The Niagara Falls Historic Preservation Society (NFHPS) announces its first tours of Downtown Niagara Falls to be held during the Buffalo Niagara Homecoming on June 27, 2009. 

A narrated Victorian Era tour will be led by NFHPS President Bill Bradberry beginning  of the tour at the First Presbyterian Church- 311 First Street at 10 am.  Visitors will be greeted by costumed guides Augustus Porter and his daughter, Lavinia, who were among the church founders and notable leaders of the City of Niagara Falls.  Stroll along historic Buffalo Avenue looking at churches and stately homes, including taking a closer look inside one of oldest homes in Niagara Falls.

The second tour, led by City Historian and preservation architect Tom Yots, will highlight downtown Niagara Falls of the 1920’s.  Meet just outside the Red Coach Inn, 2 Buffalo Avenue at 2 pm to glimpse the historic and the architecture “up close and personal” of such places as the United Office Building, the newly restored Jefferson Apartment Building, and the Niagara Hotel, currently being restored.  Tour members will discover historic Buffalo Avenue in the era of flappers and their escorts along for the ride.

Call the Niagara University General Information Center/Green Line to make a reservation Monday through Thursday from 9 until 5 pm. (716) 205-0287 to reserve early for either or both tours since there are a limited number of spaces available.  Cost for each tour is $15 per person payable to the Niagara Falls Historic Preservation Society (or NFHPS), P.O. Box 1945, Niagara Falls, NY 14302-1945.  Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes.  Both tours will take about an hour.

On Saturday, June 27, 2009 three distinct tours of Niagara Falls will be offered. All tours will depart from the Burger King parking lot off of the I-190 on Grand Island. They will also depart from downtown Niagara Falls about 30 minutes later.

Pre-booking is suggested. Please email niagararises@yahoo.com for more information.

AMERICAN TOUR (Provided by Niagara Majestic Tours)

This 4-hour tour will take you to view or visit all of the following breathtaking sights in Niagara Falls, NY, USA:

Maid of the Mist Boat Trip
NYS Observation Tower
Cave of the Winds
Upper Niagara River & Rapids
Luna Island, Three Sisters Islands & a view of Goat Island
Horseshoe Falls, American & Bridal Veil Falls
Terrapin Pointe & Prospect Pointe
NYS Parks
NY & Canadian Power Plants
Water Intakes
Old Scow
Robert Moses Parkway
Toronto Power Plant
Whirlpool State Park, Gorge & Whirlpool

$59.00 Adults, $42.95 Children (5-11) *
Children under 5 are Free

Departs
8:00 AM, 11:30 AM and 5:30 PM - from Burger King on Grand Island
8:30 AM, 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM - from downtown Niagara Falls

The Mob Tours

Welcome to Niagara Falls and the home of the Mafia’s longest reigning, deadliest, most powerful mob boss.

If you think Luciano, Gotti, or Capone was the biggest mobster in America, you’re wrong. Stefano “The Undertaker” Magaddino was more powerful, had a bigger territory and was deadlier than all of them. Magaddino was unlike many mob bosses, yet born of the same mold. Smart, conniving, deceitful, rich, yet he took care of many people in the Niagara Falls area.

This tour will bring you the most accurate information on Magaddino and his crew, including his son Peter, his brother Antonino (Antonio or Nino), and many others who vied to control this mafia family. Covering three countries, five states, and five decades, Big Steve was really the boss of bosses in Cosa Nostra. We will tell you their history as well as law enforcement’s efforts over the years to quash their businesses. Buffalo Police, Niagara Falls Police, New York State Police, and the F.B.I. all had a hand in working against the Magaddino’s.

On this 90-minute guided bus tour in Niagara Falls, will you learn the truth about his life, his legacy, and the F.B.I.’s determined effort to take him out.

Tour cost: Adults, $25.00, Children 5-11, $15.00 and under 5 Free.
Departs 10am, 12noon, 3pm and 5pm from 303 Rainbow Blvd (Daredevil Museum)

WINE & DINE TOUR

Beyond the Waterfalls, Niagara is known for its exquisite grapes and the superb wine they produce. Enjoy even more of Niagara!

Scenic Drive Through Niagara County
View of Old Fort Niagara
View of Lake Ontario
Visit THREE of Niagara’s Finest Wineries with Tastings at Each
Lunch at the Wilson Boathouse Overlooking Lake Ontario

$76.50 Adults, $49.95 Children (5-11)
Children under 5 are Free

Departs
12:30 PM - from Burger King on Grand Island
1:00 PM - from downtown Niagara Falls

Niagara County is full of fantastic wineries. According to one source it is the fastest growing winery area in the country. If you really want to experience the variety and have the time, Niagara Majestic is offering a great Wine & Dine tour for Niagara Homecoming visitors.

The bus tour includes:
Scenic Drive Through Niagara County
View of Old Fort Niagara
View of Lake Ontario
Visit THREE of Niagara’s Finest Wineries with Tastings at Each
Lunch at the Wilson Boathouse Overlooking Lake Ontario

$89.95 Adults, $49.95 Children (5-11) *
Children under 5 are Free

Departs
12:30 PM - from Burger King on Grand Island
1:00 PM - from downtown Niagara Falls

Children are welcome, just no wine samples for them! So bring the family and have a great time on this tour of some of Niagara’s best wineries!

