The Table Rock Welcome Centre (also known as Table Rock Centre and formerly as Table Rock House) is a retail and observation complex located in
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 Fall ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
at the brink of the Canadian
Horseshoe Falls
Horseshoe Falls is the largest of the three waterfalls that collectively form Niagara Falls on the Niagara River along the Canada–United States border. Approximately 90% of the Niagara River, after diversions for hydropower generation, flows ...
, several hundred feet south of the former rock formation which
bears its name. The complex consists of two buildings connected by an indoor pedestrian mall and anchored by "The Grand Hall", a multi-level indoor observation complex, completed in 2008.
The north building, originally constructed in 1926, houses a first-floor retail store and the Welcome Centre, ''Niagara's Fury'', a whitewater simulation, plus the ticket offices for the tunnels
Journey Behind the Falls
Journey Behind the Falls (known until the early 1990s as the ''Scenic Tunnels'') is an attraction in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada located in the Table Rock Centre beside the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. It is open year round and run by the Niag ...
attraction. The upper level contains multiple specialty stores, and an additional outdoor observation plaza. The south building, constructed in 1974, has a first-floor fast food snack bar, additional retail space, and a second-floor, semi-formal restaurant overlooking the Horseshoe Falls and the upper
Niagara River.
Owned and operated by the
Niagara Parks Commission
The Niagara Parks Commission, commonly shortened to Niagara Parks, is an agency of the Government of Ontario which maintains the Ontario shoreline of the Niagara River.
History
The Commission was founded in 1885 and charged with preserving and ...
, Table Rock Centre provides the best direct path from the Horseshoe Falls observation area to the Falls Incline Railway (courtesy of a new bridge constructed in 2008 spanning the
Niagara Parkway
The Niagara Parkway, formerly known as Niagara Boulevard and historically as the Niagara Road, is a scenic road in the province of Ontario that travels on the Canadian side of the Niagara River from the town of Fort Erie to Niagara-on-the-Lake. ...
), which transports passengers to the
Fallsview Tourist Area
The Fallsview Tourist Area in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada is the main tourist attraction surrounding the Falls. In recent years, it has become the home many of the hotels in the city, such as: the Niagara Falls Hilton, Niagara Falls Marriott G ...
above the
Niagara Escarpment.
History
Before the Niagara Parks Commission: 1827-1887
The first building on the site was constructed in 1827, when
Thomas Barnett established his second museum of novelties, joining his first museum further upriver at the current site of the Victoria Park Restaurant. Barnett was eventually met with stiff competition from
Buffalo native
Saul Davis, operator of a museum on the New York side, ''Prospect House'', who built his own structure called ''Table Rock House'' in 1853, immediately south of Barnett's original structure.
Competition for the tourist's attention and dollar were fierce. Davis had built his structure between Barnett's museum and the
Table Rock Table Rock may refer to:
Canada
* Table Rock, Niagara Falls, a former rock formation
** Table Rock Welcome Centre, a retail center near the site of Table Rock, Niagara Falls
United States
* Table Rock (Ada County, Idaho), a hill near Boise, Idah ...
viewing area, and thus was able to intercept any potential customer of Barnett's. Davis' employees were routinely referred to as "henchmen" who would lure visitors into his complex by promising them free access to the Falls, only to renege and charge outrageous fees, while physically challenging any victimized tourist who either refused or were unable to pay these charges. One such incident in June 1870 resulted in a homicide, for which Davis was acquitted and Barnett reprimanded for.
Even though victimized by Davis many times, Barnett did not resort to overcharging tourists or being disrespectful toward them. However, it was Barnett who ended up with financial difficulties. His riverfront property was auctioned off in 1877 to satisfy debts. Davis purchased Barnett's properties and continued to run the operation until the
Niagara Parks Commission
The Niagara Parks Commission, commonly shortened to Niagara Parks, is an agency of the Government of Ontario which maintains the Ontario shoreline of the Niagara River.
