Events - Event View

There will be two tours held on Monday afternoon of the conference. All attendees that register for the tours will participate in both tours.

Tour #1 - Power Vista Hydro Plant – New York Power Authority
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) Power Vista Hydro Plant is the fourth largest hydroelectric plant in the United States. The plant diverts water from the Niagara River above Niagara Falls and returns the water into the lower portion of the river near Lake Ontario. It uses 13 generators at an installed capacity of 2,525 MW (3,386,000hp). During your visit you will experience an exciting, interactive adventure such as understanding electricity through the eyes of pioneers like Nikolai Tesla and Thomas Edison as well as modern-day scientists. You will also have the opportunity to visit the state-of-the-art 4-D theatre where you’ll feel the transformation from water to hydroelectricity as you fall through the clouds, race through penstocks and zip through the transmission lines across New York. There will also be an opportunity to design your own dam, to operate a power grid during a storm, and to walk through a turbine.

Tour #2 – The Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center
The museum opened for visitors in May 2018 in the 1863 U.S. Customs House that is currently attached to the Niagara Falls Amtrak Station. The Customs House sits adjacent to the location of the former International Suspension Bridge, a point of crossing for many freedom seekers including Harriet Tubman. The bridge abutments are visible from the Heritage Center.

The Heritage Center preserves the historic role of the people of Niagara Falls in facilitating freedom for the oppressed. The places and stories associated with this network of freedom seekers, free African Americans, and abolitionists evoke powerful themes in American history and celebrate the bravery of the men and women who risked their own lives to achieve the most basic rights