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    Old Fort Niagara

    4.5 (79 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

    Old Fort Niagara Photos

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    Sheena M.

    Beautiful, historic place worth visiting! Located on the Niagara River. Learned a lot from the tour guide. The fort was occupied by three nations: France, Great Britain, and the United States. Loved seeing the cannon ball and being able to visit this historic landmark on vacation.

    Katie M.

    Great place to learn history. If it's sunny, bring a hat or sunscreen because its a lot of outdoor walking. A shuttle can get you there or you will need a car as it's not near transit.

    The French Castle in the distance behind cannons on the earthworks.
    Dustin M. R.

    The second activity of the second day of our Western New York family vacation (Day 2, Venue 2) was the Fort Niagara State Park in general, and Old Fort Niagara in specific. Operated since 1927 by a not-for-profit dedicated to the historic preservation of the site and providing interpretive programming, we were very excited to spend the afternoon exploring this living history museum! Taking up 250 acres of the state park's 504 acres, Old Fort Niagara is comprised of a modern museum and visitor center, the 1872 Fort Niagara Lighthouse, the North and South Redoubts which were built by the British in the 1770s, the Powder Magazine which was built by the French in 1757 for storing up to 50 tons of gunpowder, the Hot Shot Furnace built by the Americans in 1843 to heat cannon balls red hot, the Bake House built by the British in 1762 to replace the French-built original from the 1740s which was destroyed by fire, the long stone Provisions Storehouse built by the British in 1762 to hold 7000 barrels of food, the Gate of Five Nations rebuilt in 1930 to the same specifications as the French-made 1756 gate named in honour of the nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Dauphin Battery of cannons covering both the gate and the lower river, and the crown jewel of the fort, the French Castle. Built by the French in 1726 and called La Maison a Machicoulis, the three-story 'castle' is reputed to be the oldest building in the Great Lakes Basin. The history of the fort is deep and rich, with the area originally controlled by the Seneca people of the Iroquois League, until the French built their first wooden fort there in 1679 in order to better manage the fur trade. Controlling the mouth of the Niagara River where it empties in to Lake Ontario, the strategic site was expanded many times until it was captured by the British in 1759 during the French and Indian War. A Loyalist base in New York during the American Revolution, the fort was technically ceded to the United States in 1783, but the British retained control of it until the Jay Treaty was signed thirteen years later. During the War of 1812, the British re-captured the fort during a daring nighttime raid, and held it until the war's end. Soldiers were trained on-site for the Spanish-American War and World War I, and it served as a POW camp for 1200 German soldiers captured during World War II. While the US Army deactivated the fort in 1963, the Coast Guard continues to operate on the riverbank bottomland below the fort. As a family, we absolutely loved this historic site, and really appreciated the generations of work that went into restoring it. We found the museum to be modern and thoughtfully designed, the grounds well kept, and the historic buildings well documented with an uncommon eye for detail which impressed even our history buffs. We especially liked the vivid descriptions of the lives of the common soldiers stationed at the fort across the eras, French, British, and American. Likewise the passion and infectious enthusiasm of the reenactors really made the site come alive. I mean, who else is going to wear a wool uniform in the heat and humidity of a mid-summer afternoon?! Overall our family had a wonderful time exploring Old Fort Niagara and we would be delighted to return in order to delve deeper into its rich history!

    Taylor O.

    My families' goal is to go to every state park that NY has to offer. Touring this one allowed us to check off one more! It was so awesome to see everything that was preserved and maintained throughout history. I loved reading and listening about our history as a nation. While we were there we even got to see a musket demonstration. So cool to watch! I definitely want to come back here when the kid is older to learn more and spend more time in the museum!

    David L.

    Really interesting historical site that is incredibly well preserved/restored on a beautiful setting on the Niagara River and Lake Ontario w/ views of Toronto on a clear day. Even on a summer Sunday, we were pleasantly surprised by the small crowds - this seems like a hidden gem. Worth a trip to the area, and certainly worth a stop if visiting Niagara Falls and other area attractions. Tip: there is very little food available, so plan to pack a picnic meal or bring snacks...you might stay longer than planned.

    This fort played a pivotal role in the history of colonial America, and is an extremely rare example of large-scale, 18th-century military architecture in the U.S. It's a must-see for any history lover. Besides the impressive buildings, the historical reenactors really know their stuff and dress in authentic period costumes -- and they're quite funny to boot. There's also an excellent small museum with a huge, lovingly restored American flag from the War of 1812. If you're in Niagara to see the falls, it's very easy to get here and is definitely worth the trip!

    In the visitors center
    Vicky B.

