Maid of the Mist Store

Since the mid-1800s, the Maid of the Mist company has been taking raincoat-clad passengers on a voyage into the mists of Niagara Falls.

But now, when their ride is complete, visitors are dropped off at the new 3000 square-foot company store on the New York side of the falls, where they can purchase an array of souvenirs to mark their adventure.

“From the moment people put on their raincoats to the time they are drenched by the falls, you see smiles and hear laughter,” says Kathy Kaminski, principal at SWBR Architects (Rochester, N.Y.), the design firm tapped to handle the store's interior design. “We wanted to extend that experience into the store.”

SWBR worked with StoreCrafters Inc., a Rochester, N.Y.-based fixture manufacturer and general contractor, to create a fun environment that evokes the natural landscape and the idea of water. A waterfall (smaller than the one visitors just saw) welcomes them at the entrance. Wave-like ceiling shapes and floor patterns also reinforce the aquatic adventure, while the company's signature blue-colored raincoats were inspiration for the wall color.

Photographs of boat rides and passengers appear in shadow box fixtures in the store windows and on the walls. “The store and the merchandise displays broaden a visitor's experience and highlight historic views and events related to the attraction,” says Jacob Sherman, retail manager for Maid of the Mist.

Client: Maid of the Mist Corp., Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Jonathan Schultz, vp, operations
Jacob Sherman, retail manager

Design: SWBR ArchitectsRochester, N.Y.
Kathleen Kaminski, design coordinator, SWBR Architects
Rohit Agrawal, designer
Diana Kalvitis-Pannone, designer
Ron Cunningham, technical support

Architect: SWBR Architects, Rochester, N.Y. (interior tenant fit out)
Hardy Holzman Pfeifer Associates, New York (building shell)

General Contractor: StoreCrafters Inc., Rochester, N.Y.

Outside Design Consultants: RES Exhibition Services, Rochester, N.Y. (mural design)
EMA, Eric Mower and Associates, Buffalo, N.Y. (fixture signage)
Traco Mfg., Batavia, N.Y. (fixture signage)

Ceilings: B&N Industries, Burlingame, Calif.
USG Corp., Chicago

Fixtures: Stylmark, Minneapolis
StoreCrafters Inc., Rochester, N.Y.
Doug Mockett, Torrance, Calif. (hardware)

Flooring: General Polymers, Cincinnati

Lighting: Hubbell, Spartanburg, S.C.

Elliptipar, West Haven, Conn.

Signage/Graphics: EMA, Eric Mower and Associates, Buffalo, N.Y.
Traco Mfg., Batavia, N.Y.

Wallcoverings and Materials: Marlite, Dover, Ohio

Waterfall Feature: iAqua by BluWorld, Orlando

Photography: SWBR, Rochester, N.Y.