NIAGARA FALLS STATE PARK: More Than Just Tumbling Torrents

Niagara Falls. View from the American side, looking toward the Canadian side of the river.

Welcome sign on Old Falls Street.

If the ancient Greeks had known about Niagara Falls, they would have added it to their list of Seven Wonders of the World. The sheer quantity of water—75,000 gallons per sec pouring over the edge--is impressive enough, not to mention the giant clouds of mist rising from the bottom of the gorge as the water lands.

The falls are formed as water from the Niagara River, which separates the United States from Canada as it makes its way from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, plunges into a deep gorge. 

Observation point on Goat Island of Horseshoe Falls.

In mid-July I joined the millions of visitors that come each year from all over the world to gaze in wonder at the falls. My husband was attending a conference in the Niagara Falls Convention Center on the American side. While he was at meetings, I had time to wander through the city of Niagara Falls and explore the park. I had my passport and could have crossed over the Rainbow Bridge to the Canadian side but decided not to on this trip because I had been there before. 

View from Goat Island of American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, viewing tower, and Rainbow Bridge.

Niagara Falls State Park borders the falls on the American side. The 435-acre New York state park was developed in 1885 by American artist Frederick Church and Frederick Law Olmstead, the landscape architect who also designed Central Park in New York City. He believed that natural spaces like Niagara Falls should be preserved for people to enjoy. The park includes miles of walking paths, beautiful gardens, as well as plenty of viewing and seating areas. It is also an opportunity for bird watching and other wildlife viewing. 

Scale model of Niagara river and falls, and Goat Island.

A scale model near the Welcome Center shows Goat Island, the two main cataracts, American Falls and Horseshoe Falls, and the smaller Bridal Veil Falls. A short pedestrian bridge connects Goat Island to the American side of the river. Paths on Goat Island lead to viewing points for all the falls. 

Hop-on, Hop-off trams are available to take people around the park.

The Welcome Center near the main entrance to the park has exhibits, restrooms, a cafe and gift shop.

I started my Niagara Falls visit at the Welcome Center near the entrance to the state park where there are displays highlighting the history of the area, beginning with the Native Americans who lived there long before the first Europeans came.

Acknowledgment is made that the park is on traditional indigenous lands.

There are also sections about Father Hennepin, who came with French fur traders, and Nikola Tesla, a major figure in the history of Niagara Falls. Tesla was the engineer who, along with George Westinghouse, figured out how to harness the energy of the falls to make electricity.

Statue of Nikola Tesla on Goat Island.

One can view Niagara Falls from both the American side Canadian sides of the river.

Maid of the Mist boat takes people to the base of the falls.

I limited myself to standing at the railing and looking at the falls from above. But many people take the Maid of the Mist boat ride for a close-up look at the base of the falls, wearing raincoats to keep dry as the boat gets close to the mist. 

A tether keeps the hot-air balloon from floating away.

Others view from a bridge over the water. And some go up in a hot air balloon. If you do this at night in the summer, you can see a light show and fireworks over the falls. (We could see and hear the fireworks from our hotel window.)

Along tree-lined Old Falls Street, which leads to the entrance of the park, visitors can enjoy giant chess boards, ping pong and other games.

Historical marker on Old Falls Street.

The city of Niagara Falls is designed for tourists with hotels, restaurants, and entertainment, all within walking distance of the state park. Reflecting the scope of international visitors, a wide range of eateries--including many featuring South Asian cuisines-- line the main street. 

Main gate of Niagara Falls State Park.

Within the park one can get around by walking, riding a bike, or taking a tram. Entrance to Niagara Falls State Park is free.

Thirty years ago, I visited Niagara Falls with my family, viewing the falls from the Canadian side. We went down an elevator to a path that allowed us to walk behind the falls. We stood on the walkway as the water roared past us, awing us with its power. On this trip I was no less impressed.

Map of Niagara Falls State Park.

For more information go to the Niagara Falls State Park website. 

A PEEK AT THE GILDED AGE: History Museum in Saratoga Springs, NY

Inside the Saratoga Springs History Museum. 