    We came in the winter and really enjoyed our visit. You have to drive through the state park to get to the fort but we didn't have to pay the park entrance since it was late December. The fort has its own parking lot, and you enter through the visitors center. There are bathrooms, the admission desk, and a gift shop as soon as you enter. There's a AAA discount that saves you $1/ticket. In the visitors center building you can learn about the history of the fort, see the giant historic flag, watch the 15 minute video that plays every hour, and there was a special exhibit featuring the artwork of a former POW at the fort. We spent 45 minutes in this building. Outside, you can enter several of the historic buildings but some of them were closed for the winter. You can also enjoy some nice views of the Niagara river and Lake Ontario as well as musket demonstrations. Overall we had a pretty good experience, and found it very interesting! Suggested areas for improvement would be to fix the interactive stations that were non-functional (there were a few), and perhaps offer a discounted admission during the off-season since we weren't able to experience the entire fort.

    Mark M.

    Visited the Fort on a Sunday afternoon. To get there, we drove through the state park first, paid our $8 admission to it, but you receive a credit at the Fort when you pay for the Fort admission ($13 a person). Parking is free. The first thing you might want to do is go through the small museum, read some of the story boards, and watch the short video (under 15 minutes) about the wars and how this Fort was used and defended itself. Next, walk out to the Fort and enjoy the old building where soldiers stayed. There's also a cross, kitchen, and a couple of towers to checkout. A good amount of walking and it is very interested. There was staff there firing muskets every 15 minutes. Also, don't forget to enter Door #5 to see a topography of the fort and other interesting items. Lastly, there's the gunpowder room to see. All in all, an excellent outing that is very historical.

    Joshua G.

    This Old fort (play off this old house) is like a time capsule. From the stone archways to coast of arms, this fort has it all. Embankments round out the design and include cannons. What I like about this Fort in particular is that there a substantial museum that you go through before the fort. Most places I've been to have a video and an exhibit, but this museum contains multiple exhibits!

    Mark D.

    This is a historic landmark worth visiting. This place makes a great day trip, date, or day out with kids. Very educational, and your $15 admission fee helps preserve a piece of history which we should be very proud of.

    Castle by Candlelight evening
    Paul L.

    I don't remember when I had first heard about 'Castle by Candlelight' but I wanted to visit Old Fort Niagara on one of the rare evenings and, finally, I eagerly did it a few nights ago. Although the night was chilly, it wasn't bone-tingling and there was no wind. It was still and beautiful. The grounds and building interiors were illuminated by candlelight. Folks were dressed up in costumes of the period. Food was being made by the heat of wood fires, old-timey craft-making engaged children, and I wandered through it all like a ghost caught in time. It was wonderful. I hadn't prepared for the evening by bringing the right camera so I crossed my fingers as I took my photos. Fortunately, some turned out okay so I got some memories. For some families, they got more memories because they make this a yearly ritual. This event isn't widely known but locals are tuned in: by the time I left, the parking lots were filled to capacity and lines of people were streaming in under the light of the night sky.

    Jennifer D.

    Wonderful experience visiting for the afternoon. We went columbus day weekend and we're pleasantly surprised that they were hosting educational events and reenactments of the time.

    Christopher C.

    There are a lot of tourist trap places you could visit in the Niagara area as a whole. But if you want a real authentic experience even if you're not a huge history person then Old Fort Niagara should be a no doubt about it stop. The history of Old Fort Niagara spans more than 300 years. This in and of itself is not that terribly interesting but what is interesting is that the fort was occupied at different times by France, Great Britain and the United States. The French established the first trading post here in the 1670's. The impressive French Castle was built in 1726 and even though it was initially called A House of Peace and was supposedly only built as a trading post it's no doubt what it's true purpose was, a military fort. The fort served to help control access to the Great Lakes and the westward route to the heartland of the new world. During the French and Indian War the British take control of the fort in 1759. They eventually lose it to the United States in 1796 but the British route the US out during the War of 1812 only for it to be returned to the US in 1815 via the Treaty of Ghent. Since that time the fort was modernized for the Civil War as the North was afraid that a British alliance with the South would lead to fighting along the Canadian border. The fort was then used as a training center for troops during the Spanish American War & WWI. Too small to be a WWII training base the fort was used as a reception center for recruits and eventually housed German and Austrian prisoners of war. Fort Niagara was declared surplus at the end 1945, and many of the buildings were converted to temporary housing for veterans. Plans to convert the New Fort to a park were developed in the late 1940s, but the Korean War intervened and Fort Niagara was reoccupied in 1950. Anti-aircraft troops were stationed there from 1952 until the last military units were withdrawn in 1963. Even today there is still technically a military presence at the fort with the Coast Guard station that is located below the fort along the Niagara River. What this all equals out to is a fantastic experience as over the years many renovations have been done and aside of the main fort (The French Castle) there are several other well preserved building and structures at the site which give you a very authentic feel to what it would have been like to be stationed here in the 18th and 19th century. If you go: There are all sorts of special events going on here year round. The organization that runs the fort does a great job trying to get people to come this far north off the beaten tourist path. You have tons of school group activities from daytime programs, overnight programs to various annual encampments to daily in season musket demonstrations-hourly guided tours-18th century cooking demonstrations-their small lighthouse is open-mortar firing demonstrations plus a whole lot more. www.oldfortniagara.org/daily-programs www.oldfortniagara.org/calendar/list/current_page,1/per_page,10 The fort is open daily year round from 9-5 except for July & August when it's 9-7. Admission is a little steep at Adults: $12.00, Children (6 to 12 years old): $8.00 and Children (5 and under): FREE. Being a member of AAA, a senior citizen or member of the military only knocks a dollar off the price. If there is one downside to coming here it would sort of be the price but honestly the price is very understandable when you see the condition of the buildings and how they are displayed plus all of the daily programming. As much as I'm an advocate for the NPS, if this were run by the NPS it would be a shadow of what it currently is and likely would be a comparative mess. (The view isn't half bad either. Being able to see Toronto with at least some detail with the naked eye was an unexpected surprise.)

