Stepping Back In Time At The Lawson Center Boat Museum

In New York State, a tiny boat museum holds a century's worth of travel memories. This is the Lawson Center Boat Museum.

My tours, meals, drinks, and accommodations were part of a press trip in conjunction with the TBEX conference. ​This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, we may be paid a small commission.

Getting into the spirit of things at the Lawson Center Boat Museum.

In a workaday village in western New York state, a tiny boat museum holds a century's worth of summer memories - memories that changed the face of travel for Canadians and Americans alike.

100 plus years ago, motorboats on Chautauqua Lake were fancy. VERY fancy. If you wanted to see and be seen along this vacation destination that's about halfway between Cleveland and Toronto, you'd cruise the lake on your very large, very expensive motorboat which, in actuality, was more like a mini-yacht than anything else. These boats were great for invoking a sense of old-school glamour but weren't exactly the most accessible of vehicles. That all changed with the Lawson Boat and Engine Company (a precursor of the better known L.S. Aero Marine organization), the driving force behind family-friendly motorboats that would revolutionize the area.

It doesn't sound like much at first. How much can a destination change simply by making pleasure boats a little bit smaller and a little bit more affordable? There's more to it than meets the eye, as I learned firsthand on my visit to the Lawson Center Boat Museum in Bemus Point, New York, situated in L.S. Aero Marine's former boat chandlery.

Chautauqua Lake looks like it might be easily overshadowed by its next door neighbour, Lake Erie. But that's never been the case. Vacationers from Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Ontario, and further afield have been flocking to this cozy spot for generations. The calm, warm waters, laid back lakeside towns, and easy transportation routes have long made it a favourite spot for sun seekers.

​However, it wasn't until the Lawson Boat and Engine Company started to focus on (comparatively) budget-friendly designs that the area became truly accessible to the middle-class. While the sleek wooden motorboats wouldn't be in everyone's budget, it was suddenly possible for, say, several siblings to pool their resources to have a shared family vessel that was perfect for sightseeing, visiting friends in other lake-towns, and reaching quiet beaches. 

The small building is chock-full of antique and classic boats, outboard and inboard motors, and artifacts that chronical the age of steam powered vessels. As a Canadian, my eyes were also drawn to several canoes suspended from the ceiling, a reminder that all kinds of boats have contributed to the area's travel legacy. ​

The Lawson Boat Center Museum celebrates this history and preserves the stories, legends, and culture of decades of travel, boating and otherwise. For instance, while I was there, I learned about the earliest day of the ice industry, when vehicles would collect ice for vacation home ice boxes. I swear, I will never take my iced coffee for granted again! 

Holding on to this history has been easier said than done. Wooden boats, even those that are painstakingly maintained, take a beating. Varnish erodes, surfaces are marred, dry rot finds a way to seep in. The fact that the Lawson Center Boat Museum has managed to acquire so many fine examples of early 20th century wooden boats really is remarkable and a testament to their dedication. Thanks to their efforts, one hundred-plus years of travel and boating history look like they might just be saved for one hundred more.

If you're travelling through the region (perhaps visiting the nearby National Comedy Center or the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum in Jamestown), the Lawson Center Boat Museum is well worth the detour for a visit. Before you go, note that their operations are seasonal in nature (usually from Memorial Day to Labor Day) and admission costs $5.

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