Three hundred years ago in June, 1726 French soldiers and tradesmen landed at the mouth of the Niagara River to establish what is now Fort Niagara. Their mission was to construct a massive stone fortification disguised as a house. This building, known today as the French Castle, is the oldest structure in the Great Lakes Basin. [Read more…] about Old Fort Niagara Celebrating 300 Years June 5-7th
Old Fort Niagara
Old Fort Niagara Celebrating 300 Years of Military History
This Memorial Day weekend, Old Fort Niagara will highlight 300 years of military history with special exhibits and programs tracing military life from the 1600s through modern times.
Multiple artillery pieces from the 18th through the 20th centuries will fire a cannonade, complete with an explanation of how each leap in technology affected battlefield tactics. [Read more…] about Old Fort Niagara Celebrating 300 Years of Military History
Old Fort Niagara’s 300th Anniversary History Symposium
Registration is now open for Old Fort Niagara’s 300th anniversary history symposium: “Politics, Trade and Diplomacy on the New York Frontier.”
This conference explores politics diplomacy and trade on the New York frontier between the Treaty of Utrecht (1713) and the onset of King George’s War (1744). Five noted scholars will present lectures relating to the era when the French Castle was established in 1726. [Read more…] about Old Fort Niagara’s 300th Anniversary History Symposium
Old Fort Niagara Winter Warriors Event This Weekend
On February 14-15, Old Fort Niagara ushers in the semiquincentennial year with a special event focused on how people survived winter on the New York frontier during the American Revolution.
Visitors will have the opportunity to try out snowshoes, start a fire with flint and steel, build a wilderness shelter and write a letter home with a quill pen. [Read more…] about Old Fort Niagara Winter Warriors Event This Weekend
Old Fort Niagara Marking A 300th Anniversary
Old Fort Niagara, one of North America’s most historic places, will host a year-long celebration in 2026 marking the 300th anniversary of its iconic “French Castle.”
Built in 1726 during King George’s War, the French Castle is believed to be the oldest building in the Great Lakes Basin. For three centuries, it has stood guard over the mouth of the Niagara River on Lake Ontario as a silent witness to the birth of nations, serving as a military stronghold, a bustling trading post, and a meeting ground for European and Indigenous cultures. [Read more…] about Old Fort Niagara Marking A 300th Anniversary
Some Unique National Historical Register Listings in New York
The New York State Board for Historic Preservation was established in 1972 and expanded by the New York State Historic Preservation Act of 1980. It works with the State Historic Preservation Office to review nominations to the State and National Registers of Historic Places.
In honor of the milestone 200th meeting of the Board for Historic Preservation (on September 10, 2025), below are some of New York’s most interesting resources in the National Register, either as individual sites or as parts of historic districts. [Read more…] about Some Unique National Historical Register Listings in New York
‘Pints on the Parade’: After Hours at Old fort Niagara
Old Fort Niagara is partnering with Resurgence Brewing Company to bring you Pints on the Parade, a new take on the popular Pints in the Park series — this time inside the walls of the historic 18th-century fortress.
Pints on the Parade continues a tradition of brewing at Old Fort Niagara that dates back over 250 years, when the British established the region’s first brewery just outside the its walls in 1760. [Read more…] about ‘Pints on the Parade’: After Hours at Old fort Niagara
Early Upstate New York Roads: Some History
What is now New York State saw multitudes of American settlers moving inland from the Atlantic seaboard, especially those “locusts of the east” from New England. Traveling long distances overland before the 20th century was however, difficult to say the least.