    Big map inside one of the buildings.

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    2 years ago

    I've been to a lot of forts ,and this is well done . In a Thursday, we're able to see reinactors shoot a musket and a canon.

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    I went here with Debra R, Jose R and a couple of people. The museum was really good. I liked the buildings and the gift shop.

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    Ask the Community - Old Fort Niagara

    I'm disabled. Are there benches or places to rest while walking around the fort?

    While much of the fort is flat, there are many other areas/sights available by steps, mounds and hills. Coming out of the visitors' center, you can use a ramp to get to the grounds, then abt 20min to the entrance of the fort, then another 15min roll… Read more

    How much is admission for an adult?

    From the Ft Niagara website: General Admission Adults: $15.00… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Old Fort Niagara

    Afterwards, we sat on a picnic table and watched monarch butterflies while pondering the vastness of Lake Ontario.

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    Frank Lloyd Wright's Graycliff - Living room

    Frank Lloyd Wright's Graycliff

    4.4(34 reviews)
    38.3 mi

    The last time I toured Graycliff it was almost 10 years ago and the house was under significant…read morerenovations. When I went back today for the tour, I was impressed to see every room restored! Our tour group only had 4 people total and took us about an hour and 20 mins to go through both floors of the house, and view the grounds. We really enjoyed everything, especially our knowledgeable tour guide and friendly gift shop attendant, Hannah! We'd love to come back again for a special event once the new visitor center opens in February.

    I've never been to this museum, but still think a museum membership here is an amazing deal…read more Then why post a review... Reciprocal benefits. This has been one of the most useful museum passes that we have ever purchased. The card allows admission to over a thousand museums, art galleries, historic homes, including Frank Lloyd Wright masterpieces, and cultural centers both in the US and abroad. The Martins Pass is a fantastic deal at $100 for 2 adults and children under 18 in a household. It includes five reciprocal benefit programs: the Time Travelers Reciprocal Program, the Empire State Museums Reciprocal Program, the Frank Lloyd Wright National Reciprocal Sites Membership Program, the North American Reciprocal Museums Program (NARM) and the Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums Program (ROAM). They also have occasional discounts off their membership passes. Some of the museums that we have visited via the North American Reciprocal Museum Association (NARM) include, but are definitely not limited to, the Royal BC Museum in Victoria, Canada, the High Museum and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, Georgia, the Richard Driehaus Museum in Chicago, and the Cabildo, the Beauregard-Keyes House and Presbytere in New Orleans. The ROAM (Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums) has also been useful. Favorite museums include the Atlanta History Center and Swan House in Atlanta, the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Sculpture Garden, and the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. The Oscar statuettes for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are so cute. Nice to be able to visit The Guggenheim in Manhattan by reserving online with the FLW benefits. We've also been able to visit the grand mansions in Newport, the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, and the Honolulu Museum of Art. The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco houses one of the most comprehensive collections of Asian art in the world. Simply stunning. And of course, the annual pass will give you unlimited access to Graycliff. Found this museum and museum pass while looking at museums near Buffalo, NY, for my friend Linda M. Make a donation at the museum or buy a souvenir at the gift shop. Special thanks to Ryan in the museum membership office. It has been a great membership for our family and a nice gift for our friends.

    Photos
    Frank Lloyd Wright's Graycliff - Upstairs

    Upstairs

    Frank Lloyd Wright's Graycliff - Credit: Matthew Digati

    Credit: Matthew Digati

    Frank Lloyd Wright's Graycliff - Credit: Meccay Photography

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    Credit: Meccay Photography

    Old Fort Niagara - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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