In the 1870s and 1880s, people came to Saratoga Springs in upstate New York for the sparkling water that gives the city its name, and for the horse races, gambling, and thriving social life in the elegant hotels that lined the main street. Today the grand hotels of Saratoga Springs' Gilded Age are gone, but the city is still a popular vacation center known for its racetrack and beautiful surrounding countryside. 

John Morrisey built the racetrack that made the area famous.

Depictions of horses and horse racing can be seen throughout the town.

Entrance to the Saratoga Springs History Museum.

What was once a gambling casino for the rich and famous now houses the Saratoga Springs History Museum where you can see mementos from the past and learn more about some of the people who are part of the city’s history.

Skidmore College building in downtown Saratoga Springs. (The main campus is just outside of town.)

In mid-May when we were in Saratoga Springs for our grandson’s graduation from Skidmore College, we visited the History Museum, located in Congress Park near the center of town.

Our tour of the ballroom, bar, and reception areas of the Casino.

At the entrance to the museum we purchased tickets to see the exhibits. As it happened, we were just in time for a tour of the ballroom area adjacent to the casino. Our guide was an extremely knowledgeable museum volunteer.

Stained glass decorations in the ballroom.

Ballroom ceiling.

The ballroom is not always open for public view because it is a popular wedding and party venue. We were lucky that we happened to be there between events. The rooms are truly impressive and it is easy to imagine ladies in long elegant dresses and gentlemen in formal suits dancing and conversing with one another.

Exhibits on the main floor of the museum.

When the tour of the ballroom ended we were free to visit the rest of the museum on our own. This included a room on the main floor next to the gift shop, plus two floors of exhibits upstairs. Here are a just few of the items I found most intriguing.

Bicycles like this one were popular in the 1890s.

An elegant way to travel was in a personal hand carried sedan chair like this one.

Roulette wheel in the card room. At the Casino, men came to make business deals, gamble, and socialize with their peers.

Hand-cut silhouette artwork was popular in the 19th century.

Steep stairs lead to the upper floors of the museum.

When we finished our visit to the history museum, we went for a walk in Congress Park on our way to lunch at one of the many local restaurants. A few weeks later, when the summer racing season began, crowds of horse enthusiasts would pour into town, just as they did every summer more than one hundred years ago. Our visit to the museum helped us imagine what it might have been like back then.

Models like these display the elegant clothing of the Gilded Age.

TANG MUSEUM OF ART, SKIDMORE COLLEGE, Saratoga Springs, NY

Ceramic piece by Kathy Butterly, Assume Yes Exhibit at the Tang Museum, Skidmore, College.

On the campus of Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, stands a large angular building, the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery. Its stated purpose is to “awaken the community to the richness and diversity of the human experience through the medium of art.” The museum mounts twelve exhibitions each year and students are often involved in the curatorial process. It is an impressive resource for the students at Skidmore as well as for the wider community.

A long walkway leads to the entrance of the Tang Museum.

Tang Museum of Art

Fringe, by Oliver Frontini. Senior Thesis Exhibit.

I visited the Tang Museum in May, on graduation weekend when the senior thesis exhibition featuring works by graduating art majors occupied one of the main floor galleries. A large sculptural piece by Oliver Frontini, dominated the lobby. It was the Outstanding Senior Thesis award winner.

Student work spanned a wide range of media--painting, photography, textiles, sculpture, metalwork and more.

Metalwork. Senior Thesis Exhibit.

Woven textiles. Senior Thesis Exhibit.

In the other main floor gallery Kathy Butterly's inventive ceramic pieces were scattered across large table-height platforms, each piece glowing like a large jewel. None of them are more than a foot tall, but by giving each of them their own space they didn't feel overwhelmed by the large room. Each one had its own personality.

Ceramics by Kathy Butterly.

  

Ceramics by Kathy Butterly.

Ceramics by Kathy Butterly.

More exhibits were in the upstairs galleries. Here is a sample of some of the pieces that caught my eye.

All These Growing Things exhibit.

Alewife, 2014. By Alexis Rockman. The Alewife is one of a few species of fish that can live in both fresh and saltwater.

View of second floor galleries.

"Rug"