LaSalle Canal Boat

The LaSalle Canal Boat is a mule-pulled, full-size replica of the 19th Century canal boats that once carried passengers on the I&M Canal, the hand-dug waterway that opened in 1848, extending from Chicago to LaSalle-Peru. The 76-by-15-foot boat is docked in downtown LaSalle, only five miles from Starved Rock State Park. A few short blocks from the LaSalle Canal Boat is the Lock 16 Center’s Café & Gift Shop. The restored vintage building was once home to a horse buggy maker and is now a hub for LaSalle Canal Boat rides and activities, visitor information, I&M Canal exhibits, lectures, afternoon teas and cultural programs. The Lock 16 Center is also a place to linger and learn, dine and shop, or have your next special event.