15° and Light freezing rain
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Random photo shared because a few weeks ago, I saw these kids sledding off Lewiston Road near Niagara University. The boy on the left said he spent about six hours making the snowman. I did not ask names.
This from an article in the Gazette last week:
“Falls State Park, which claims to be the oldest state park in the country, is regularly the most visited park in the whole statewide system, bringing in around 9.5 million visitors in 2024. By comparison, the Whirlpool park drew in 453,643 guests and Devil’s Hole saw 357,807 guests in 2024, despite being connected to the larger state park through trails and not having parking fees.”
Not to parrot Shawn Weber or Gaelan Baillie but in a word, bullshit.
The State must be counting every guest 5 times, and not just on Goat Island or at the Maid of the Mist.
Simple math: Let’s make some assumptions about Whirlpool State Park. Assume 70% of visitors come between May and October and, in a given week, 50% of visitors are there on the weekend.
453,643 times 70% equals 317,550 over 23 weeks or 13,806 guests.
That would give us 6,900 guests or so every weekend or about 3,450 daily. I am not a crowd scientist but if the Whirlpool parking lot fits 250 cars I have never seen every spot full. They might be counting every guest 12 times or they made it up.
We know the Maid of the Mist gets about 1.6 million guests a year. A logical person might ask how many people visit the falls and don’t go on the Maid. If 5 of every 6 visitors miss the boat then 9.6 million could add up.
Otherwise? They are making it up, plain and simple.
Then there was this nugget from an otherwise positive Buffalo News editorial:
“One of the worst obstacles to the tourist potential of Niagara Falls can be found in the rhetoric of those who live there and throughout Western New York. There are way too many Debbie Downers living in this region, especially when it comes to Niagara Falls.”
This point validates one I have made repeatedly:
Tell someone from Western New York you are from Niagara Falls and they think you live in Beirut.
Tell someone from Austin, Texas or Milan, Italy you live in Niagara Falls and they think it is Disney.
As a region, we need to celebrate our national treasure.
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Julie Schrader
Neighbor
1-27-2026 10:31am
As a new NF homeowner, I thoroughly enjoy telling people where I live, and seeing their expressions. Some try to recover with "oh, you must live in DeVeaux or LaSalle" - NOPE! And is it wrong that I'd love for Whirlpool State Park to stay a hidden gem? It's my happy place, for all the reasons NFSP isn't.
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guy zaczek
Neighbor
1-27-2026 1:07pm
Jullie,
I must agree. The real beauty of the Whirlpool State Park is its solitude if you know where to look. I raised a family of four in N.F. North End. That neighborhood gave each of my three kids an education not available in any school. Each is successful because Niagara Falls is not a Disneyland, nor is it a S--- H--- for people who have to feel superior. It is a community of people, good and bad, rich and poor, of every color, religion, and capacity. When you grow up here, you tend to be REAL.
judith harfield
Neighbor
1-27-2026 3:12pm
i live in what they now call the "center city". i lived in nyc for 40 yrs & was happy to return to my family home. i hate the debbie downers, especially those who have moved away & still comment on the city. our housing stock, for the most part, is good & it doesn't have to be in deveaux or lasalle. tourists $ mostly goes to the state. we need to attract young families---they are what will make the city come alive. what the city needs to do is to start advertising itself as a bedroom community---close to buffalo, the tonowandas, etc, with affordable housing. most young families are priced out of areas like buffalo, etc. the falls is perfect---houses are still affordable.
