7/4/14: Old Fort Niagara

As I mentioned in my Niagara Falls Itinerary Post Old Fort Niagara was the first stop on our whirlwind tour of Niagara Falls USA.  This Fort is in Youngstown, NY and only 20 minutes from Niagara Falls USA.  Evan is really in to history so I knew he would love this stop on our tour.  Old Fort Niagara is a lovely place to walk around and gives you an opportunity to take a step back in time.  Inside the Fort we were able to tour original buildings where Native American, French, British and American soldiers lived and worked from the 18th to the 20th centuries. 

The history of Old Fort Niagara spans more than 300 years.  This fort at the mouth of the Niagara River controlled access to the Great Lakes.  Here are the kids entering in.

It remained an active military post well into the 20th century.  In 1726 France finally erected a permanent fortification with the construction of the impressive "French Castle."  You can read more here about the history.

 The kids with one of the canons.

 Old Fort Niagara was restored between 1926 and 1934.

 It is in a beautiful park.  I tried taking some panorama pictures.  If you click on these they will be larger and you can see them better.

Old Fort Niagara is operated by the Old Fort Niagara Association, Inc., a not-for-profit organization, in cooperation with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. 

The kids checking out the well.  It is said that Jean-Claude removed the head of Henri Le Clerc during the French occupation of Fort Niagara.  His body was thrown in this well and it is said that a headless figure has appeared looking for his missing head near the well.  More about that here.

Such beautiful views.  You receive a booklet when you enter and it has numbers which correspond to numbers around the Fort telling you more information.

 

Here is Lauren showing me some bread.

 More inside.  Evan checking out the comfortable beds.

 Comfy!

 A cat did decide he wanted to sleep there though.

Here is some video around the Fort including a musket firing.

The kids sitting outside, such beautiful views!

 It is absolutely lovely there.

 Another view towards the water.

 Lauren and another canon.

 Walking around outside.

There is so much to explore.

 There is also a welcome visitor center with a 16 minute video, artifacts, and the Fort's Original War of 1812 Flag.

Hours of Operation:  

The Fort is open year round with the exception of New Years Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.   January - June 9:00 am - 5:00 pm July-August - 9:00 am - 7:00 pm September - December - 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. 

General Admission Adults: $12.00 Children (6 to 12 years old): $ 8.00 Children (5 years old and under): FREE 

Between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day you can have lunch in the Fort's Log Cabin. They offer a reasonably priced menu of hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, wraps, snacks, bottled water, soft drinks, hot chocolate, coffee, shakes floats and ice cream. 

The Museum Shop Located in the Visitor Center, the Museum Shop offers a wide array of books, Old Fort Niagara apparel and souvenirs of your visit.

 Here are some more pictures.

Definitely a must see if you are in the Niagara Falls area.
Check them out online:  http://www.oldfortniagara.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oldfortniagara

Twitter:  @oldfortniagara

Disclosure: I received passes to go to Old Fort Niagara with my family. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.