History
The Commission was founded in 1885 and charged with preserving and ...
and
Queen Victoria Park
Queen Victoria Park is the main parkland located in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada opposite the American and Canadian Horseshoe Falls. Established by the Niagara Falls Park Act in 1885 and opened in 1888, the park is operated by the Niagara Par ...
were established under a Provincial Act in 1887.
Under Commission jurisdiction: 1887 - present
![Niagara falls rainbow from hotel 04](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Niagara_falls_rainbow_from_hotel_04.07.2012_16-44-43.jpg)
Since the 1840s, there had been a series of stairways leading from the complex to the river level where tourists could descend and walk right next to the foot of the Horseshoe Falls, dubbed ''Behind The Sheet''. These stairs were replaced in 1889 with a hydraulic lift, and by 1905, tunnels were cut inside the rock, establishing the forerunner of the Journey Behind the Falls attraction.
Davis' Table Rock House, standing since 1853, was in disrepair and was finally demolished in 1925 to make way for a new road and replacement building. Designed by the firm of Findlay and Foulis (Claude Alexander Findlay and James Foulis both from
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
) of
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, this
Collegiate Gothic building is still in service today, albeit with major modifications since that time.
After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, the tunnels were relined with concrete and in 1951, an observation platform was constructed just north of the Horseshoe Falls. The attraction, now called the ''Scenic Tunnels'', continued to draw increased tourist traffic; so much so that in 1963, extensive renovations were made to Table Rock House.
Modifications included the addition of the second floor observation plaza, and a planned "permanent" exhibit of replicas of the Royal Crown Jewels of
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
, drawing over 330,000 people in its first year. This exhibit lasted until 1973 when, citing lack of visitors, it was removed. A 25 cent admission fee to the observation plaza was removed the following year. Parking for Table Rock House was originally on the river side of the building which, due to the increased use of the automobile, became a hindrance. A major road design re-routed the Niagara Parkway to the west of the building in 1973, which provided a pedestrian environment between Table Rock House and the Horseshoe Falls.
In 1974, the building known as ''Table Rock South'' or the ''annex'', was constructed to expand retail space, including a second-floor, first-class restaurant. Renovations at the site, first begun in 1992-93, connected the two buildings and created the indoor pedestrian plaza, while the first-floor gift shop was completely renovated in the 1926 (north) building. In an effort to better describe the ''Scenic Tunnels'' attraction, it was renamed ''Journey Behind The Falls'' in the mid 1990s.
Further aesthetic improvements were made in 1998, and a more extensive renovation was completed in 2008, which saw the addition of the Grand Hall indoor observatory facing the Falls, an expansion of the north building for additional souvenir storage, as well as the new pedestrian bridge over the Niagara Parkway.
[Seibel, George A.: "Ontario's Niagara Parks", p. 92. Niagara Parks Commission, 1995]
Recently renamed Table Rock Centre, the site continues to be a top draw for visitors and a top money-maker for the Niagara Parks Commission.
In film
The Table Rock Centre complex was featured in the 1980 movie ''
Superman II
''Superman II'' is a 1980 superhero film directed by Richard Lester and written by Mario Puzo and David and Leslie Newman from a story by Puzo based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the second installment in the ''Superman'' film se ...
''. Exterior shots of the 1926 (north) building established it as the fictional "Honeymoon Haven Hotel" where
Clark Kent and
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning journalist for ...
represented the ''
Daily Planet
The ''Daily Planet'' is a fictional newspaper appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Superman. The newspaper was first mentioned in ''Action Comics'' #23 (April 1940). The ''Daily Planet'' build ...
'' in an effort to identify corruption in the honeymoon industry (though sound stages were utilized for interior shots).
References
{{coord, 43.079154, N, 79.078442, W, display=title
Buildings and structures in Niagara Falls, Ontario
Culture of Niagara Falls, Ontario
Tourist attractions in Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Parks Commission
Buildings and structures completed in 1926
Buildings and structures completed in 1974
Collegiate Gothic architecture