Accessible Niagara

Opening Niagara, Ontario to people with mobility impairment

You are here: Home / Recreation / Museums

Museums

Niagara Falls History Museum

Go to Niagara Falls Museum website
905-358-5082
5810 Ferry St.
Niagara Falls, ON

Parking (designated) behind the museum
Entrance is flat roll-in ramp to the rear entrance of automatic double glass doors
Also ramped entrance at the front of the museum from the sidewalk on busy Ferry Street.
Museum on the WEGO accessible Niagara Falls Bus Red Line.
Building was the Stamford Township Hall circa 1874.
Totally renovated, modern, bright, open-concept, completely accessible.
Exhibitions:

  • Gale Family War of 1812 Gallery
  • Community Gallery exhibits tell the story of Niagara Falls and its people: The United Empire Loyalists, the Black Community, the Underground Railroad, and Native Canadians.
  • History of Industry and Sports
  • Spanning the Great Divide – all about bridges into the U.S.
  • History of the 12,000-year-old falls.
  • Display of all the souvenirs that visitors have been offered.

Seventy-five seat theatre
Gift shop
Coat/parcel check
Elevator takes visitors to the second floor
Washroom:

  • Family style accessible with automatic door.
  • Long built-in counter that doubles as a child/adult change table

Loaner wheelchair

 

Fort Erie Historical Museum

905-894-5322
402 Ridge Rd.
Ridgeway, ON
Hours: Summer – 7 days a week 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Off-season – Sunday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission: By donation.

The museum is housed in the former Bertie Township Hall, circa 1874
No designated parking in front; wide parking in rear.
Paved ramp from parking lot enclosed with iron railings.
Wide front door opens to carpeted reception area/ hardwood flooring.
The many exhibits include:

  • Greater Fort Erie—: The making of a town 1400-1969
  • Archaeology in Fort Erie from 2000 BC to 1600 AD
  • The 1866 Fenian Raids
  • The Battle of Ridgeway.

Indian artifacts include:

  • The Palaeo Indian Period 9000 BC – 7000 BC.
  • The Fort Erie area boasts an outcropping of Onondaga chert (flint), which was used for over 4000 years for tool manufacturing. Accompanying displays feature a collection of spear points, arrowheads and tools, which are part of a collection of one million artifacts. To date, only 2.5% of the 80-acre Peace Bridge World Heritage Site has been excavated. The artifacts span 4000 years of history.

Archival collection of local geneology and local history records.
Research room on the first floor. Appointment for research is recommended.
Gift shop
Washroom impossible for scooter, tight for wheelchair.

 

Fort Erie Railroad Museum

905-871-1412
400 Central Ave.
Fort Erie, ON
Open Victoria Day (May 24) to Labour Day (Sept. 1)
Hours: Daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m
Admission: By donation.

There is a 1954 Red Knight T-33 jet fighter plane on display out front.
This museum features:

  • Canadian National Railways steam engine locomotive No.6218
  • Caboose, (1944)
  • Original Grand Trunk Railway Station in Ridgeway
  • CN B-1 Station.
The train and the caboose are not accessible, other buildings are.

The Ridgeway train station (circa 1910) is ramped and features:

  • Waiting room
  • Telegraph and cable office
  • Huge collection of photographs and memorabilia.

Accessible washroom in station – tight for scooter
Other building on site built by Grand Trunk Railway (1873) includes:

  • Admissions office
  • Gift shop: wooden train whistles, train memorabilia, kids’ Thomas videos.

 

Jordan Historical Museum of the Twenty

Visit the town of Lincoln website and go to visitors or residents
Click to email the Museum
(905) 562-5242
3800 Main St,
Jordan, ON

One designated parking spot at the main museum building.
The entire main street of Jordan is right off the laneway that leads to the museum grounds.
The museum area is comprised of two buildings:

  • The Fry House, an 1815 Mennonite farmhouse – permanent ramp on the back
  • An old limestone schoolhouse – portable ramp installed whenever needed

Heritage House (accessible) on Main Street houses:

  • Museum offices
  • Exhibit gallery focusing on the communities making up the Town of Lincoln
  • Changing temporary exhibit area.
  • Exhibit of fraktur which is a form of Pennsylvania German folk art.

