Turtle Recognized as One of 11 Most Endangered Places in US
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has named the iconic Turtle building in Niagara Falls NY to its 2025 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. The annual list “raises awareness about the threats facing some of the nation’s greatest treasures.”
The Turtle building, at 25 Rainbow Blvd., is an iconic building designed by distinguished Northern Arapaho architect Dennis Sun Rhodes, with design by sculptor Duffy Wilson. The three-story zoomorphic building has 67,000 sq. ft. with eagle skylights. Its unique shape, with a geodesic dome roof “shell” and large porthole “eye” windows, invokes the Haudenosaunee creation story of the earth forming on the back of a giant turtle. After closing in 1995, the building has remained vacant, with its future preservation and use in question, an asset lost to the Western New York community -- and beyond -- for the last 30 years
Support Friends of the Niagara Turtle with a T-Shirt
Created by Tuscarora Woodworks. Tuscarora WoodWorks is an indigenous owned and operated business located on the sovereign territory of the Tuscarora People. At Tuscarora WoodWorks, we craft more than products; we share the stories and heritage of the Haudenosaunee people. Rooted in the values of unity, tradition, and sustainability, we aim to honor our ancestors while supporting the future of our community.
Available only through June 1, 2025!
2025 Preservation Award Winner
Preservation Buffalo Niagara Recognizes Friends of the Niagara Turtle
The award from Preservation Buffalo Niagara states: For their tireless dedication to preserving and revitalizing this living symbol of Indigenous culture and architectural heritage, we proudly present Friends of the Niagara Turtle with the 2025 Preservation Award for Neighborhood Preservation Organization. Join us for this exciting event on Thursday, May 29, 2025, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at The Caz (2221 Seneca Street. For more info: see https://preservationbuffaloniagara.org/blog-post/19255/
Land Acknowledgement
Every community owes its existence and strength to the generations before them, around the world, who contributed their hopes, dreams, and energy into making the history that led to this moment. Truth and acknowledgment are critical in building mutual respect and connections across all barriers of heritage and difference.
So, we acknowledge the truth that is often buried: We are on the ancestral lands of the Haudenosaunee People, who are the ancestral stewards of this sacred land. It is their historical responsibility to advocate for the four-legged, the winged, those that crawl, and those that swim. They remind us that clean air and pristine waterways are essential to all life.
This Land Acknowledgement is a vocal reminder for each of us as two-leggeds to ensure our physical environment is in better condition than what we inherited, for the health and prosperity of future generations.