Member News

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 info@cornhillnav.org.

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 harbormaster@cornhillnav.org.

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.

"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.

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.