Somewhere around 30 million people visit Niagara Falls each year. Let that sink in – that’s a whole lot of tourists. Somewhere between the glitz of Clifton Hill and the high priced fun of the Great Wolf Lodge is something probably most of those people never see. The ‘real’ downtown Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
Tucked in off the Niagara Parkway around where the members-only bridge crosses to the United States is an area of Niagara Falls that looks like it might better fit in on the other side of the Niagara River. You are immediately met by abandonment and the nearly total lack of human life. As you move toward the main drag, Queen Street, there are signs of life but it is anything but bustling.
But, is it something worth seeing? Well, that depends on your personal likes and dislikes. If you only want to see the lights and gamble your money away, this is not for you. If you’re into history and seeing something other than the status quo, then you might want to check it out.
Downtown Niagara Falls, Ontario Image Gallery
For full-size, high resolution versions for any of the photos in the image gallery, simply click on the individual pictures. See below for more detailed descriptions.
Image Gallery Descriptions
Going top to bottom, left to right.
1.. Queen Street. This is the true main street in Niagara Falls, Ontario – not Clifton Hill. The is a revitalization effort underway and businesses are encouraged to return. To sound that bell, the city has put up the street name arches you see and they’ve put in a park.
2.. Abondonment on Park Street. This is what you first encounter when leaving the Niagara Parkway to enter the downtown area. This is in stark contrast to the fancy ‘bed and breakfast’ mansions found just a short distance away.
3.. The former Post Office and Customs House (aka the Old Stone Jug). This is about as historic as it gets in this area. The beautiful stone building was completed in 1885 and designed by Thomas Fuller. Fuller is the same man who designed the first parliament buildings in Ottawa, Ontario. This building served as the Niagara Falls post office from 1885 to 1930 and as the customs house from 1885 to 1952. This made sense, located beside the main rail line between Canada and the United States.
It later became the Niagara Falls Police Headquarters from 1952 to 1976 and has been abandoned since the 1980’s. The structure was designated a city heritage property in 1978. Although the exterior looks sound, apparently the inside is condemned. The building played a role (as a police station) in the 1953 movie ‘Niagara’, starring Marilyn Monroe.
4.. The Empire Building. This structure has been standing since the turn of the last century and is now abandoned. The Empire Building once housed the Royal Bank of Canada.
5.. Amtrak Maple Leaf coming into the VIA Rail Station. The train station first opened in 1979 and was rebuilt through the 1980’s and 1990’s. Just one train comes along these tracks, twice per day. The Maple Leaf is a joint route run by Amtrak in the United States and VIA Rail in Canada. It runs twice per day, once from Toronto’s Union Station to New York City’s Pennsylvania Station and once in the opposite direction.
Along the way, the Maple Leaf makes 20 stops over it’s 875 kilometre route, taking 12 hours from start to finish. Amtrak trains are always used but VIA personnel take over for the journey from Niagara Falls to Toronto. This service began in 1981.
The gentlemen seen in the image are Canadian border guards. Each day, a mobile customs unit is set up to clear passengers entering the country.
6.. Hotel Europa. This is not the Fallsview Hilton! But, when it opened in 1910 as the Trennick Hotel, it was most likely in better shape than it is now. Originally, the Columbia Hotel sat at this location but was torn down to make room for the Trennick. The name changed a few times over that past 108 years and it has been also known as the Metropole, Mohawk Hotel and Lord Nelson Hotel.
7.. According to friendly border guards at the VIA Train Station, this airplane, or one like it, can be seen pretty much every day. This is a KC-135 Stratotanker and it is stationed across the river in Niagara Falls, New York at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. The aircaft is operated by the 914th Air Refueling Wing.
The KC-135 Stratotanker was introduced in 1957 and was produced from 1955 to 1965. In all, 803 were built. The aircraft is directly related to the Boeing 707 passenger plane with a narrower and shorter fuselage. These airplanes are responsible for refueling fighter jets in the air and have been more recently active in Middle Eastern hot spots like Syria.
8.. A closer look at the Hotel Europa facade with the opening date of 1910 below the name.
9.. Another look at the engine from the Amtrak Maple Leaf, waiting to clear customs and head to Toronto’s Union Station.
It should be noted that just prior to stopping at this station, the Maple Leaf crosses the historic but hidden Whirlpool Rapids Bridge. This is a two level arch bridge that opened in 1897. The upper level is a single rail track and the lower level has two lanes for vehicle traffic. The bridge is 329 metres or 1,079 feet long, crossing the Niagara River Gorge.
This bridge sees much less traffic than the Rainbow Bridge in the tourist area of the city. The Whirlpool Bridge is only open to passenger vehicles and to cross you must be a NEXUS member.
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Niagara Falls, Ontario has a population of 88,000 with nearly 400,000 in the metro area. Tourism here dates back to the early 1800’s. In 1904, the city was formed as it is now, although settlements existed as far back as the 1850’s. The city is located 130 kilometres, by road, from Toronto and just a short distance from Buffalo, New York.
Downtown Niagara Falls, Ontario Video
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