old fort niagara

A unique blend of history and natural scenary...http://kalpanthakalam.blogspot.com/2015/01/old-fort-niagara. A must place to see

This is without a doubt of one of the must-see historic treasures of 4 nations. Starting with the Native American, then French, then British, then United States, then Britain again until 1815 when it again rolled back to the United States' control, becaming the longest continually occupied military establishment in the U.S. It is the oldest existing stone structure on the Great Lakes.The facility and staff is exceptional and the daily reinactments are awesome. Their scheduled events are mind blowingly (is that a word?) wonderful. I can't say enough. If you are anywhere around Niagara Falls, besides the Falls themselves, you must see Old Fort Niagara.

If this magnificently restored old Fort could talk it would have lots to tell.reenactors brings the past to the present .Evryone interested in the ehistory of North America should spend time visiting this fort located at the mouth of the Niagara River at Lake Ontario.

A great place to explore Western New York history. The Park is extensive with a lot of facilities, but we spent our time at the Old Fort. They do a nice job of explaining the buildings and grounds and the self-guided tour pamphlet is sufficient for general information about the grounds. The museum does a wonderful job of exploring history of the area, the context of the fort’s use and the situations that led to the battles occurring in the area. There is a short film that gives an overview for those who do not want to look at the displays or explore more details. We spent several hours looking at exhibits and wandering the grounds. One caution, although the fort is open until 5:00, the museum and all restroom facilities are closed by 4:15 or 4:30. The nearest restroom facility we could find was at the boat launch area of the park.

We attend the French & Indian War weekend as participants - living historians. We have a wonderful time showing the public how things were done in the 18th Century. We get a lot of excellent questions from the visitors. The fort and fort staff are very friendly and helpful to the reenactors and the public. The visitor's center is excellent - wonderful displays as well as a well stocked giftshop. There are a couple of places within the fort to get a sandwich or icecream so the visitors do not go hungry. We as living historians are cooking our own food to show what we ate and how we prepared it. I am a historical lace weaver and my husband is a piper - there is plenty of time between the battle and other reenactment scenerios for us to show off what we love to do. Inside the fort there are a number of 18th Century Sutlers [stores] that have things that we reenactors need and things for the visitors who are collectors. There is a ramped entrance to the fort so it is possible for wheelchair users to get around - there is only a small part of cobbled walkway that they may need assist with. Love it and have been going every year since 2001.

This historic fort has not been abandoned. Supported by many dedicated individuals, it puts on tours (Christmas coming up!) and recreations that are so real, you feel you are back in colonial America. This summer, the Fort co-sponsored a 4th of July concert with the Buffalo Philharmonic that featured American composers. It was literally a stellar performance- open air, under the stars, capped off with a spectacular fireworks display above the ramparts of the Old Fort! This is a tourist attraction not to be missed.

What a breath of fresh air THIS was, after spending a weekend touring so many gaudy, plastic, falling-apart attractions in Niagara Falls! My wife made sure to grab a self-guiding tour brochure before we left the welcome center, which made all the difference. I saw a few reviews complaining about how you're just walking through a bunch of old buildings without any context; with the brochure, my wife was able to act as tour guide, explaining the purpose behind each building, when and why it was built, who stayed there and what they did, and so on. It actually turned into a fun scavenger hunt, as we darted around the park trying to find the next building on our list.One weird thing: We saw a group of kids and harassed-looking parents doing a "fun" activity where they were given fake guns and trained on how to be a soldier regime. I say "fun" because they spent nearly an hour on this stuff, and in the meantime the parents had to just follow them around and watch. By the time it was over, it was closing time, and I suspect the parents never actually got a chance to tour the fort. Something to keep in mind if you're bringing little ones.There's a museum inside the welcome center, too, which helps give further context to all the cool buildings you're about to see. One of the highlights is the remnants of an ENORMOUS American flag that used to hang over the fort. Plus, unlike the museums we toured in Niagara Falls proper, the exhibits weren't all falling apart.

Lots of walking but what beautiful scenery & buildings.History of 1812 war with the American, French & English. Walk into a very cool drawbridge. Had people dressed in period clothes walking around. Enjoyed the musket shooting & the young man was affable & knowledgeable. The chateau showed how the people lived in those days & the smokehouse still had that wonderful smell.It was so beautiful looking across the water to Canada & being on Lake Ontario.

We had a conference in Niagara Falls, NY. The conference arrainged for us to have dinner and a ghost tour of the fort by latern. Because the meal was representitive of what was served historically at the fort, it was a little sparse; but it was still a great experience. The best part was touring the fort after dark with the guides. They wove the history of the fort into the ghost stories they were telling. The fort itself sets right on the water and is well preserved and great for pictures.

We had great weather to enjoy the beauty surrounding us at Old Fort Niagara. My son LOVED the history and the weapon demonstrations

I had no idea of how important the Niagra Falls area was in the early history of North America. The fort contains a French built house fort that was occupied by the French, The British, and the Americans. The guilds and reenactors were wonderful. A great place to get kids interested in history.I went twice!

What a great Fort! It has beautiful artifacts in the main building and a large American flag on display that was captured by the British during the war of 1812. It was so nice to walk along the grounds of where a historic war took place. Thanks to Susan for the private mini tour. This is definitely a must see!

Our son who lives in Hamburg,NY recommended this fort to us as he had taken his family there previously. We took five adults and four young kids here on a beautiful sunny Autumn day last Saturday. First of all the drive along the water to get there is beautiful with stunning homes along the route. The fort is $12 per adult to get in (discount for kids, AAA members save a $1 as do seniors) and at first I thought that was steep but....it was worth every penny. The buildings are in terrific shape, the re-enactments were terrific and the volunteers interesting. Warning to parents of young kids, when the muskets and the cannons are fired, the noise is very loud and our young grandsons were a bit nervous and had to put their hands over their ears for each blast! The grounds are extensive and there is plenty of room for the kids to run around. However, the day we went there were four coach loads of tourists there and it was jam packed in the French fort and you had to be very patient to get up and down the narrow stairwells and wait to get into each room to see how the soldiers lived and worked. The history is fascinating as the fort changed hands so many times - French, British, American as well as the interaction with the native Americans which was most interesting. The flag is great, the museum kid friendly and the 15 minute film on the history of the fort is excellent albeit two of our young grandkids found it a bit dark and scary in the movie room. Well worth visiting and the location is stunningly beautiful.

Old Fort Niagara was a pleasant addition to our family trip to “the Falls.” It’s only about 15 miles north of Niagara Falls itself, and this simple side trip is well worth the time and effort. Everything about this historical park is first-rate. The Fort itself is well maintained, and the staff (or at least most of them) do an excellent job at interpreting their knowledge to a modern audience. They even held the attention of our four year-old son. Not an easy thing to do! And, this was done without condescension or over simplification of their program. Our older son especially enjoyed the various weapons demonstrations, and our thirteen year-old daughter was taken by view of Lake Ontario. This is a great experience for families and history buffs.

This was an unexpected stop so I didn't know what to expected. I have been to many fortresses in the U.S., Canada, Carribean, South America, Europe, Africa, and the even the Middle East so I didn't expect to be impressed by this little place. But what it lacks for in size (and history) it makes up for in charm. It's clean, easy to navigate, and seeing so many rooms preserved as they were (or recreated nicely) was a real treat. Spend some time walking around and go up the stairs where you get unexpected access. It's definitely worth the visit.