TOURISM: Coming to the Prospect Park theater near you

Local News

February 7, 2007

Theater upgrades include 45-foot screen and film “Niagara: Legends of Adventure.”

By Don Glynn The Niagara Gazette Wed Feb 07, 2007, 09:56 PM EST

A theater in the Prospect Park Visitors Center will be converted to a large-screen facility as part of a new partnership the state parks commission has with a leading cinema company.

Under the agreement, Destination Cinema Inc., a pioneer in the giant screen film and theater industry, will add the Niagara Falls State Park Adventure Theater to its portfolio.

Formerly the 250-seat Festival Theater, it will now feature “Niagara: Legends of Adventure,” a history of the falls and the explorers who visited here. The Adventure Theater will include a 45-foot screen and the latest in sound system technology.

Allen James, events and marketing director for the parks commission, said the film will give visitors a deeper understanding and appreciation of the human achievements and rich history of the falls.

Acting State Parks Commissioner Carol Ash said, “We are looking forward to this exciting new attraction and improvements that DCI will bring to our visitors center at Niagara. The film will enhance the visitor’s experience in an entertaining and thrilling format.”

Upgrades to the theater and the lower level of the visitors center will represent some $500,000 in capital improvements. In addition, DCI’s promotional budget will increase the marketing effort for Niagara Falls State Park by more than $100,000 a year, James said.

DCI, a West Coast-based company owned by Specialty Cinema LLC, also operates giant screen theaters at the Grand Canyon in Arizona; the Hearst Castle in California and in Victoria, B.C.

The new film will be added to the Niagara Falls State Park “Passport to the Falls” package which also includes the Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds, Observation Tower, Niagara Gorge Discovery Center and the Aquarium of Niagara Falls and all-day transportation within the park system.

The popular passport sells for $28 per adult.