Growing Business & Community - Welcome Center

As printed in the Niagara Frontier Publications Sentinel / Tribune on March 31, 2023

The Chamber of Commerce office is located in the Village of Lewiston at the corner of Academy Park.  We are fortunate to operate out of a historic building that is owned by the Village of Lewiston.  There is plenty of parking for visitors and visible as one of the first buildings you see coming into the Village. There is a new electric vehicle charging station located outside of the office, a bike repair station created by an Eagle Scout and a bike rack ready for the summer bicyclists looking for an adventure.  

The office of the Chamber also serves as a Welcome Center for tourists.  We have a welcoming wrap around porch with four rocking chairs reminiscent of Cracker Barrel days…actually they are Cracker Barrel Rockers! The front entry way has a digital screen with local announcements, events and festival information which is updated weekly. We have a variety of maps, brochures, business cards and promotional items available and complimentary water, coffee and Wi-Fi are also available. 

New brochures and maps are replacing last year’s info and we have re-organized our member to member information.  Do you have a brochure, poster or flyers that you want to make available to visitors?  We go through maps, Come & Play event listings, Discover Niagara Shuttle brochures, Niagara Falls Visitor Guides, Wine Trail Brochures on a daily basis from May through December!  Drop off your latest brochure to the Chamber office and we will make sure it gets into Visitors hands.

The office also is a stamp holder for the National Heritage Area Passport to Your National Parks© program, coordinated by America's National Parks, a National Park Service partner.  You can collect free cancellation stamps at cancellation stations in national parks and NPS-affiliated areas nationwide.  Lewiston, NY, Niagara Falls and Youngstown, NY are NPS affiliated areas.  There are hundreds of stamps to collect from all over the country. 

Having a visible and accessible office and Welcome Center helps our organization stay connected and on top of changing needs of visitors, member businesses/organizations and the community.  Referrals to local businesses and services are given daily, with Members information handed out first.  Many businesses use our fax services (yes – there are some businesses that need fax service), copier, laminating and notary services.  We have a small conference room upstairs ideal for meetings or 4-6 people that members are able to use when available. 

Stop by the office Monday through Thursday from 8am – 4pm and Friday 8am – 3pm.  As the tourist season progresses, our office hours will increase with accessibility into the evening hours and on weekends.  For information on Chamber operations visit www.NiagaraRIverRegion.com

Jennifer Pauly
President
Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce