Chuck's Big Adventure to Niagara Falls: Old Fort Niagara and Clifton Hill

NIAGARA FALLS, ON — Chuck Lofton, producer Megan Simpson and photographer Steve Rhodes explored the majesty of the gorgeous natural wonder known as Niagara Falls. They also went into the neighboring communities to check out all the area has to offer.

The team explored Niagara Falls from both the U.S. side and Canadian side.

Old Fort Niagara

It stands like a sentry on the eastern bank of Lake Ontario and has been a symbol of strength for nearly 300 years. Built 50 years before the Declaration of Independence, this 250-acre fort has played a huge role in American history, and it is said that you cannot understand the Niagara Falls region without understanding Fort Niagara.

Robert Emerson, executive director of Old Fort Niagara, said the growth of America walks hand in hand with the history of this fort.

"This was a very, very early settlement by the French. They started exploring this area in the 17th century, and they came back here and built what we call today the French castle," Emerson said. "They built it in 1726, and their objective was to keep the English out of the Great Lakes. They had a lot of fur trading interests. They had a lot of alliances with Native American nations, so they don't want the English in those upper Great Lakes, so this was a roadblock."

The fort has been under the authority of the French, the British and the United States. It played a strategic role in the French and Indian War. Taken then by the British, it was surrendered to Americans 37 years after the Revolutionary War.

A not-for-profit group now runs the fort and teaches guests the history, and, more importantly, the daily life experiences of the people who lived and worked here.

"We have a number of questions that people ask. People want to know who were the first people to come here? They ask about Native Americans. How did the Native Americans interact with the Europeans who were here? And that's a big theme that we like to talk about," Emerson said. " We have a staff person who is Mohawk, and he does a lot of programing to explain the Native American perspective on things. But we also we also interpret the French, the British and the United States. So, unlike many forts that rose and fell in a few years, this fort lasted an incredibly long time. We had all of these different people here at different time periods, native French, British Americans during World War II. This post, even had a P.O.W. camp here for German prisoners."

Looking at the fort, you might imagine this isolated castle has its share of strange events — and it does. Several years ago, a newspaper reporter wanted to spend the night by himself in the fort for Halloween. It did not go well!

"I said, 'OK, I'll meet you at the fort at 10:00,' so we did. I showed him through this building, showed him where the restrooms were. We locked all the doors, and I said, 'You can get out, but no one can get in.' And at 11:30, my phone rang, and I thought to myself, surely not. So, I picked up the phone, and I said, 

'Hello? Bob?'

'It’s Nick.'

'Yeah. What's wrong, Nick?'

'I was lying on my bunk.'

He had bedded down right here behind us. And of course, we're at the foot of the stairs. And he said, 'I heard a door slam upstairs, and then, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs toward me.' I said, 

'Where are you now?'

'I'm in my car in the parking lot, so OK, I can be there in 10 minutes.'

So, I hopped in the car, and I drove down, and I found him in the parking lot, so we came back in. We turned on all the lights, made a thorough search of the building, and there was no one here. Of course, you know, there couldn't have been because we had locked all the doors. So, I said, 

'Well, Nick, you know, here you go. You're all set. No one's here, you're safe. You're going to go back to bed.'

'Oh, no. I got enough for the story. Goodbye.'

And he's out of here just like that."

Fortunately, my trip to the fort was fright-free. 

If you want to really understand why the Niagara Falls region is so important besides water, a trip to Old Fort Niagara is well worth the trip — even if you don't spend the night!

Clifton Hill

Niagara Falls is a demonstration of the beauty of nature, and it draws millions of visitors every year on the Canadian side of the Niagara River.

Just a short walk away though, is a demonstration of kooky, Canadian kitsch. Clifton Hill is the home of wacky attractions, T-shirt shops, side shows and a lot of fun. 

Joel Noden, marketing director for this eclectic downtown area, said this sharp contrast between Niagara Falls and Clifton Hill is all by design.

"You know what? That's Niagara Falls. You've got the thrill of the hill, Clifton Hill, with all the action going until two in the morning," Noden said. "Just a few steps down at the base of the hill, you've got Oakes Garden Theatre, which you wouldn't believe it. It's like a little oasis there. There's ponds and trees and wildlife. It's absolutely beautiful, and then you come back 500 feet this way and you're back into the excitement of Clifton Hill."

The area is part Las Vegas, part Gatlinburg and lots of family fun.

"It is really a one-stop-shop. You've got everything for every age group. We've got things for young families and couples to do, got people that are retirement-age who still come."

From the tranquility of the Garden Theatre to the craziness of Clifton Hill, this area has changed...a lot. Many people of a certain age will recall this area was the honeymoon capital of North America — and there is still some truth to that.

"It really has. I always used to joke many years ago that Niagara Falls was for newlyweds and nearly deads. Now, it's for everybody. You see every walk of life. Every kind of person you can imagine is down here 365 days a year," Noden said. "One of our busiest days is Christmas Day. That's relatively new. We used to get a big influx of tourists from Asia or from Europe. Now, we're seeing groups that are coming more, as we call them 'FITs,' fully independent travelers, and they're coming in as couples or small groups of people, and they're traveling from around the world.”

By some estimates, 75 to 80% of the guests here are non-Canadian. Restaurants cater to tastes from India, the Middle East and Asian nations like Japan and China.

For Noden, marketing the area means paying attention to both aspects of Niagara Falls and constantly updating the amenities.

"It's really about continuing to develop. We on Clifton Hill have taken a big step forward, in terms of investment and developing on the attraction side. Niagara Parks has put a big investment into some of the historical and nature sides of the destination," Noden said. "And then, we have gaming. We have two fantastic casinos, hotels, hoteliers who have invested hundreds of millions of dollars to support all this activity that we have going on, so we're just going to continue to grow."

From the Hard Rock Café to Ripley's Believe It Or Not! to a rooftop roller coaster, Clifton Hill is a fun, family-themed destination. Enjoy the craziness of the attractions. Then, you can walk down Clifton Hill to the gardens for a deep breath and some peace, and then, go back up the hill when you are ready to for more kookiness.

Clifton Hill adds zest to any Niagara Falls vacation.

More of Chuck's Big Adventure to Niagara Falls: 

• Chuck's Big Adventure to Niagara Falls: Maid of the Mist, helicopter tours and ziplining
• Chuck's Big Adventure to Niagara Falls: Maple syrup and the US vs Canadian side
• Chuck's Big Adventure to Niagara Falls: Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center and Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum
• Chuck's Big Adventure to Niagara Falls: Whirlpool Aero Car and Jet Boat Tours