Willoughby Historical Museum | Niagara Falls Exchange

Willoughby Historical Museum closed permanently

At its August 26, 2025, meeting, Niagara Falls City Council voted to close the Willoughby Historical Museum, located along the Niagara Parkway between Fort Erie and Chippawa. The museum has operated for 57 years, having opened in 1968 in a former one-room schoolhouse.

Council’s decision considered several factors, including consistently low visitation, influenced by the museum’s rural location, small size, and seasonal hours, as well as a comparison of ongoing operating costs and the projected costs of relocating the collection. The museum will not reopen, including for the 2026 summer season, as the closure and Optimization Project will be underway.

The City of Niagara Falls Museums will now undertake a multi-year management and community exhibition initiative in response to the planned closure of the Willoughby Historical Museum.

Niagara Falls Museums Collection Optimization Project

Artifact review and relocation

The Willoughby Historical Museum houses approximately 10,200 artifacts that will undergo a formal review to assess their retention, potential deaccession, or relocation.

Additional staff will be hired to support documentation, movement, and decision-making throughout the transition.

Artifacts identified as historically significant or of long-term value will not be removed from the collection.

Learn more about how we're moving and caring for artifacts from the Willoughby Historical Museum and sharing them with the community on our Let's Talk engagement page.

Visit Let's Talk