In the 1600s their movement was constrained by topography, and settlements were limited to areas in the Hudson and Mohawk valleys previously inhabited or improved by Indigenous People. Some Indigenous portage trails were described by the earliest settlers as wide paths that a capable ox team and wagon could manage. [Read more…] about Early Upstate New York Roads: Some History
Jolicoeur’s Journey: An 18th Century Winter Adventure
Jolicoeur Charles Bonin was part of a 500-man detachment that left Quebec on January 15, 1754 and arrived at Fort Niagara on February 25th. During their 42-day journey, they marched over ice and snow, crossed icy streams and skated on ice-covered Lake Ontario. [Read more…] about Jolicoeur’s Journey: An 18th Century Winter Adventure
Ladders to the Outdoors: Helping Youth Connect with the Outdoors
Created in partnership with the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation in 2021, New York State Parks’ Ladders to the Outdoors program launched with a goal to have children from underserved communities experience the outdoors at state parks in Erie and Niagara counties. [Read more…] about Ladders to the Outdoors: Helping Youth Connect with the Outdoors
New Interactive Video Displays Interpret NYS Revolutionary History
The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) has announced that the first of 20 planned interactive video displays highlighting New York’s history in the American Revolution is installed at Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site in the Hudson Valley. [Read more…] about New Interactive Video Displays Interpret NYS Revolutionary History
War of 1812 Reenactment Weekend at Old Fort Niagara
On Labor Day weekend, visitors to Old Fort Niagara will step back in time to the War of 1812 as the historic site presents “Defending Niagara.” Reenactors portraying both United States and British forces will gather at the fort for two days of military demonstrations, artillery firings, uniform programs, Regency women’s fashions and interactive recruiting programs for families. [Read more…] about War of 1812 Reenactment Weekend at Old Fort Niagara
June 18, 1812: War of 1812 Begins When US Declares War On Great Britain
On June 18, 1812, Congress passed and President James Madison signed a declaration of war against Great Britain, marking the beginning of the War of 1812. Frustrated by Britain’s maritime practices and support of Native American resistance to western expansion, the U.S. entered the war with ambitious plans to conquer Canada, a goal that was never realized. [Read more…] about June 18, 1812: War of 1812 Begins When US Declares War On Great Britain
Smoke Dance Competition at Old Fort Niagara
The Smoke Dance, rooted in Haudenosaunee tradition as a war dance, has evolved to showcase the incredible talents of both male and female dancers. Local and nationwide competitors will participate at Old Fort Niagara, vying for prizes and sharing the beauty of traditional Native regalia.
Old Fort Niagara’s second annual Smoke Dance competition, “Native Nations at Niagara,” is happening on Saturday, May 11, 2024. This event promises a day filled with cultural richness, celebration, and vibrant performances. [Read more…] about Smoke Dance Competition at Old Fort Niagara
Old Fort Niagara Present Castle by Candlelight
Old Fort Niagara assumes a particularly festive air during the holiday season. Special activities kick off on Saturday evenings, December 9 and 16 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, as the Fort presents “The Castle by Candlelight,” a tour of the Great Lakes’ oldest building illuminated entirely by candles. [Read more…] about Old Fort Niagara Present Castle by Candlelight
French Heritage Days At Old Fort Niagara
The French were the first Europeans to explore the Niagara Region. Their first documented presence came in 1669.
After two short-lived attempts to fortify the mouth of the Niagara River in 1679 and 1687, French engineers and workers erected a permanent structure known today as the French Castle in 1726. [Read more…] about French Heritage Days At Old Fort Niagara
The French and Indian War: A New York Perspective
In the early 1750s, the French were establishing trading posts and building forts along western the frontiers of the British colonies. In the fall of 1753, in part to protect his own land claims, https://www.newyorkalmanack.com/tags/haudenosaunee/Virginia Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie had sent 22-year-old George Washington (then a militia leader and surveyor) to deliver a letter to Fort Le Boeuf at what is today Waterford in northwest Pennsylvania, demanding they stop. [Read more…] about The French and Indian War: A New York Perspective
The Forgotten War of 1812 at Old Fort Niagara
On Labor Day weekend, Old Fort Niagara presents 1812: The Forgotten War, a living history program about the fort’s role in the War of 1812. Special programs include early 19th century soldier life, an 1812 field surgeon, military music, blacksmithing, laundry, dress making and tailoring, silversmithing, cooking and foodways, children’s games, musket and artillery firings and tactical demonstrations. [Read more…] about The Forgotten War of 1812 at Old Fort Niagara
Living History Weekend at Old Fort Niagara This Weekend
Old Fort Niagara’s history spans almost 300 years. During those three centuries of occupation, the fort has seen combat for only about 23 days. On August 19 and 20 Old Fort Niagara will host a living history weekend that explores what daily life was like during the rest of the fort’s history when men, women and children went about their daily tasks, working to survive at an isolated frontier outpost. [Read more…] about Living History Weekend at Old Fort Niagara This Weekend
The 1759 Battle of La belle Famille
The Battle of La belle Famille was fought on July 24, 1759 in the final days of the siege of Fort Niagara during the French and Indian War. About 800 French soldiers attempted to break through to relieve the siege of Fort Niagara but were defeated by British troops who blocked the road from Niagara Falls to the fort.
The battle took place where the village of Youngstown, in Niagara County, NY stands today. [Read more…] about The 1759 Battle of La belle Famille