have been studying the conservation and history of water all year as Nature and Project Based Learning are core educational values here. Through the invaluable experience that Corn Hill Navigation, RIT, U of R, St. John Fisher are providing our 5th-grade scholars, they can experience the Riverie and study the biological, chemical, and physical characteristics of the water in our Genesee River. We are encouraging the next generation of local environmental scientists that understand the state and importance of our local waterways and also understand how resource-rich we are in Rochester, NY. Our waterways are a source of great pride and are in need of the next generation of “water protectors.”
About Corn Hill Waterfront and Navigation Foundation
Corn Hill Waterfront and Navigation Foundation is a non-profit educational organization founded in 1991. It operates two tour vessels, Riverie at Corn Hill Landing in Rochester on the Genesee River and Sam Patch on the Erie Canal at Schoen Place in Pittsford, and annually draws visitors from all 50 states and more than 50 foreign countries. Corn Hill Navigation’s mission is to engage people of all ages and backgrounds in on-the-water experiential learning and foster the preservation and improvement of the Erie Canal and Genesee River for future generations. Hundreds of thousands of people from all 50 states and more than 50 countries, including tens of thousands of students from schools across Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes Region, have experienced the Erie Canal and Genesee River aboard a Corn Hill Navigation vessel. Ridership has grown 40 percent over the past ten years. In 2019 and 2021, Corn Hill Navigation expanded its educational programs with the development of Environmental Education on the Erie Canal (E3C), a hands-on multidisciplinary STEEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Environmental, and Math)-based curriculum.
We are Hiring!
In conjunction with Riverie’s launch, Corn Hill Navigation is hiring for a number of positions, including crew members, ticketing and seasonal staff, and captains. For information, email [email protected].
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