Prudhommes Antique & Flea Market – VINELAND (In Photos)

(See Part 2 – “The BARN Opening”.)

If you love antiques, bargain hunting, looking for that special collectible item or just plain love the thrill of this whole experience, this is the place for you!

Located on the North Service Road, just off the Victoria Avenue exit of the QEW highway, there are two houses that can be seen – one an old Victorian mansion and both with the signs ‘ANTIQUES’ placed on them. It’s the Prudhommes Antique & Flea Market and even though it’s open all year round, you get to experience even more when you visit during the summer.

During the summer months, there are an additional 12 small outdoor cabins that are opened up which makes the atmosphere for visitors even more pleasant as the beautiful Lake Ontario can be seen in the background.

Driving into the market, you could see the vendors with their merchandise set up on the lawn. I must admit, I wasn’t really into antiques (as I get older, I’m starting to appreciate them more and more), but I was nevertheless so excited! I thought to myself, who knows what one will find in a place like this!

Prudhommes Antique Market is home to 25 vendors offering a wide selection of antiques & collectibles from furniture, glass, china, jewelry, tools, music-related items to vintage clothing and signs… and everything in between!

NIGHTMARES FEAR FACTORY - Niagara Falls (The REAL but Comical FACES OF FRIGHT)

It's that time again folks! So let the nightmares begin!

Traveller Photo by coastermeister courtesy of tripadvisor

The Nightmares Fear Factory is a haunted house attraction in Niagara Falls, Ontario, (across from Casino Niagara) and is the oldest haunted house in North America in continuous operation.

I’m still gathering up the courage to enter this ‘two-time Niagara Falls Attraction of the Year‘ haunted house which is said to be THE scariest haunted house attraction in Niagara Falls.

It’s roughly a 15 minute walk-through attraction that preys on each visitor’s fears and phobias. 15 minutes! That’s a long time folks to be in a constant nail-biting state of paranoia!

Nightmares Fear Factory
5631 Victoria Ave
Niagara Falls, ON
Go here to get directions.

As the story goes…
The haunted house is built on the site of the once industrious Cataract Coffin Factory where eccentric proprietor Abraham Mortimer dedicated every waking hour to surveying the progress of his domain.

At night, the old man was tormented and taunted by young hooligans. Abraham would chase the riff-raff from their pranks and dares. They always laughed at his threats… until one fateful night Abraham confronted a rowdy group of thrill-seekers. In the ensuing struggle, a stack of solid oak coffins overturned, and Abraham was crushed to death!

The guilty ran off and were never apprehended for their part in the gruesome murder.

Soon after the funeral, Abraham Mortimer’s coffin was found unearthed and empty!

To this day it is said, he walks the halls for revenge on those who dare trespass on his beloved, and now abandoned factory.

Niagara Parks FLORAL CLOCK – NIAGARA FALLS (+ Photo Gallery)

It is said to be the most photographed attraction - next to the famous Falls…

It wasn’t the greatest of days in terms of weather when we arrived at the Floral Clock. It was an overcast day, but we were nevertheless excited to be there. Upon arrival, they were maintaining the grounds. The gardeners were busy looking after the rows of tulips that greeted you on your way to the clock and the lawns were being mowed. A bus had just departed, loaded with tourists and another would eventually arrive 30 mins later- something that has been probably going on for over 60+ years.

We were thrilled to finally get a view of this much talked about attraction and were even more excited when we discovered what was behind the clock itself.

The Floral Clock, a free attraction, was built in 1950 and is one of the largest floral clock in the world at 12.2 metres (40 feet) in diameter.

The hands of the clock are stainless steel tubing: the hour hand is 14.5 ft, the minute hand 17.5 ft and the second hand 21 ft long. Their combined weight is 1,250 pounds. An ivy-clad, louvered stone tower stands 24 feet tall and contains speakers that every quarter hour broadcast Westminster chimes. Under the clock, accessed by a door at the rear of the tower, the concrete foundation includes three small rooms – one for the clock mechanism and its driving motor, one contains switches to supply the electrical power, and one stores the tools required for maintaining the floral face. The clock mechanism runs in a bath of oil. The mechanical workings are driven by a 5 HP DC motor supplied from a DC drive. A tachometer is mounted on the motor shaft and provides feedback to the drive to control its accuracy. 

The Westminster chimes are controlled by a programmable logic controller. The sounds are simulated and are broadcast through 2-25 watt co-axial speakers mounted in the bell tower.