Burning Springs Wax Museum
Attraction Type: Wax Museum
Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario
Years Operational: 1963-1991
Designer(s): Lynch Display Creation/Dorfman Studios, Waxattract
In 1790, a natural gas spring was discovered in the Dufferin Islands which could be ignited for continuous flame. After the War of 1812, entrepreneurs began charging to see the "Burning Spring", but when the Ontario Power Company took over the land in 1924, an artificial "Burning Spring" (which modern gas technology now permitted) re-opened in the Fallsview area at the corner of Buchanan (present day Fallsview Blvd.) and Dunn. Attached to it was a small observation tower, overlooking Table Rock and Queen Victoria Park down the hill. In the area, several cabin courts and motels had established themselves as well by the 60s, coming up around the same time as the developments over on Clifton Hill.
Turn of the century artist's drawing of the original, natural Burning Spring in the Dufferin Islands.
1930's postcard of the Burning Spring "relocated" to the Fallsview area, now run by a gas burner.
The entire Burning Spring complex was reimagined in 1962, when it was purchased by Malcolm Howe and Arthur White. The long out of date observation tower was demolished, in lieu of the over 325 foot tall Seagram Tower being built next door. The Burning Spring exhibit was revamped as well, becoming the Burning Springs Wax Museum after a large wax museum containing 35 historical scenes was added to the building, opening in March of 1963. The "Burning Spring" itself was now incorporated into a historical scene in the museum depicting the 1790 discovery of the spring, as the novelty of the artificial "spring" itself (that was essentially a large Bunsen Burner), was by this point long faded. The museum was the first (and subsequently only) Canadian franchise of National Historical Wax Museums Inc., who owned the National Historical Wax Museum in Washington, D.C. and had their figures supplied by Lynch Display Creation (owned by Earl Dorfman of Dorfman Studios.) Howe and White had exclusive rights to the National Historical Wax Museums brand in Canada. There was also a large emphasis placed on American history as well as Canadian due to the franchising of the American chain.
The attraction in it's opening year, 1963.
Marquis L. J. De Montcalm and General James Wolfe, 1963.
The "Burning Spring" scene complete with real flame, 1963.
Among the museum's 35 scenes were the aforementioned Burning Spring, Lincoln on his deathbed, Davy Crockett at the Alamo, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a variety of both Canadian and American generals, and more. It ended with an observation deck on the roof at the end of the attraction, which while perhaps a little redundant with the massive Seagram Tower right next door, was more a free addition than a selling point. In addition to the wax museum, a large outdoor fountain next to the Tower would be constructed, but this fountain would be unlike any other that existed at the time. The fountain was known as Waltzing Waters (created by the computer wizardry of Robert Dunham), a large dancing fountain, even programmed with synchronized lights at night. The fountain would also be owned by White and Howe. The pair's attractions and the work of the talented craftsman who they hired to build them drummed up another draw to the Seagram Tower aside from the Tower itself, helping further the popularity of Niagara's first major observation tower and the area around it.
Lincoln on his deathbed, 1963.
The Burning Springs Wax Museum would even be sued by Tussaud's on Clifton Hill, which predated it by four years and was the only other amusement attraction in The Falls at the time besides the Antique Auto Museum. Tussaud's alleged the giant words "Wax Museum" painted on the side of the Burning Springs building overlooking the busy Queen Victoria Park below was knowingly causing confusing over which wax museum was Niagara's original. The case was obviously thrown out, as Tussaud's didn't have monopoly over the term Wax Museum, a decision that would forever change the industry in Niagara Falls.
Signing of the Declaration of Independence, 1963.
The (perhaps too effective) sign which became the catalyst for Tussaud's lawsuit against the attraction, 1974.
The museum was expanded in 1966 to 50 scenes with the addition of a basement Chamber of Horrors created by Robert Dunham's Waxattract, after the success of the Waltzing Waters fountain prompted Howe and White to ask him to make the museum more exciting. Very little is known about this section of the museum, but it would have possibly been Dunham's first foray into horror themed figures, a talent that would later change Niagara Falls and the wider amusement industry as a whole. Howe and White also owned the Crystal Beach Wax Museum under the ballroom situated next to Dunham's Fantasy Land attraction, and their wax museum there received a completely horror themed overlay sometime between the late-60s and early-70s. Whether or not this came before the Chambers of Horror section in the Burning Springs or if Dunham had a hand in that overhaul as well is unknown, but both remain mysterious additions to their respective attractions that have largely been lost to time.
