Festive gingerbread houses line the walls of the Erie Canal Museum’s Gingerbread Gallery. ©2025 Daniel Zaslow
AUDIO TRANSCRIPT: A festive Syracuse tradition celebrates its 40th year on display
Drew Matyasik: Christmas is coming, and this holiday season, a tasty Syracuse tradition celebrates its 40th year on display. Our Daniel Zaslow is here to tell us more about Syracuse’s most festive art gallery.
Daniel Zaslow: With Thanksgiving in the rear view mirror, it’s officially time to start celebrating Christmas, and what better way to start the celebration than with some gingerbread. The Erie Canal Art Museum in downtown Syracuse is home to the Gingerbread Gallery, an art exhibit made completely out of gingerbread. The gallery features nearly 50 hand-crafted creations, coming together to form a festive eighteen-hundreds streetscape. Meuseum employee Molly Dano says the gallery brings people together during the wintertime.
Molly Dano: A lot of families do them together, a lot of couples do them together. And so then they drop them off in early November, and we kind of create a winter wonderland scene in our upper gallery.
Zaslow: Dano also says that the Gingerbread Gallery tends to bring younger visitors into the museum. They show up for the gingerbread, but they end up learning much more about the history of the Erie Canal.
Dano: It’s been really nice sitting at the front desk where there’s been a lot of kids coming in. And not only are they looking at the Gingerbread Gallery, but they’re also going through our main exhibits, and they’re learning a lot.
Zaslow: The Gingerbread Gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The exhibit will remain open through January 11th.
Matyasik: Daniel, what gingerbread houses stood out to you most today?
Zaslow: Drew, that’s a great question. There was a Wizard of Oz-themed one called “We’re not in Kansas Anymore.” Fantastic, fantastic gingerbread house. Thanks, Drew.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) — If you visit the Erie Canal Museum between February and October, you’re probably there for a quick history lesson on the canal and its impact. But if you stop by during the holiday season, you’re likely headed to the upstairs gallery to check out Syracuse’s “sweetest” art exhibit.
Now in its 40th year, the Gingerbread Gallery is one of Central New York’s most festive and tasty art exhibits. Upstairs at the Erie Canal Museum, nearly 50 hand-crafted creations made by professionals, amateurs and children come together to form a charming and festive 1800s streetscape. But for many in Syracuse, it’s much more than just an art exhibit; it’s a means to build community.
“A lot of families do them together,” said Molly Dano, an employee at the Erie Canal Museum. “A lot of couples do them together, and then they drop them off in early November, and we create a winter wonderland scene in our upper gallery.”
And it’s not just couples, families and children. Many of the pieces that the Gingerbread Gallery features are from familiar faces in the community.
“A lot of them have been entering the Gingerbread Gallery for years,” said Dano. “They’ve really built up their skill in that way.”
Beyond the craftsmanship and festive fun, the Gingerbread Gallery also provides an unexpected learning opportunity for younger visitors. During the holiday season, a majority of visitors come to the museum to admire the baked goods on display; however, with the large crowds that the Gingerbread Gallery draws, many young visitors find themselves walking away in a festive mood and with valuable information.
“It’s been really nice sitting at the front desk where there’s been a lot of kids coming in,” said Dano. “And not only are they looking at the Gingerbread Gallery, but they’re also going through our main exhibits, and they’re learning a lot.”
The Gingerbread Gallery also brings a bit of friendly competition come holiday season. All of the art created for the gallery falls into one of four categories: confectioners (professionals), general, senior and youth. At the conclusion of the exhibit on Jan. 11, the community will vote on its favorite piece from each category. The exhibit will remain open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until then.