Welcome to the Dayton Canoe Club

The Dayton Canoe Club was established in 1912 and is a private membership club. The club is one of only two active clubs still using its original building, existing in the United States.

The Dayton Canoe Clubhouse is a Prairie Style building, located on the banks of the Great Miami River, just below the confluence with the Stillwater River, and remains much as it was when completed in 1913. 

During the late 1800’s to the 1930’s, canoe clubs were a common form of recreation in riverfront cities like Dayton, Ohio. Canoeing was an especially popular pastime. In the early days, pillow-lined and Victrola-laden canoes offered romantic interludes before the day of the automobile, and canoe competitions attracted large and enthusiastic crowds.

At one time, five canoe clubs dotted the banks of the Great Miami and Stillwater Rivers. The only one of these remaining is the Dayton Canoe Club.