Mid 1960's
On June 5th, 1969, the museum would be completely gutted by an early morning three-alarm fire which caused between $600,000 and $700,000 damage. The fire raged mostly on the top floor where it started, with falling debris, smoke and water damage also ruining the first floor. A mysterious knotted nylon rope was found hanging from the sign at the rear of the building leading to the roof, suggesting some sort of fowl play, however nothing ever came of the discovery.
Clockwise from top left: The fire as it was raging, the mysterious rope found hanging from the roof, and the aftermath of the fire.
The museum was rebuilt, with a now updated and modernized list of scenes to depict more current events like the moon landing. Dunham also had a hand in the new version of the attraction. Arthur White would buy the Seagram Tower and renamed it the Heritage Tower in 1969. An aquarium and reptile exhibit named the National Marine Aquarium of Canada was also constructed in the former World of Shops mall on the other side of the Tower, also owned White. The updated Tower complex with the new museum and aquarium opened in April 1970.
The rebuilt museum after the fire,1970's.
In November of 1976, the fledgling Tower, aquarium and wax museum would be sold to Japanese businessman Takeshi Shimizu, who had lived in The Falls for 10 years. Arthur White retained Waltzing Waters, with his son Bill White being a co-owner of the wax museum. Shimizu unfortunately couldn't financially turn the complex around either, with it being sold in 1981 to the Bolus family who owned the land the attractions were on. Figures of Ronald Reagan and John Lennon were added to the museum around this time. The gift shop was also tripled in size, however it's unknown if this replaced any of the former first floor or basement of the museum
Sale of the complex in 1976. From left to right: Mr. Shimizu and his wife, Arthur White, and Mayor George Bukator.
The attraction would carry on for several years with occasional changes. In 1980, a wax figure of Ayatollah Khomeini was added to the lobby to protest the Iranian hostage situation going on the time. A scroll with room for 10,000 signatures was put next to the figure to petition the Iranian government for release of the 52 American hostages. It's likely the petition had little to no effect on the outcome of it's target issue, which eventually resolved itself in 1981 when the hostages were released following the signing of the Algiers Accords. In 1984, a taxidermy grizzly bear from the attraction's lobby would be stolen by two Long Island teenagers, who attempted to take it back to New York with them across the border in the back of their car. They were swiftly apprehended by customs, and the bear returned to the Burning Springs.
Officer Paul Pierini pictured with the kidnapped bear following it's safe return to the attraction in 1984.
Around this time, the Bolus family and Bill White would sell the attraction (perhaps when the Tower became sponsored by Minolta and became the Minolta Tower) to a man named Mark Adams. He owned the attraction until June of 1986, when he was arrested for attempting to sell a pound of cocaine to an undercover cop. It's unknown who bought the attraction afterwards, but the museum would carry on. Adding to the bad luck however, the museum would be a theft target again in 1987 when the gift shop was broken into and robbed overnight.
Demolition photos of the historic building in 1993.
The attraction would eventually close in 1991. By that time it had been long overshadowed by more exciting and technologically advanced attractions like The House of Frankenstein, Movieland (which Howe and White had also owned at one point), Castle Dracula, Guinness World of Records, and Circus World, all of which were also located in a much higher trafficked area. Arthur White would finally sell the Waltzing Waters in the complex the following year, which would go on to move across the street in 1995 and close in 2000, whereas the Aquarium would go on to close in 1996. The former Burning Springs building would become home to the Dare Devil Gallery, a Waxattract attraction which had relocated there from Stanley St. The attraction operated there for 1992, moving to Pyramid Place the following year, albeit this time incredibly downsized and in the titular IMAX Pyramid.
The circa 1924 building was demolished on May 14th, 1993, ending the history of the Burning Spring exhibit that had operated there since. Along with it went the legacy of the wax museum, which had been one of Niagara's first amusement attractions over three decades earlier and paved the way for the attractions that eventually eclipsed it. The former site of the building is now the Marriot Fallsview.
(Top): The Seagram complex and Burning Springs Wax Museum in the 60's, (bottom): The Marriot Fallsview in the early-2000's.