Penny Carlton / October 21, 2025
Legends and Lore: Up from the Depths
I can hardly sit still — this weekend, I’m stepping into the Finger Lakes Boating Museum for Legends and Lore: Up from the Depths, and my imagination has already slipped ahead of me. Every story I’ve heard keeps looping in my mind like a half-remembered dream. I can almost feel the cool air of the museum wrapping around me—the faint scent of aged timber and lake mist hanging in the corridors, mingled with that quiet, eerie stillness that only old buildings seem to possess. Somewhere, a floorboard creaks, a whisper catches in the rafters, and for a heartbeat, it feels as if the past is breathing beside me.
I picture the Seneca serpent first—ancient, shimmering, and impossibly long—its scales catching the flicker of torchlight as it coils beneath the water’s surface. The air grows heavy, and I can almost hear the hush of its movement through the dark. Then comes the ghostly crew of the Otetiani, drifting through the shadows, their hollow eyes gleaming faintly as if lit by unseen lanterns. They say their doomed voyage still echoes through these lakes, each ripple a memory of the night they vanished.
And then there are the tunnels. The hidden, half-whispered-about passages that twist beneath the museum’s halls. Will they swallow me whole into their cool, echoing depths? Or will I emerge into the Trout Boat Hall just in time to see the night take on a fever dream—wine ghouls toasting to eternity, brains in jars bubbling beside laughing phantoms, and dancers spinning in ghostly revelry, as if caught between worlds? My stomach does a little somersault just thinking about it.
There’s something deliciously unsettling about stepping into a place where history and folklore blur, where the line between truth and tall tale feels paper thin. The boats gleam softly under candlelight, their reflections shivering on the polished floors. Each one has a story to tell—a voyage begun but never finished, a captain who vanished without a trace, a whisper that still clings to the hull. Somewhere in the corner of my mind, I can already hear the gentle lapping of invisible waves, the murmur of voices long gone.
I keep telling myself I’ll be brave. But I know the truth: next week, I’ll be clutching the railing, glancing over my shoulder, and feeling that exquisite thrill of not knowing what’s real and what’s legend. Up from the Depths promises more than a show—it’s an experience, a haunting walk through the living folklore of the Finger Lakes. And I can’t wait to see what rises from the shadows to greet me.
📅 Dates: October 23, 24, 25
📍 Location: Finger Lakes Boating Museum, Hammondsport, NY
8231 Pleasant Valley Rd, Hammondsport, NY
🎟️ Tickets: FLBM
This weekend, I’ll step into shadows, legends, and whispers… and I have a feeling, I’ll leave with a story I won’t ever forget.
A note from the keepers of history and legends:
Prices
$20 Walking Tour Non Members
$17 Walking Tour Members
Check-in details
Guests must check in with registration at the upper parking lot upon arrival. Please provide the last name under which the booking is made and the number of people in your party. Advance reservations are highly recommended.
Tours, accommodating up to 18 guests, will depart every 15 minutes starting at approximately 6 p.m. each evening.
Parking is available in the upper and mid parking lots, as well as across the street.
What to bring
-Comfortable walking shoes
-Cash for games, food, and tarot card readings
Restrictions
This tour is unfortunately not handicap accessible. If you are unsure of your walking abilities, please call 607-569-2222 or email media@flbm.org with any concerns or questions.
Parental advisement under 12 years old.
Health & Safety
This tour requires walking up and down several flights of stairs.
