Then: Kick's Hotel

Kick's Hotel was founded by Mikel Kick, and was operated for many years by his widow Maria after his death in 1875. It was a lively destination for local entertainment, showcasing acts like the aspiring tightrope walker and daredevil Stephen Peer, inspired by world-renowned funambulist Blondin.

Kick's Hotel burned in 1920, and a theatre was built on the site in 1925. It operated under a series of different names - as the Web, the Hollywood, and the Princess - until it finally closed in 1978. It then became the Canadian Serbian Cultural Centre.

Now: Main St. Entrance to Farmer's Market

Kick's Hotel was a colourful fixture on Main Street through much of the 1800s. Famous local daredevil Stephen Peer was known to practice walking tightrope over the street between the upper floors of the Prospect House and Kicks Hotel. The hotel burned in 1920, and a theatre was built on the location which operated for many years. The newest incarnation of this site will be a cultural centre and farmers' market set for completion in the year 2022.

Byers, Sara. 2020. Kick's Hotel. History@Home (Niagara Falls Museums). Video (1:55). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNZHoJYt2TU

Niagara Falls Public Library. 2017. Niagara Falls - Then & Now: A Photographic Journey Through The Years. [Kick's Hotel / Main St. Entrance to Farmer's Market].

City of Niagara Falls Centennial Book Committee.2004. Images of a Century: The City of Niagara Falls, Canada, 1904-2004. Niagara Falls, Ontario: City of Niagara Falls, 2004. viii + 368 pp. Illustrated. ISBN 0-973647-90-6. P. 178. https://my.nflibrary.ca/sites/default/files/Files/Books/ImagesOfACentury/chapfive.pdf

Niagara Falls Then and Now
A collaborative project
Niagara Falls Museums - Niagara Falls Public Library - Dept. of Geography and Tourism Studies,Brock University.
Original newspaper series by Sherman Zavitz, Official Historian for the City of Niagara Falls from 1994 - 2019.

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Copyright for all content remains with original creators.