Exploring the Abandoned Niagara Falls IMAX Theatre and Daredevil Museum
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- Exploring the Abandoned Niagara Falls IMAX Theatre and Daredevil Museum
In today's video we’re exploring what was left of Pyramid Place, or the Niagara Falls IMAX theatre, in the heart of the tourist district.
Pyramid Place had stood at the corner of Robinson Street and Fallsview Boulevard for 101 years, seeing use as a wire weaving factory, an amusement park, night clubs, tourist shops and an IMAX theatre. The theatre was in the early stages of being demolished to make room for a 12-storey hotel.
Full Photo Gallery:
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Join me and fellow explorer Cole Morningstar as we wander through the only remaining building left, the former Niagara Falls IMAX Theatre, just days before it came crashing down.
This property was constructed in 1919 as the Niagara Wire Weaving Company, producing thin, flexible wire mesh that was shipped to paper mills across the world.
The factory closed in 1974 and a part of the building was demolished, however a large section remained and was reborn five years later as a tourist attraction.
One year later it underwent an expansion to add attractions and children's activities, called Kids Place. Amusement park rides were added to the parking lot in 1981 - To everyone in Niagara Falls, it was called Pyramid Place
It was never a financial success, however, and the facility closed in 1983. A fire the next year caused $50,000 in damage to the property.
The namesake of the property, the Pyramid was transformed into a movie theatre in 1987 and exclusively ran one movie for 35 years - Niagara Miracles, Myths and Magic.
A low budget, 41 minute visual tour through the history of City of Niagara Falls from the early aboriginals and the legend of the Maid of the Mist, to the many daredevils who successfully and unsuccessfully attempted to go over the falls in barrels to other larger than life tales, such as the time Roger Woodward, a 7 year old boy survived an accidental plunge over the horseshoe falls in 1960.
In 1998, the theatre hosted a sold-out screening of “Titanic,” introduced by director James Cameron as part of the first Niagara Film Festival, James Cameron is a native of Niagara Falls.
In 2000, the theatre underwent a $3 million upgrade which added a six-channel surround-sound system to its six-storey screen; the IMAX Theatre at Pyramid Place attracted about 350,000 people per year.
The IMAX Theatre also held a complete collection of almost every barrel (or a replica barrel) that went over the Horseshoe Falls during the almost 90 years of random daredevil attempts.
The former Pyramid Place and Niagara Falls IMAX Theatre site will be the new home of, you guessed it, a 12 storey hotel. The new Hilton Garden Inn will offer 230 rooms within walking distance to all of the major attractions Niagara Falls has to offer.
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Exploring the Abandoned Niagara Falls IMAX Theatre and Daredevil Museum
In today's video we’re exploring what was left of Pyramid Place, or the Niagara Falls IMAX theatre, in the heart of the tourist district.
Pyramid Place had stood at the corner of Robinson Street and Fallsview Boulevard for 101 years, seeing use as a wire weaving factory, an amusement park, night clubs, tourist shops and an IMAX theatre. The theatre was in the early stages of being demolished to make room for a 12-storey hotel.
Full Photo Gallery:
freaktography.com/niagara-falls-imax-theatre-pyramid-place/
I went a few times when it was still open. There were some shots that were like a Nostalgia hit for me. Like "Oh wow I remember this, I remember that!" Good times
What an interesting building, the theater/cinema side looks in such good condition still 😮. With the amount of different uses the places had, it holds quite the history. Very cool exploration! 😎
The old hand drawn plans are awesome. I would also totally take those. Engineering history worth saving.
❤❤Yeahs love this video, super amazing 🤗🥰
I don't see the construction of the Hilton Garden Inn yet. I'm kinda worried that It might be another parking lot space
The "projection machine" at 5:30 is a 35mm sprocketed magnetic audio tape machine or "dubber" used for surround sound. It's essentially a giant 6 track reel-to-reel tape machine that ran at 90 feet per minute in sync with the film. That definitely should have been preserved. There are collectors and museums that would absolutely LOVE to have it. Too bad the video gives us only a glimpse of it or any of the other remaining tech bits.
TH-cam is a tub of Communist💩. Tried leaving a link to show the dubber, but denied.
The speakers are still there too from other videos....can't imagine why somebody wouldn't auction them off. Eight 18" JBL224 drivers in the subwoofer alone.
I came here twice, once to see the falls IMAX movie and once again to see the daredevil museum
Kirk Jones is the guy that survived going over the falls. He died a few years ago trying to go over the American Falls.
That place had the best gift shop!
Great video!
Dave, good exploration video. I was a projectionist for over 30 years, ran 35-mm and 70-mm film, never ran IMAX 👍😊
That's awesome!
Been there lots of times, when family or friends flew in we would take them there. I also miss Maple Leaf village. Fun times.
This would've been great to see Oppenheimer in.
This was amazing 😊 thanks
Glad you enjoyed it!
..a cool video keep up the great content.. Thank you…
Thanks for watching!
@@Freaktography Thank you very mutch... have a nice Start of the week.... see you….
Woah!!! This was just great !!
😎
i have always wanted to get movie seats for a coach in my home. Thanks for sharing ❤❤❤❤ stay safe love ya
You should!
Never heard of this place in niagara falls but i liked the explore
This makes me so sad 😞 I’ve been there about 4 times and I planned on going again
What happened to the daredevil barrels?
