WWE Niagara Falls

WWE Niagara Falls
Private
Industry Retail
Fate Closed
Founded 2002
Defunct 2011
Headquarters Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Area served
 United States
Canada
Key people
 Vince McMahon (Owner)
Products Clothing, accessories and media
Number of employees
 20
Parent WWE

WWE Niagara Falls was a wrestling-related retail establishment that was part of the Falls Avenue Entertainment Complex, which is located in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada was and owned by Canadian Niagara Hotels. It was the second WWE establishment to open up after The World, and was the first WWE Retail Store to open out of the United States. After The World's closure it became the only WWE Retail Store in the world.[1]

History

The venue was announced during the WrestleMania X8 fan access press conference in early 2002. The facility opened on August 1, 2002 as part of the Clifton Hill strip in Niagara Falls. It was partly owned by Canadian Niagara Hotels and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The building featured a gift shop with WWE memorabilia and exhibitions on display, selling everything from action figures and t-shirts to books, DVDs, autographs and exclusive WWE Niagara Falls branded merchandise.[1] The store featured a drop tower attraction called The Pile Driver, based on the wrestling move, spanning 220 feet (67 m).[1] This particular attraction was open from mid-May to mid-November due to seasonal demand and climate reasons.

The venue also featured video games and pay-per-views playing to entertain the visitors, as well as many WWE entrance themes and event music, mostly audio produced by Jim Johnston. During the first couple of years of operation, a sixty-minute video feed ran throughout the store, and this was available at all Canadian Niagara Hotels branded as a WWE channel - used to promote the store to tourists.[2] It also featured a free indoor light show in its first couple of years.

For its opening, Trish Stratus, Chris Benoit, and Val Venis arrived to sign autographs for fans and to officially open the store.[3] Stratus' signing at the store can be seen on her 2003 DVD, Trish Stratus: 100% Stratusfaction Guaranteed. Many wrestlers visited the store thereafter, those being John Cena, Batista, Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, Edge, Rob Van Dam, Mr Kennedy, Booker T, Torrie Wilson, Roddy Piper, Lita, Maven, Gene Okerlund, Stacy Keibler and Bobby Heenan. The store also hosted a special Jim Ross barbecue event. The last signing the store held was Gail Kim and Evan Bourne in October 2009.

Closure

WWE Niagara Falls ceased operations as of March 31, 2011.[4] As of early 2015, the former site is now used for the Niagara Brewing Company.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "WWE Retail Store and Attraction Coming to Niagara Falls, Canada in Spring 2002". WWE Corporate. March 20, 2002. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved May 23, 2008.
  2. ↑ "WWE Niagara Falls". Brock Plaza Hotel. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
  3. ↑ "WWE opens store in Niagara Falls". CBC Arts. August 1, 2002. Archived from the original on December 23, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
  4. ↑ http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/179135/WWE-News:-WWE-Niagara-Falls-Closing-Down,-Bill-DeMott-Interview,-WWE-Signs-New-Video-Content-Deal,-More.htm

Coordinates: 43°05′29″N 79°04′27″W / 43.09129°N 79.074193°W / 43.09129; -79.074193

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