Mohawk Valley Welcome Center - Westbound

Very nice place to stop while traveling to get something to snack on and stretch your legs. Nice outdoor walking path along the canal. It is absolutely gorgeous and has some great history. Also nice place to let your dogs walk around.

Great rest stop! Clean bathrooms, not a large rest stop but right on the Erie Canal. Large dog walking area and very scenic spot. There is food available to purchase!

Nice welcome center westbound. Very clean, nice outdoor space for walking and a small playground for kids to unwind from a drive. Standing against the fencing, you might catch a boat or two coming through the lock. There is a small snack bar and glass cases with artifacts from the area. There are charging stations for vehicles that need it. Parking for large buses and trucks available as well.

Excellent rest. Stop! Nice facilities and a great history tour of the Erie canal. It also has a great playground for kids and a dog run for dogs. Worth is stopped to stretch your legs and perhaps get a bite.

lovely little rest stop next to a very cool river lock! I liked the vending machines full of local products. clean and the staff were very helpful and friendly.

I also liked the little playground with the boat- if I was less self conscious I might have played with it

May 2023 - How we missed this stop making this drive for years, I don't know - but, if you're on I-90 and need to pull over to relax, stretch your legs, give your dog a break, use the restroom or pick up some free travel maps and brochures, this is the place. Located right next to the Mohawk River, there is a walking path that includes historic posted signs for people to read and learn as they take in the view, as well as a few seating areas if you're having a meal of your own or that was bought inside, or from their vending machines that offer sandwiches and beverages.

Inside the welcome center, there is a large screen highlighting all of the many places to visit in New York, as well as smaller ones that give information on colleges to attend or trips of note. A coffee maker and a drinking fountain are available. Clean, modern, well designed, as someone from CT, I was impressed New York provides this facility.

One of the nicest rest stops I've ever been to. Multiple picnic benches next to the water a lovely view of the canal and bridge itself. As well as informational plaques, 24-hour bathrooms, charging areas for electric cars, and all handicapped accessible. Also a lovely path for walking the dog including a well stocked dog waste disposal area.

This is our favorite stop anytime we travel. It's dog friendly with a dog area for my fur baby's to play! A playground for the kids. A walking trail. We love watching the trains across the river and the boats coming thru the locks. The staff is friendly. And the building is always clean.

Great place to take a break from driving. Very clean bathrooms and lots of tourist information. One of the few places that had a New York State Road Map. The place is located on the Mohawk River right next to Erie Canal Lock # 13

Clean rest area on the NY State Thruway. The walkways are well maintained. Inside there is a coffee shop and a number of vending machines selling local items, but nothing seemed to meet our needs. The restrooms are clean and there are a couple of EV charging stations.

This place is great. I stopped here for the night while driving through the area because I saw how great the previous reviews were: and they were spot on. It’s conveniently located right off the highway so you don’t have to go off course but traffic noise is limited. It’s staffed during the day but not during the night. The building is open 24/7 as is the parking lot and features charging stations, local food, drinks and New York souvenirs, hot water/beverages and large, clean bathrooms. Signs outside indicate that it’s under 24 hour surveillance which made me feel safer. The parking lot and inside the building are well lit 24 hours a day. There’s parking for at least a dozen big trucks and a couple dozen cars, i’d say. Location is right on the river and there’s signs along the paved walkway noting the history of the area. Saw people walking their dogs, no fenced in dog area but they do provide dog waste bags. Cool playground but it’s marked as closed for the winter season. No wifi available but my data was showing good service. Would certainly come again.

Nice bathroom/stretch stop. Free EV fast charging worked perfectly, but you need the shell app. Nice park, including a playground for children. Limited, expensive refreshments are available, so not the best stop if you're looking to eat. The bathrooms were clean.

Beautiful inside and out very clean has vending machines, car charging Stations and on the inside it has charging stations with various charging cords for phones ect. We got dark chocolate and it was the best chocolate I've ever had.

One of the most pristine rest stops I have ever seen! This place is beautiful! It has plenty of grassy areas to walk around in, a playground, a 24 hour indoor bathroom, a small cafe, souvenirs, maps, and vending machines. Great view of the water and trains. Good place to stop if you have kids or pets.

Nice, uncrowded rest area with picnic tables and a view of Lock 13. Clean restrooms and a nice assortment of vending machines with NY products. The Shell EV charger was free, too. We took out folding chairs and took a refreshing break while we waited under a shady tree.

Great views of the Mohawk River here. Be sure to walk down to the fence and check it out.

The outdoor educational and historical displays alone make this place worth stopping at and exploring. In fact, I never even went inside the building. I was so enamored and captivated I spent the whole time walking around outside taking it in.

Lots of parking. Place is quiet and peaceful. A good spot to pull off the road and take a break.

Gorgeous facility overlooking the historic Erie Canal! Several plaques details the area's historical events and personages. Spotless bathrooms and eating areas, including open-air picnic tables. There is a small playground for exercising the kids during long road trips. A museum displays intriguing artifacts from the Mohawk Valley's rich history. A "Taste of New York" store is on-site (some items are ridiculously overpriced!), and vending machines if you arrive after-hours.

We visited the Mohawk Valley Welcome Center - Westbound during a family road trip with our two toddler twins during a warm summer afternoon. Speaking as a parent, the welcome center was among the nicest roadside stop I've ever experienced, and I've criss-crossed the country multiple times.

The center features a playground with a historic canal/river shipping theme. The play structures were highly unique (see photos) and our kids were extremely excited by each of them.

There is a nice outdoor patio with seating. The interior of the center features vending machines selling locally made food and goods, and a coffee bar with reasonably priced coffee. There are also interactive information terminals, and even a DMV car registration terminal.

The center is located along the Mohawk River, adjacent to an active river lock, part of a historic transportation route. While visiting the center, we watched two private yachts pass up river through the lock, and the kids were fascinated by the process. The center is also across the river from a rail line, and we saw two freight trains, and an Amtrak train pass by during the hour we were there. For our toddlers, this was also fascinating and exciting.

There is extensive grassy lawns for taking a stroll, and I think I noticed a dog walking area. There are also three EV charging stations.

From the NY State Thruway site for the MVWC, here are some of the features boasted about on the center's website:

" The Welcome Center features:
- Taste NY Market selling locally made food and beverages
- “Path Through History” along the historic Erie Canal at Lock E13
- Walk of Fame highlighting influential individuals from the Mohawk Valley
- ADA compliant playground
- Covered porch overlooking the scenic Erie Canal
- Three electric vehicle charging stations
- Pet comfort areas"

beautiful place to stop nice and quite, greenery all over 5-8 truck parking too and a lot of wending machines inside, clean restrooms

Perfect stop to stretch your legs and your doggie companion. Walking paths with history about Erie canal and the locs. Very clean bathrooms and a nice little cafe.