On June 14, 1940 the Magaddino Funeral Home opened and would become home to the Magaddino Crime Family of Niagara Falls, New York. Sixty-eight years later The Mob Tours opened on that same date bringing the history of that crime family to the public.

“Many people were skeptical,” stated company founder Mike Rizzo, “that we would be able to put together a tour on this unique subject and have interest from the public. But we’ve done just that.” The company’s first year was full of ups and downs as they navigated the waters of a new business. “We (my wife Michelle and I) did not have any experience in tourism so we were trying to develop the tour and learn the business simultaneously. It was a bit tricky but we learned a lot.”

This season the company has added the AAA’s Show Your Card and Save program, and has teamed up with another company to sell tours through various hotels in Niagara Falls. Customers have come from as far as the United Kingdom, Texas, Arizona, and Ontario.

On June 27, 2009 the company will be participating in the Niagara Homecoming celebration and offering special pricing of $25.00 for adults, and $15.00 for children 5-11. It’s a great deal if you want to learn a bit about Niagara’s past. Four tours are available on Saturday, as well as Friday and two on Sunday.

About The Mob ToursTM
The Mob Tours is a unique company offering bus tours of former mafia sites in and around Niagara Falls, New York. Tours are available Friday through Sunday from June until September, and weekends other times. Tickets to the 90-minute tours are available through local hotels, and at a temporary location on Niagara Street and Rainbow Avenue in Niagara Falls and via the company’s website themobtours.com.

Niagara Falls is really a wondrous site to see. Many locals see it as a place to take friends or family that are in town visiting. If you haven’t been there in a while, the weekend of Niagara Homecoming would be a great time to return! And with the new passport requirement, you may only be able to see the American side.

On Saturday June 27, 2009 a great tour with a huge discount is being offered by Niagara Majestic Tours just for Niagara Homecoming guests. The 4-hour tour will take you to view or visit all of the following breathtaking sights on the American side of Niagara Falls:

Maid of the Mist Boat Trip
NYS Observation Tower
Cave of the Winds
Upper Niagara River & Rapids
Luna Island, Three Sisters Islands & a view of Goat Island
Horseshoe Falls, American & Bridal Veil Falls
Terrapin Pointe & Prospect Pointe
NYS Parks
NY & Canadian Power Plants
Water Intakes
Old Scow
Robert Moses Parkway
Toronto Power Plant
Whirlpool State Park, Gorge & Whirlpool

The tour is 20% off the regular cost and is only $59.00 Adults, $42.95 Children (5-11), with children under 5 Free.

Spend the weekend in Niagara Falls and if you are visiting, take a look around and maybe think about staying.

Visit an encampment of French soldiers, Native warriors, and early fur traders on the banks of the Niagara River above Niagara Falls on Saturday, May 30 from Noon until 5:00 pm. This is a free public program commemorating the 250th anniversary of the destruction of Fort du Portage during the French and Indian War. Schedule of Activities as follows: 

Noon: Flag Raising and Artillery Salute

12:30: French Infantry Demonstration/Musket Firings

1:00 pm: Artillery Demonstration

1:30 pm: French Infantry Demonstration/Musket Firings

2:00 pm: Artillery Demonstration

2:30 pm: French Infantry Demonstration/Musket Firings

3:00 pm: Interactive Fur Trade Program

3:30 pm: Meet Lt. Daniel Chabert de Joncaire, Commandant, Fort du Portage.

4:00 pm: Presentation- The History of Fort du Portage/Little Niagara, Paul Gromoziak

4:30 pm: Arrival of Messenger from Fort Niagara/Burning of the Fort

Event Location- Along the Niagara River (above the rapids)  near the unused eastbound section of the Robert Moses Parkway. The site can be reached from the northeast (mainland) end of the Goat Island Pedestrian Bridge by walking east along the path that parallels the north shore of the Niagara River. Limited Parking is available along the right lane of the unused eastbound section of the Robert Moses Parkway.

The next meeting of Niagara Rises will be held Tuesday May 19, 2009 at 6 pm at the Days Inn (443 Main Street, Niagara Falls).

We are just over a month from Homecoming and have some work to do.

Tickets for the Kick-off Reception at the Crowne Plaza on Thursday, June 25, 2009 will be available.  Presale are $20.00 and at the door the tickets are $25.00.  There will be food from the NCCC Culinary Institute, wine, cash bar, live music and a Basket Auction.   All proceeds benefit NCCC Scholarship Program & Niagara Rises

We also will have information on tickets available on the Niagara Rises Brunch at the Aquarium of Niagara. 

We do have a need for some volunteers for the different events.

For anyone that hasn’t seen it yet, Artpark has announced their schedule for the FREE concerts on Tuesdays.

http://www.artpark.net/content/pages/tuesday-in-the-park

You know the summer must not be too far off :

MAID OF THE MIST: Maid hits the water from the Niagara Gazettte April 17, 2009

NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario — With the squawk of seagulls and the roar of the crashing waters as a backdrop, the first Maid of the Mist boat was gently lowered into the Niagara River on Friday, a giant symbol for another tourist season that is about to begin.

“Right around the time the Maid of the Mist boats go into the water things start happening on both sides of the border,” said Tim Ruddy, a spokesman for the boat company. “People start traveling, and the weather starts getting nicer.

Read the rest of the story