Old Fort Niagara

We are the kind of people who arrive at WDW parks an hour before they open. It should have surprised me, then, when we arrived at Old Fort Niagara moments before it opened. (Why don’t we mobilize more quickly on a regular basis???)

I found the campsite at Four Mile Creek to tie in to a visit at Old Fort Niagara. It didn’t register high on any of the kids’ interest scales when mentioned by name, but I showed them a quick peek online the day before we went and it piqued their interests a little. Once we arrived – the gloves were off and we were engaged.

We timed it perfectly to catch the first introductory film of the day.

Unless you know a lot about the history of this fort, I encourage you to take in the short film. (Even if you do know a lot, the film was excellent!)

No sooner had the credits rolled when a gentleman came in and invited anyone who was interested to join him for a free guided tour. For the next 40-50 minutes he narrated and we absorbed. It was outstanding. (He did act a little horrified when we didn’t have great recall on somewhat lesser known American History details: names of ships; the names of the five tribes of Native people in the region, etc. If he chided us more deeply, or suggest I question my children’s teachers, etc., I was prepared to assure him that we knew the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 Judges of Israel.)

The fort was awesome, in the fullest sense of that word. I have lived my whole life in Rochester and I have somehow failed to ever visit Old Fort Niagara. We were absolutely BLOWN AWAY by this national treasure.

After we were in the fort itself he said goodbye and we started visiting the interior areas, most with live reenactors. Almost without exception these reenactors were fabulously engaging.

We got to go up into both the Redoubts.

Here’s what really blew us away… while nearby Genesee Country Village and Museum is another wonderful living history museum that we highly recommend, this place? is REAL. REAL battles took place. Real training. A real siege. And we are not only allowed to visit, we are allowed inside building. We could touch things. Sit on things. The overwhelming majority of accessible areas invited investigation. How cool is that?

This building – the Castle – is what the fort originally started with. It was set up with the plan of trading (the lower right hand door and windows were the trading post).

We got to move throughout and so much of it was accessible.

Back outside we visited the greens and met washer women, and soliders, and a black smith (photo above) and a Native American with a handmade canoe.

They taught us about the life of soldiers, and the method of fighting, and for a little while, anyway, it was “ok” to like the Redcoats. Winking smile

We learned so much. And I can’t do justice to the history of this place. I’m so glad I finally saw it and think it might be the best kept secret in Western NY.