Niagara Aerospace Museum

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Mon Mar 24, 2008 6:29 pm

The Niagara Aerospace Museum is upstate New York is now closed according to their website www.niagaramuseum.org The website goes onto say their collection will be placed into storage until such a time that the museum can reopen.

AIRIC · **Posted:** Mon Mar 24, 2008 8:53 pm

That is a shame. I did an article on their first location when they were in a mall. I visited the museum about this time last year, we were staying across the street at the Seneca Casino. I have to say I enjoyed their location in the mall much better then the building they are currently in. However I thought the new location would bring in more people. I wonder where the P-39 Galloping Gertie will go as it is owned by the NASM.

AIRIC · **Posted:** Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:06 pm

Some pics from the museum. As you can see they moved into an office building and the space was very cramped.

Eric

DaveG · **Posted:** Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:02 pm

okay, that's it. No more complaints about photographic conditions at NMUSAF or anywhere else. (even if the lighting is better at Niagara :wink:

)

P51Mstg · **Joined:** Tue Jan 25, 2005 11:36 am **Posts:** 1202

For lack of a better term, that SUX.

We stopped on the way home from Genesso last summer and it was closed then too. I really wanted to see the P-39 (other than through the windows............). That particular airframe has a good deal of history attached to it.

Also, Buffalo, which doesnt' have a whole lot going for it (go there in the winter sometime) was the home of Bell Aircraft and a lot of great things happened there. Hard to imagine that the City couldn't have kicked in a few bucks to keep the place open..........

If they want to get out from under that Bell 47, the checkbook is open... and I have space in the hangar for it........

Mark H

P51Mstg · **Joined:** Tue Jan 25, 2005 11:36 am **Posts:** 1202

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P51Mstg · **Joined:** Tue Jan 25, 2005 11:36 am **Posts:** 1202

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astixjr · **Posted:** Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:27 am

I'm sure sorry to hear about the closure but I must admit, I had not heard of this museum until I read this topic post. Thanks for the photos eric, the museum's website was not very revealing. So I'm scratching my head on the little silver monoplane. What is it?

CWBuff · **Joined:** Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:14 am **Posts:** 854

'Tis a shame, but not surprising... unfortunately. I did some volunteer work at the museum shortly after it first opened, but haven't had anything to do with the place since just before they moved from the mall. So I don't really know who's been running the show recently... if the same 'higher ups' are still around, then it's a minor miracle that the museum is still around.

Hopefully it's only another temporary closure, and hopefully they can get some purposeful, responsible leadership... and soon... that place has potential.

astixjr wrote:

So I'm scratching my head on the little silver monoplane. What is it?

Cunningham-Hall GA-36

Fade to Black...

kzollitsch · **Posted:** Tue Mar 25, 2008 7:12 am

The problem wasn't so much with the museum organization as it was with the lease of the building. The Seneca Indian tribe runs the casino adjacent to this building and also own this building. They leased it to the Niagara Aerospace Museum but have wanted them out of the building for a year or two now.

Last I heard, the Museum is looking at moving to downtown Buffalo. The plan is to have it reopened in a new space but when that will happen I don't think anyone knows.

If it does move to downtown Buffalo, it'll probably be near the Naval Servicemen's park which will put 2 P-39's very close to each other!

TimAPNY · **Posted:** Tue Mar 25, 2008 9:48 am

I enjoyed the museum, it was not fun for photos but they were there and on display. I'm sad to hear that it is closed.

I found it a bit hard to find. I knew about where it was but it seemed that no one working within a block of the museum had a clue it was there.

Tim

CWBuff · **Joined:** Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:14 am **Posts:** 854

kzollitsch wrote:

The problem wasn't so much with the museum organization as it was with the lease of the building.

Now that you say that, it does ring a bell and perhaps that is indeed the direct cause of these recent woes. I personally have little to no knowledge as to the museum's current status on any level... other than the fact that it's closed at the moment.

But regardless of any current issues concerning the lease, the museum had a serious leadership problem when I was still a member. And if the leadership hasn't changed since that time, then their road will only get rockier. In my opinion, and that of several others who have been affiliated with the museum, the current location was a poor choice on their part... although most of us do acknowledge that they may have had few options at the time.

I too have heard that they were considering a relocation to Buffalo. Although it would be easier for me as an individual to visit a Buffalo location, I would hope that they would try to find another place somewhere in Niagara County, perhaps near the airport. I guess we'll simply have to wait and see what happens...

Fade to Black...

Nathan · **Posted:** Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:41 am

Man I love that P-39!

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