Niagara Power Project
Power Vista

Imagine being able to reach out your hand and touch the power emanating from Niagara Falls. A visit to the visitors center at our Niagara Power Project can almost achieve that goal.

The Power Vista, as it is known, is located 4½ miles downstream from the Falls, set amidst the spectacular scenery of the Niagara River Gorge. It features more than 50 interactive exhibits that invite visitors of all ages to have a completely hands-on experience as they learn about hydroelectricity and the historic role it has played in the Niagara Frontier.

We Make Learning Fun

Among the high-tech additions is a comprehensive Electric Lab, explaining the basics of electricity with an operating model of a hydropower turbine. Taking a more nostalgic approach, a realistic replica of a Victorian house combines local  period architecture with contemporary information on energy efficiency and electrical safety. Are you a fan of e-mail? Then send your friends and family an electronic postcard over the Internet, using our computers to place your image in one of four Niagara project backdrops.

And there’s more! A dramatic audio-visual display highlights Power Authority customers, including those Western New York firms that rely on Niagara’s economical hydroelectricity. One of the Power Vista’s original features, a large terrain map demonstrating how Niagara River water is diverted to generate electricity, has been updated with fiber optics. This birds-eye view of the region is always popular with local residents and out-of-town tourists as they try to spot area landmarks. Once you’ve studied our simulated scenery, experience the real thing firsthand by simply stepping outside onto our Observation Deck.

Art lovers will appreciate our recent restoration of the seven-foot-high mural by American painter Thomas Hart Benton that depicts Father Louis Hennepin and a group of Native Americans viewing Niagara Falls during the priest’s 17th century expedition in the New World. The mural was commissioned by the Power Authority when the Niagara project was built.

For more information or details on special programs, call us at 716-286-6661 or toll-free at 1-866-NYPA-FUN (697-2386). And while you're in the area, stop by and enjoy Niagara Falls State Park, America's oldest state park, and the many other Niagara region attractions.

Contents:

• Introduction

• Come visit us

• Directions

• Book a tour

• Calendar of Events

• Energy Education Programs

• Nearby destinations

• Visitor comments

News:

July 1, 2009 - The Power Authority Announces Winners of Scholarships for Tuscarora Nation

June 26, 2009 - Job Fair Friday at Niagara Power Project Visitors Center

June 8, 2009 - Binational School Visit by Canadian & U.S.A. Students Highlights NYPA’s Celebration of Boundary Waters Treaty Centennial

Read Western New York Update, our community newsletter covering NYPA activities in the region near our plant.

Niagara Power Vista brochure - .pdf (printer-friendly) version; .html (text-only) version

Be Smart, Be Safe at the Niagara Power Project - brochure - .pdf (printer-friendly) version; .html (text-only) version

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