The Niagara Gorge Discovery Center, also known as the Schoellkopf Geological Museum, is on the American side of

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, ...

within

Niagara Falls State Park Niagara Falls State Park is located in the City of Niagara Falls in Niagara County, New York, United States. The park, recognized as the oldest state park in the United States, contains the American Falls, the Bridal Veil Falls, and a portion of ...

and the city of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. It opened in 1971. Its role is to showcase the natural history of the Falls and the

Niagara Gorge Niagara Gorge is an long canyon carved by the Niagara River along the Canada–United States border, between the U.S. state of New York and the Canadian province of Ontario. It begins at the base of Niagara Falls and ends downriver at the ed ...

via the ancient rock layers and minerals. The museum also showcases the history of the Great Gorge Route trolley line and features a number of hiking trails. The museum's location is where the

Schoellkopf Power Station The Schoellkopf Power Station was built on land owned by Jacob F. Schoellkopf above the Niagara Gorge near the American Falls, downriver from Rainbow Bridge. Understanding the growing need for electricity and the role of harnessing the Falls, Sc ...

, one of the first

hydroelectric plants Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

in the United States, stood until it was destroyed by rockfall in 1956.

References

External links

Niagara Gorge Discover Center Official Site
Museums in Niagara County, New York Natural history museums in New York (state) Buildings and structures in Niagara Falls, New York Geology museums in New York (state) Schoellkopf family 1971 establishments in New York (state) Museums established in 1971 {{NewYork-museum-stub