Canastota is a village located inside the Town of Lenox in Madison County, New York, United States. The population was 4,084 at the 2010 census.
Canastota is well known as an βonion growingβ town that at one point was a large portion of income in the village.
The village was incorporated in 1835, but was reorganized in 1870. Located along the banks of the Erie Canal, which was completed through the Mohawk River valley by 1825, Canastota was a vibrant trading and commerce town during the mid-nineteenth century for a wide agricultural area. When the canal was superseded by construction of railroads, and later the New York Thruway, some canal towns were cut off from the main lines of commerce.
Canastota is home of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Having produced two world champions in Carmen Basilio and Billy Backus, Canastota was a natural choice as a site for the museum and outdoor stage. The museum is located a short distance from the New York State Thruway.