Always saw this building when I went to Niagara Falls but never went inside. Didn’t really know what it did or what it played.
OMG i had to click on this. I remember one time for a field trip in Elementary school we went to an Imax, atleast somewhere in Ontario 🤔 , man.. when i first saw one i thought it was the most amazing thing ever, i mean as a kid its probably amazing. I like how they wrap around the whole room, i mean i still think thats sort of cool.
Edit, Ummm ok no, this wasnt it, i dont remember it as that shape, it wasa very normal looking building with a sort of flat roof on the front with stairs going up all around the outside. Now that i think of it! i think it was in Toronto, everything seems to be there lol, is there or was there an Imax there? & i think not far from it was the waterfront, i remember my friend going there to the gift shop! :) & the whole class going out on lake ontario in these small boats that had a roof. Tbh, i think these might have beeb completely separate occasions🤔 we may have travelled to the Imax from somewhere further in TO\ Mississauga and then to the waterfront..
Imagine if they'd actually used this Imax theatre to show Imax movies. What a revolutionary idea! Like everything in this shithole of a former town, they built it, left it to rot unused, and forced locals to go to Western New York and Toronto to experience the kind of entertainment this thing was literally designed for. At this point, Niagara Falls deserves everything it gets. I'm already laughing at the fact that our $140 million OLG Stage is playing host to Billy Joel and will never book another act on his level EVER again. The people who run this town are a disgrace.
As I've said before I always liked going to the Falls, both sides. Great that you got the history to share and the video before it's all gone. How interesting that you came across all those plans!! I would love to study those. Website says Daredevil Museum is moving to a new location - glad they saved all those. I remember when the young boy went over (& lived!!!) it was quite news worthy. Do you know if the film is still being shown (I found this - ? The film, currently shown hourly at Niagara Falls State Park's Adventure Theater on the American side) but it does seem to be for sale on Amazon.
I haven't been to Niagara Falls in 20 years. I had no idea the IMAX theater was no longer
even tho i couldnt hear anything i enjoyed this
Too bad. That's some great history here. I remember hearing stories about people going over the falls in barrels. I thought they were crazy. What's up Dave?
Thanks for the video
Why is there no picture of the pyramid in the original ads for the wire weaving factory
When was that part built?
Nice video 📹 👍. Happy Fourth 😀 of July.
Thanks nice video
The IMAX theatre still has a place in the 2020s, there should be more Canadian content like Canada Jam '78 or Supertramp at the CNE '79 and more big name program material. KISS final MSG shows in 2023, the original 'Godfather', 'Close Encounters', 'Forrest Gump' and 'Joker'. People will pay $25 for this good stuff.
This was the first Imax I went to as a kid. Shame they only showed that one movie.
It was a good movie .
In the shot on film days of Imax,70mm, the screen was huge. Today's Imax is phonymax. The screens are smaller. I'm surprised that this theater did not play different Imax shorts and featurettes.
An older man who i had a crush on in the 90's, my dads old guitar buddy, his name was Barry,he was 47 & possibly commited suicide by jumping over the falls, this was many years after that & he had a girlfriend his own age by then & battled with depression, plus he drank apparently, & i dont think they spent much time on the case🤔. It was aslo assumed he might have been drunk and just accidently fell over into the falls, which was another thought since there was no suicide note. All that cops found was a note in his backpack that said Happy Valentines day Mom and Dad' since it was near the holiday. I dont even think they found his body ever.
We'll get this IMAX theater restored and reopened to its former glory.
I was there a year ago, I wanted to go in there! I had
the Pyramid Place was opened by Famous Players on May 17th, 1979.
I hope you took those plans
Dis you all ever save those cool design blurprints?
I am not shocked that eventually a hotel would be built it seems movie theaters can’t hang in as a business these days.
I remember their commercials about see a movie four stories tall but never went there
Another piece of history gone sadly
um wheres the audio dave??
The first thing Roger Woodward asked when he was in the hospital... *A GLASS OF WATER*
Looking at that perfect stadium seating and that enormous beautiful screen all I could say was what a waste!
I'm not sure how recent this was filmed, but I just visited Niagara Falls a few days ago and noticed the empty lot that this property was on but had no idea what it was supposed to be.
Hope movie theaters don't fade into the past :/
Too bad no one is saving all those blueprints!! If nothing else, it's a little bit of what used to be....
Also sad they left so much of the "daredevil" stuff too.....
Even the signage has meaning...😢
I got some of them don't worry
Haha I remember when it was Pyramid Place. Wasn’t it also a bar/club at some point or maybe I’m thinking of the old Maple Leaf Village…
What contributed to its downfall is that it wasn't a regular Imax theater. Playing only one movie.
Hope you "archived" the blueprints. Otherwise they will be crushed with the building. Looks like they don't care about anything; even all of the historic daredevil photos, etc.
Have you ever gone to explore the planet hollywood in niagara falls?
Why build them if eventually they get torn down? Especially an IMAX theater!
Theres a homeless guy living inside of it who yells "HEEEEY.. GET OUTTA HERE" when you enter from what would be the main entrance.
"all the major attactions"
lololol
Like what, yet another hotel? 50k Indians milling about with nothing to do on New Year's Eve? Haha