On the Saturday before Thanksgiving in October the museum hosts Pioneer Day, which includes:

  • Outdoor exhibits
  • Food demonstrations (Apple fritters)
  • Old time music
  • Soap and candle making demonstrations
  • Native goods
  • Military re-enactments (long gun and canon firing)

Fall colour as museum grounds overlook the scenic Twenty Valley.

 

Lincoln and Welland Regimental Museum

Go to Museum website
905-468-0888
corner of King and John Streets
Niagara on the Lake, ON

History of the military in Niagara from the formation of the Butler’s Rangers in the 1700s through all the battles and notable events to present day.
Wheelchair accessible.

 

Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum

(905) 834-7604
280 King St.
Port Colborne ON
Hours: 12-5 p.m. (including holidays) May 1 to Dec. 18.
Free admission

Corner of King and Princess streets
Parking and the accessible ramped entrance on Princess Street.
Museum and Heritage Village features a century of heritage buildings in a landscaped setting that includes a pavilion with picnic tables and benches.
The history of Port Colborne and the Welland Ship Canal are the main museum exhibits.
Not all of the heritage buildings are accessible
Tea in Arabella’s tea room from 2-4 p.m. daily from June to September served by volunteers in period costume. Arabella’s is in a separate building with a ramped entrance.
Accessible washrooms on the grounds.

 

St. Catharines Museum

Go to Museum website
(905)984-8880
Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3
Welland Canals Parkway,
St. Catharines, ON

Two designated parking spots in the large parking area.
Drop-off area in front of the building.
Ramp to access the building and automatic doors.
The museum is part of the canals centre complex and is accessible.
Ship transit on the canal is from late March to late December
An elevator just inside the museum entrance will take you to the 3rd floor viewing area.
View ship come into the lock, watch it rise, and then go out to the next lock.
To find out when the next ship will be in Lock 3 call 905-984-8880 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. or log onto www.seaway.ca. Remember these are estimated times only. Weather and availability of pilots makes a difference and ships could arrive earlier or later.

Fascinating being so close to these absolutely huge ocean going ships and lakers.
Museum exhibits and education programs explore:

  • Early days in St. Catharines
  • History of the Welland canals.
  • African Canadian Underground Railroad terminus of St. Catharines.

The Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum is included as part of the main museum with no additional admission cost.
Snack bar open from March to October.
Accessible washroom.

 

Niagara Historical Museum

Go to Museum website
(905) 468-3912
43 Castlereagh St.
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON

Visitors park on roadside in spots marked for museum parking
Roadway is flush with  sidewalk
Automatic entrance doors
Ground floor fully accessible
Museum’s mandate is to display Niagara-on-the-Lake artifacts
Nine thousand years of history in the museum’’s permanent exhibition.
The museum contains one of Ontario’’s most important local history collections from native settlement to the present day and is home to:

  • 8,000 artifacts
  • 40,000 documents
  • 2,500 photographs
  • 600 books
  • Handouts also available in French, German, Japanese, Chinese and Korean
  • 
A black history specific guide for galleries.
  • Braille handouts

Twenty per cent of the museum is in the inaccessible upper gallery
Gift area
Wheelchair accessible washrooms

 

Welland Historical Museum

Go to Museum website
905-732-2215
140 King Street,
Welland, ON

Two designated parking spots.
Elevator from main entrance to main gallery floor and lower level gallery
Museum showcases:

  • The history of Welland and its people
  • The Welland Canal system,
  • World War I exhibit
  • Niagara Handweavers and Spinners Guild.

Just 4 Kids gallery – hands-on learning includes:

  • paleontology
  • native masks and symbols
  • assorted costumes
  • other items to play with and learn

Temporary gallery showcases seasonally rotating exhibits.
Accessible washroom