Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The fort is no longer a functioning military base, although the Coast Guard operates
out of the dock on its grounds. The legions of reenactors seen here throughout the
year—French,British,American,andNativeAmerican—are allvolunteers.Thelargestan-
nual event here is the commemoration of the 1759 siege of the fort when Britain took con-
trol of it from France. Each year, during the weekend closest to July 9, more than 1,000
reenactorsstagebattlesthatrecallthehistory-changingconflict.Inadditiontobattlescenes,
reenactors also create camps to show how people lived, ate, and amused themselves during
the 1750s.
Surroundingthefortis
Fort Niagara State Park
(Rte.18F,Youngstown,716/745-7273,
www.nysparks.com
,
9am-5pm daily Sept.-June, 9am-7pm daily July-Aug., free) with pic-
nic facilities, a swimming pool, and boat launches.
Nightlife
The village of Lewiston has just 2,700 people, so some of the best nightlife consists of me-
andering along Center Street on a quiet evening, watching the sunset from a park bench
along the riverbank, or eating an ice-cream cone near the water's edge. Nightlife here typ-
ically centersonameal,withdrinksfromthebar.Fewestablishments focusonlibation and
music, which is ironic since many believe that the cocktail was invented here in the 1800s.
Local historians say Catherine Hustler, proprietor of Hustler's Tavern, invented the
cocktail when she used the feather of a domestic bird (a cockerel) to stir a gin-based drink
in the early 1800s. Although the Hustler Tavern is no more, it was the only building left
unmolested by the British when they burned the village in 1813. Legend has it that the red-
coatscouldn'tbeartorazethetaverntheyhadenjoyedsooftenbeforethewar.Mrs.Hustler
and her husband were quite the hosts. After they entertained author James Fenimore Coop-
er, he included them as fictional characters in one of his topics.
More traditional nightlife activities are enjoyed at the
Lewiston Village Pub
(840
CenterSt.,Lewiston,716/405-7017,
www.lewistonvillagepub.com
,3pm-2amMon.-Thurs.,
11am-3am Fri., noon-3am Sat., noon-2am Sun.). With more than 40 beers on tap, it has a
casual atmosphere that makes you feel right at home. The knowledgeable barkeeps allow
you to sample beers before settling on the perfect pint.
The Arts
The
Castellani Art Museum
(Niagara University, Lewiston, 716/286-8200,
www.castellaniartmuseum.org
,
11am-5pm Tues.- Sat., 1pm-5pm Sun., free) is located on
