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Bayfront District

Visitors to the Erie's Bayfront District will find an engaging mix public facilities, restaurants, shops, maritime activities and an abundance of public space, all thanks to recent public and private initiatives to rejuvenate, develop and beautify the bayfront as a first-class tourist district and people place.

The district is centered on Presque Isle Bay, a scenic harbor protected by Presque Isle State Park on the north and bounded by the City of Erie on the south. The bay has been the historic focal point of life in the Erie region for over 250 years, and today's Bayfront District is steeped in this history. Its historical record begins with the English and French in their early 17th century battle for control of the lower Great Lakes; a bit later, it was used as a shipbuilding center by Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry during the War of 1812. Presque Isle Bay provides Pennsylvania with its only port on the Great Lakes and continues to be a focal point of life in Erie today.

Visitors to the Bayfront District can witness Erie's history first hand by taking an interpretive tour of the U.S. Brig Niagara which is berthed at the Erie Maritime Museum. Built by Commodore Perry on the south shore of Presque Isle Bay in 1813, the original Niagara played a pivotal role in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. The reconstructed Niagara serves today as both a living museum and as the flagship of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Its crew of full-time sailors and seasonal volunteer deckhands demonstrate the skills and trials of 19 th century seamanship, such as handling sails, maintaining rigging and daily living in very tight confines under primitive conditions.

The Erie Maritime Museum is still a great place to visit even while the Brig Niagara is at sea. The museum features an intriguing range of interactive exhibits, films, special events and interpretive programs illustrating the War of 1812 and Erie's enduring maritime heritage. A full-scale reconstruction of the mid-ship section of the Lawrence, Perry's first flagship that was lost during the Battle of Lake Erie, is the centerpiece of the museum's exhibit and provides a hands-on learning experience to visitors of all ages. The museum also houses a museum store, a snack bar and a dockside amphitheater which affords a tremendous view of Presque Isle Bay.

The Raymond M. Blasco Memorial Library combines with the Erie Maritime Museum to comprise the district's Bayview Commons complex, an integrated 140,000 square foot facility that has played a lead role in the rejuvenation of Erie's Bayfront District. Pennsylvania's third-largest library, the Blasco Library is hosts a concerts series and numerous public education programs in its well-appointed facilities.

Directly east of the Bayview Commons complex is Dobbins Landing, named after Daniel Dobbins, an early 19 th century Great Lakes ship master involved in the early stages of the construction of Perry's naval squadron for the War of 1812. Here, a spectacular view of Presque Isle Bay, Presque Isle State Park and the Bayfront District can be gained from the observation decks of Erie's Bicentennial Tower, a 187-foot structure built in 1995 as part of Erie's 200th birthday celebration. The pier at Dobbins Landing has been the focal point of life on the bayfront for generations of Erie residents, whether for fishing, walking, feeding the ducks or just sitting to watch the cars cruising lower State Street on warm summer nights.

If you're drawn to the waters of Presque Isle Bay but don't have access to a boat, Dobbins Landing has plenty to offer. The bay, Presque Isle State Park and Lake Erie can be experienced on one of several commercial sightseeing cruises, which depart from the pier. Just visit Captain Tom Macaluso at Presque Isle Scenic Boat Tours, who takes to the water with visitors five times daily, seven days a week from mid June through Labor Day and on weekends from May through October (call 800-988-5780 for more information).

Dobbins Landing is also an excellent place to have a meal, whether on the water or dry land. A special treat can be had by taking a dinner cruise on the Victorian Princess, a 149-passenger stern-wheeler that plies the calm waters of Presque Isle Bay. Landlubbers can find food and drink at a range of on-shore snack bars, taverns and full-service restaurants at the foot of State Street near Dobbins Landing. After dinner, go for ice cream at the Bicentennial Tower snack bar and then wander over to the Bayfront Gallery. These artists' co-op displays locally crafted art, antiques and maritime curios and artifacts.

A short trip west of Dobbins Landing will take you a part of the Bayfront District that undergone dramatic changes over the past 10 years, enhancing public access and creating an environment that welcomes boaters, cyclists, pedestrians and other visitors. Liberty Park and the Pepsi Amphitheater are key locations in the western Bayfront District's rejuvenation. Liberty Park features lots of open space and a public facility furnished with playground equipment that addresses the needs of handicapped children and provides safe fun for all. The nearby amphitheater has a breathtaking view of the bay and features a broad variety musical and theatrical events, and also serves a vital role in the annual Erie Area Summer Festival of the Arts. Future plans for the Bayfront District include a historic waterworks exhibit at the stately Erie Waterworks building, a new hotel and conference facility, additional public access and an ambitious Greenway Project that will link together all of the bayfront's destinations with a network of pedestrian and bicycle paths, pedestrian bridges and public gardens.

The entire Bayfront District, from Liberty Park on the west to the Bayview Commons complex on the east, is easily accessible via Interstate 79 and the Bayfront Parkway. The Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority officially opened its Lake Erie Welcome Center, May 1999.