War of 1812 in Niagara Falls Commemorated by New Sand Sculpture Exhibition!

Reading Time: 4 minutes -

Niagara Falls newest attraction is officially open! The War of 1812 in Niagara Falls is proudly dedicated and honored within sand in the opening of “Sand and History“, a Sand Sculptures Exhibition in Niagara Falls. This unique attraction located at the old Niagara Falls Memorial Arena at 5145 Centre Street, dedicates its figures to the War of 1812 in Niagara Falls and 200 years of peace between Canada and the USA. After many months of rebuilding and unforseen delays, this new Niagara Falls attraction is officially open for business. V2 Niagara Inc., the Russian consortium that bought the arena for $1.04 million did a complete facelift to the arena and transformed it into a magnificent exhibition including the greatest political, military, national and First Nations heroes.

Two days after the Sand Sculpture Exhibition opened, I took the short jaunt up Clifton Hill to Centre Street to check out the newest addition. Admission is $16 adults, $13 students/seniors and $11 children. Kids eight and under are free. The hours of operation are Monday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm.
The first thing I thought of when I entered this museum focused on the War of 1812 in Niagara Falls, was what an amazing educational experience for students coming to Niagara. They do offer group rates, so taking a class trip to the “Sand and History” museum is a great option come the Fall season. Combined with the educational element that Clifton Hill offers students with student packages that combine many attractions such as the Niagara Skywheel and the Movieland Wax Museum and even lunch at Wendy’s Clifton Hill, this could guarantee a unique day out for classes in the upcoming season. Local icons are commemorated here with magnificent sand sculptures of the Major-General Sir Isaac Brock, the leader of the First Nations Confederacy – Tecumseh, Lieutenant Colonel Charles – Michel de Salaberry, Canadian heroine Laura Secord to name a few! Fascinated with the intricate detail of the sand sculptures, I asked Olesya Islamova, Executive Assistant of V2 Niagara Inc. how long it took to construct the sand sculptures. From start to finish (including the sketches) it took approximately four months!

Some statistics:

17 of the greatest sculpting masters from Canada, Russia, Europe and the USA were brought in to construct these amazing works of art that include 25 statutory figures, portraits and landmarks. The sand used is all local and consists of 6,622,517 pounds of sand exactly! The exhibition area is more than 16,000 square feet and the sculptures range from 13-22 feet tall to approximately 493 feet wide (150 meters).

Here are some photos that I took while on my visit there:

To further educate yourself on the War of 1812 in Niagara Falls, head on over to Fort George in Niagara-on-the-Lake afterwards and visit this National Historical Site where Major General Sir Isaac Brock served here until his death at the Battle of Queenston Heights in October of 1812.

This coming weekend the Summer of historical events continue as Fort George hosts the 15th Annual Fife & Drum Muster and Soldiers Field Day on Saturday, August 17th and Sunday, August 18th, 2013 from 10:00am – 5:00pm.

If you are looking to book a stay to visit the attractions that Niagara Falls has to offer, the Clifton Hill Niagara Falls Hotel offers great affordable rates and packages to meet your needs, from the Build-A-Package deals that allow you to choose among a large list of Niagara’s most popular attractions at a discounted price to Weekly Deals in which year round you can save up to 20% off – even including some select dates at the end of August that are 15% off! Check them out by clicking here.

The War of 1812 in Niagara Falls will always be commemorated as we sit on top of a peice of land in history. From Niagara-on-the-Lake to Niagara Falls, and now in the Sand Scultpture Exhibition of “Sand and History”, we will always remember and continue to educate this important peice of history in time.

For more information on the Sand Sculpture Exhibition, please visit www.v2niagara.com or call 289-296-5993.

*SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL OFFER STARTING AUGUST 16, 2013 – 50% OFF* at the “Sand and History” Museum