Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

May 12, 2025

Angela P. Berti / (716) 278-1764 / Angela.Berti@parks.ny.gov

New York State Parks Niagara Region Opens Historic Archive

Collection includes original documents from Olmsted, Welch

Opening of "The Fight to Preserve Niagara" exhibit will celebrate the creation of the park

The Niagara Region of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has opened the first ever public archives housing thousands of objects related to the New York State Parks located in Erie and Niagara County.

"The Niagara Regional Archive will preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the Niagara Region and provide visitors with a fuller understanding of the historical events, activities, and material culture associated with the region. There is so much history on all our parks and especially Niagara Falls State Park which was the model for public parkland throughout the country. This is such an exciting opportunity, and we are thrilled to offer the public a chance to experience this history for themselves," said New York State Parks Commissioner Pro Tem Randy Simons.

The Archive is in the Niagara Falls State Park Education Building which is adjacent to the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Welcome Center. The building, which is the former regional headquarters, also houses a community room and the region's education team. The public will be welcome to view items and conduct research in the Barry Virgilio Reading Room by appointment. Virgilio was a State Parks educator who started and maintained the collection until he retired in 2018. He passed away in 2023.

"This collection consists of a mixture of items created by the region during the administration of the sites and items donated from the community. Items collected and stored will directly correlate to the parks within the regional boundaries of the Niagara Region. Currently, most of the collections relate directly to the Niagara Falls State Park, though more parks materials from the region may be added as parks collections are evaluated," said Courtney Geerhart, the archive curator.

As part of the opening celebration, the park will also open the first ever exhibit in the space "The Fight to Preserve Niagara" which will highlight documents and artifacts from the creation of Niagara Falls State Park, which celebrates its 140^th birthday in 2025.

For more information on the archives including policies please visit https://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/park-information/niagara-region-archive/.

For information and imagery on the exhibit, please visit https://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/tours-events/the-fight-to-preserve-niagara/.