People gutted over demolition of iconic Niagara Falls landmarks
Thriftlodge at the Falls, the OG hotel for tourists (and locals) looking for front-row seats to the action on the buzzy Clifton Hill at Niagara Falls, has been demolished.
According to an Instagram reel from @hidden_jackpots, the two-star hotel, which first opened around 1925 as Clifton Court Motel and later rebranded as Thriftlodge at the Falls, has been torn down to supposedly make way for a new parking lot. And it's not the only landmark saying goodbye.
Mystery Maze, an indoor adventure park which has been a staple on the street for over two decades, has also been razed, allegedly to make room for more parking.
The demolition of two iconic landmarks in the span of a week has left local residents and fans of Canada's biggest tourist attraction torn. While some believe the longtime fixtures are better off gone to make room for newer developments, others are holding on to the nostalgia.
"How many families and teenagers' summer weekends were spent there. I had one back in 87. Great times," someone commented on the reel highlighting the hotel's demolition.
"This makes me sad. I worked there for years in the 90s. End of an era," another mentioned.
Similar sentiments are being shared in the comments section of the reel about Mystery Maze.
"I remember going here once as a kid on the way home from a vacation in the States, and it was like 1 a.m., and my brother and I were the only people in the maze and had so much fun. What a shame it is being destroyed," an online user shared.
While there are claims that the parking lots will be a temporary use for the now-vacant properties, only time will tell what will eventually occupy the two massive pieces of real estate in prime Clifton Hill locations.
Representatives from the City of Niagara Falls were unavailable for comment at the time of publication.
The closure of landmark businesses is nothing new to Clifton Hill, which is often regarded as one of Ontario's biggest tourist traps.
Earlier this year, one of the province's busiest Tim Hortons locations on Clifton Hill abruptly closed without explanation. It was later replaced by another souvenir shop, a move locals and tourists alike weren't particularly happy about, given the coffee shop's longstanding presence in the area.
@hidden_jackpots
