The much-anticipated Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center will open on May 4, 2018!

We invite the public to join us during Grand Opening Weekend, May 4-6, 2018 for three  days  of  celebration  featuring  Wycliffe  Gordon,  the  Colored  Musicians  Club of  Buffalo,  Drea  d’Nur,  and  Buffalo  Brass  Machine.

Three  events  will introduce  the  community  to  the  Heritage  Center:

Opening  Night  Celebration,  Friday  May  4,  4:00 - 9:00pm,  $20 - Join  us  for  a  self-guided  walk  through  the  museum,  live  music  from  Buffalo  Brass  Machine and  special  guest  jazz  trombonist  Wycliffe  Gordon,  wine  and  beer  from  local  businesses,  and  small  bites  as  well, as  we  mark  the  grand  opening  of  this  momentous  project. 

Opening  Gala,  Saturday  May  5,  5:00pm,  $75 - Join  us  for  a  seated  dinner  and  program,  including  keynote  speaker  Alan  Spears, Cultural  Resources  Director  at  the  National  Parks  Conservation  Association,and  a  musical  performance  by  jazz  singer  Drea  d’Nur. 

Community  Day,  Sunday  May  6,  10:00am - 6:00pm,  FREE - On  Community  Day,  you  will  have a  chance  to  take  a  quick  walk-through  of  the  exhibition  and  enjoy  music  performances  by  Colored  Musicians  Club,  George  Scott  Big  Band and  other  entertainment,  and  learn  about  community  partners  and  other  organizations  working  to  shape  the  future  of  Niagara  Falls.  *Free  timed  exhibition  tickets  need  to  be  reserved  online  in  advance  and  capacity  is  limited.

The Heritage Center’s permanent exhibition, One More River to Cross, features the rich stories of the Underground Railroad in Niagara Falls, the crucial role played by its location and geography, and the actions of its residents – particularly its African American residents. The Heritage Center’s immersive exhibits and cutting-edge interpretation affirmatively align with the principles of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, whose mission is to connect the past to modern social justice issues – “to turn memory to action.”

Through painstaking research, the exhibition presents engaging digital media, graphics, scenic built environments and facilitated dialogic programming as part of the visitor experience. Scenic exhibit components include a recreation of the Cataract House – a premier international hotel that employed an entirely African American wait staff, who helped uncounted numbers of freedom seekers to freedom in Canada, just across the Niagara River. Also included is a re-creation of the International Suspension Bridge, built in 1848, and rebuilt in 1855 to incorporate rail traffic, where Harriet Tubman and other freedom seekers crossed the imaginary line from slavery to freedom. Stories are brought to life with powerful images by award winning illustrator and fine artist E.B. Lewis and voice-overs by Emmy Award-winning actor Keith David. 

The new Heritage Center focuses on stories of courageous self-emancipation by freedom seekers. Throughout the exhibition visitors will experience these stories and hear from individuals past and present with the hope that these stories and connections will allow for deeper engagement, consideration of new or different perspectives, and motivation to action.

This project is led by the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Commission, chaired by Bill Bradberry, directed and curated by Ally Spongr, based on research by lead historian Dr. Judith Wellman, and in cooperation with the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area, a program of the National Park Service. It is located in the former 1863 U.S. Custom House attached to the new Niagara Falls Amtrak Station.The Heritage Center’s design-build teams include Studio Tectonic of Boulder, Colorado, Richard Lewis Media Group of Boston, Massachusetts, and Universal Services Associates, Inc., of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Location: 825 Depot Avenue W., Niagara Falls, NY 14305

Beginning May 4, 2018, admission hours will be:
Monday – Closed

Tuesday 10AM – 6PM

Wednesday 10AM – 6PM

Thursday 10AM – 8PM

Friday 10AM – 6PM

Saturday 10AM – 6PM

Sunday 10AM - 4PM