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Membership Ensures a Summer of Fun at the Fort

by Charlotte Clark
Thu, Apr 4th 2019 01:00 pm

(April 4, 2019) Youngstown, N.Y. – As the Old Fort Niagara Association prepares for its busy summer season, it reminds the community that this is the perfect time to buy an annual membership and ensure a summer of fun at the fort. Membership means free admission to the fort for a year, including its six reenactments and summer programming, plus a quarterly newsletter and discounts in the museum shop.

Membership offers value to those who enroll, but it also helps support the association’s mission to preserve, educate and promote the history of Old Fort Niagara. It continues to play an important role in Old Fort Niagara’s existence.

 

The History of OFNA Membership

In the 1920s, “old” Fort Niagara was in disrepair as the military operations of the site had been moved into newer buildings outside of the “old” fort walls. Lake Ontario had undermined the seawall protecting its northern flank, the French Castle was in danger of collapse and the surviving 18th century buildings were also badly deteriorated.

A group of local citizens advocated for repair and preservation of the old fortifications and structures, which they recognized for their historical value. They established the Old Fort Niagara Association in 1927.

“What you know as Old Fort Niagara today – the impressive stone fortifications of the iconic French Castle and other buildings and the well-maintained grounds – only exists because the early association and its founders created a members-based organization that pulled the community together and restored it,” said Robert L. Emerson, Executive Director of the Old Fort Niagara Association. “Their foresight into what Old Fort Niagara could become has been fulfilled, but we need members to continue their legacy and help sustain the site. That happens with each new or renewed membership.”

Due to the efforts of the early association and its members since 1927, Old Fort Niagara today is a Registered National Historic Landmark and is visited by more than 250,000 people each year.

 

Member Benefits and Dues

“Becoming a member of the Old Fort Niagara Association means joining a group of likeminded people who treasure Old Fort Niagara for its historical and cultural importance,” said Mr. Emerson. “Our members are advocates for preserving, educating and protecting Old Fort Niagara for today and the future. All it takes to do something this important is yearly membership.”

Members of the Old Fort Niagara Association receive:

  • Free admission to Old Fort Niagara for 12 months
  • Free admission to special events (excluding fundraisers), which include: Patriots’ Day Weekend, Civil War Artillery School, Soldiers through the Ages, French and Indian War Encampment, Soldiers of the Revolution, War of 1812 Encampment, and “Flintlocks and Council Fires” daily summer programming
  • Discounted admission rates for member guests
  • A 10% discount on items in the museum shop
  • A newsletter devoted to the fort's history and archaeology
  • Notice of membership functions and special events

Annual membership dues are $40 for individuals; $75 for families and grandparents; or $1,000 for lifetime memberships, which are payable over five years and deposited into the fort’s permanent development fund.

Membership registrations are available online at www.oldfortniagara.org/membership-information, by calling the fort at (716) 745-7611, or by picking up a form at the fort’s visitor center. Checks and credit cards payments are accepted.

Hours of Operation

January 13 through March, Open Wednesday-Sunday  10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m

April 1- June 30, Open Daily 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

July and August, Open Daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

September 1 - October 15, Open Daily 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

October 16 - December 31, Open Wednesday through Sunday (Closed Mondays and Tuesdays) 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

The fort will be open daily during Christmas week, December 26 - 31. 

Closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. 

 

General Admission

Adults:

$20.00

Children (6 to 12 years) 

$12.00

Children (5 and under):

  FREE

 

 

 

 

Support the Fort

Old Fort Niagara is operated by the Old Fort Niagara Association, an independent, not-for-profit organization established in 1927. We do not rely on tax dollars. Instead, the Fort is funded through a combination of admission fees, museum shop sales, and charitable contributions.

Donate today!

 

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