Then: Burning Spring Wax Museum & Falls Observatory

In 1790, during construction in the Bridgewater Mills area (currently Dufferin Islands), a spring which had flammable gas was discovered. After the War of 1812, entrepreneurs Clark and Street realized the tourist potential of these springs. They collected the gas in a barrel, with a tube at the top to release it as a small, controlled, flammable stream. A small fee was charged to visitors to view the marvel.

In the early 1900s, the Ontario Power Company took over the area for electric power development, and the burning springs were moved further up the hill. The Fallsview Observation Tower and Old Burning Springs building opened in 1924.

Now: Marriott Fallsview & Spa

Over the years it was renovated, with a souvenir shop, wax museum and restaurant added. Ironically, a fire burned the building in 1969, but the damage was repaired, and the attraction continued to entertain tourists for years.

The building was demolished in 1993. The location is currently occupied by the Marriott Fallsview & Spa.

Niagara Falls Public Library. 2017. Niagara Falls - Then & Now: A Photographic Journey Through The Years. [Burning Spring Wax Museum & Falls Observatory / Marriott Fallsview & Spa].

Niagara Falls Then and Now
A collaborative project
Niagara Falls Museums - Niagara Falls Public Library - Dept. of Geography and Tourism Studies,Brock University.
Original newspaper series by Sherman Zavitz, Official Historian for the City of Niagara Falls from 1994 - 2019.

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Copyright for all content remains with original creators.