Niagara Falls, N.Y. (WBEN) - New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was in Niagara Falls on Monday to take part in festivities to open the new Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Welcome Center at Niagara Falls State Park.
The $46 million facility on the grounds of Niagara Falls State Park will provide modern amenities to the millions of visitors arriving at the park each year.
“There is no place in the world like Niagara Falls, and our State Park has always been a beacon of natural beauty and historical significance, captivating visitors with its awe-inspiring landscapes and iconic waterfalls," said Gov. Hochul on Monday. "Today we unveil our commitment to elevate this state jewel even further as we roll out the welcome mat to welcome the world to our state's natural gem. This new building is a wonderful addition to this already stunning park and will help visitors plan both their visit to the park as well as to the many businesses and attractions the City of Niagara Falls and Western New York has to offer."
The 28,000 square-foot visitor center features glass walls and a low roof to maximize views and connections to the Falls. It includes:
- New ticketing and information desks
- New concession spaces
- Restrooms and associated support spaces
- A rooftop PV array
- Special patterned glass to prevent bird impacts
- Green roof elements
- A separate restroom building.
Enhanced site amenities include new accessible paths, native plantings and wayfinding elements.
The existing 7,000 square-foot regional administration building immediately adjacent to the facility is repurposed to include a multi-use community room, regional archives and offices for Niagara regional interpretive staff.
Glass walls and low-profile construction help maximize views of the Falls.
"This is jaw-droppingly beautiful," Hochul said. "The facility we had here before may have served people back 35 years ago when it was built, but for those who had the vision 100 years ago to say, 'This is a park that should be showcased to the world,' I would have recommended that they used glass so you can actually see what we're talking about here. This is the place you showcase to the rest of the world what is out these doors. So I'm really excited to be here."
The final phase of the project, to be completed at a later date, will feature interpretive museum space, including an immersive experience and exhibits highlighting a diversity of topics, including natural, industrial and Indigenous American history, as well as outdoor exhibits and interpretive signage.
The building was designed by GWWO Architects of Baltimore and built by R.P. Oakhill Building Company of Buffalo. Other contributors to the building include The LiRo Group, Ty Lin, Trowbridge Wolf Michaels, a Fischer Associates Landscape Architecture Studio and exhibit designers Haley Sharpe Design of the UK and Toronto.
The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation contributed $8 million toward this project, and as a result is named in his honor. Wilson was the owner of the Buffalo Bills and a co-founder of the American Football League.
This project will complement the $150 million revitalization of Niagara Falls State Park landscape. Launched in 2011, the Niagara Falls State Park Landscape Revitalization Plan was a multi-year commitment to renew the park in a manner that better reflects noted park designer Frederick Law Olmsted's vision for the landscape. The plan renovated the park's major viewing areas including Luna Island, Prospect Point, Lower Grove, Three Sisters Islands, North Shoreline Trail, Luna Bridge, and Terrapin Point with new pedestrian walkways, enhanced landscaping, new benches, light posts and railings.
The interactive Cave of the Winds pavilion, which highlights the natural and cultural history of Niagara Falls, opened in 2017. Removal of the Niagara Scenic Parkway (formally the Robert Moses Parkway) in the city of Niagara Falls provides unprecedented access to the Niagara Gorge by connecting the city to its waterfront for the first time in a generation, and is the largest expansion of Niagara Falls State Park since the creation of the park.
"As someone who grew up here, I knew that historic significance. I knew there's a story of the indigenous peoples, in fact, today's showcase on the first floor of the Governor's residence is a large painting of Niagara Falls with the indigenous peoples looking at it with the same awe that we look at it with today. But it's also just the landscapes that have been captured in so many photos and paintings and, of course, the waterfalls. I just wanted to say as we welcome the world here and rollout our version of a welcome mat, how about this for a welcome mat? This is for the rest of the world," Gov. Hochul said.
The Governor also announced two additional projects — renovations to the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center auditorium, and the restoration of historic buildings at Oakwood Cemetery — that will complement the Welcome Center and support the overall goal of improving the visitor experience in Niagara Falls, USA.