Aerial survey · USDA NAIP · public domainThree stone buildings from the early 1800s in Lockport's Erie Canal Lowertown District—a hotel burned here in 1841, and investigators have recorded audio telling them to 'Get Out, Fire' in the exact areas that have burned.
247 Market Street, Lockport, NY 14094
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Public ghost hunts $30 per person; Family Ghost Hunt 101 $30 per family; private hunts/events from $500 for up to 10 people
Access
Wheelchair OK
First floor handicap accessible; second floor available via chairlift with advance arrangement
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1800 · Early 1800s stone construction in Erie Canal Lowertown · Hotel fire 1841 · Fire Department Station 2 — historic occupant · Police Department — historic occupant · Multiple fires over 200-year history · Lowertown Historic District
The Western Block complex sits in Lockport's Lowertown Historic District on the south side of the Erie Canal, where the canal's famous set of five locks once lowered boats 60 feet down the Niagara Escarpment. The three surviving stone buildings on the property date to the early 1800s, predating the Western Block name itself.
A hotel occupying the site burned to the ground in 1841—one of several fires that have struck the property over the course of two centuries. Subsequent occupants included a fire department station and a police department, both of which operated from the complex at various points in its history. The 100,000-plus square-foot property has passed through commercial and civic uses throughout its life.
The complex now houses ART247, an arts and cultural center that shares the space with the ParaNiagara paranormal investigation operation. ART247 operates galleries, studios, and classes in the historic stone buildings while ParaNiagara runs public and private ghost hunts in areas of the complex not open to the general public.
The property is listed within the Lowertown Historic District and represents one of the few surviving concentrations of early Erie Canal-era stone commercial construction in the Niagara frontier region.
Sources
The most-documented paranormal claim at the Western Block involves audio evidence: investigators running sessions in sections of the building that experienced fires over the past two centuries have recorded what appears to be a voice saying 'Get Out' and 'Fire.' The recordings have been captured in multiple independent investigations and are central to the venue's reputation on paranormal television.
Current and former tenants of the property, former workers, and written journals from people historically associated with the Western Block have documented apparition sightings and unexplained activity throughout the complex. A gentleman and a lady in historic dress have been reported, particularly in gallery areas of ART247. The accounts include descriptions attributed to the canal workers, travelers, and industrial-era residents associated with the site's 200-year history.
The property was featured on Discovery Channel's Expedition X and on the Death Walker series with paranormal investigator Nick Groff. Lead investigators Frank Kupka and Tony Hernandez of Buffalo Phantom Hunters operate the public and private ghost hunt programs, taking guests into spaces including the Stone Room, Speakeasy, Woodwork's Gallery, Tunnel, and Machine Shops—areas not accessible during standard ART247 operating hours.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Frank Kupka and Tony Hernandez of Buffalo Phantom Hunters lead guests through the Stone Room, Speakeasy, Woodwork's Gallery, Tunnel, and Machine Shops. 90-minute sessions run Friday and Saturday evenings at multiple start times.
A 2-hour PG-rated introduction to paranormal investigation for families with children ages 7–13. Led by paranormal investigator Frank Kupka.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
Aerial survey · USDA NAIPNorth Creek, NY
The building at 3235 State Route 28 was constructed in 1884 as a private residence and occupied by a single family from 1947 to 2013, a span of more than 65 years during which multiple deaths occurred on the property. Barkeater Chocolates began operating in the building in 2013; it is now an official stop on the New York State Haunted History Trail.
Aerial survey · USDA NAIPDunkirk, NY
The Rhodes House was built in 1882 by Francis and Grace Rhodes, who operated it as a funeral home for more than 55 years before the building was vacated. After sitting empty for 16 years, it was acquired by psychic medium Ivy Rivera and converted into the Ivy League Psychic Academy and a paranormal investigation venue, listed on the Haunted History Trail of New York State.
Tampa, FL
L'Unione Italiana was founded in 1894 as a mutual-aid society for Italian immigrants working in Ybor City's cigar industry. Its first clubhouse was completed in 1911 and burned in 1914. The current building was designed by Tampa architect M. Leo Elliott and completed in 1918 on East 7th Avenue, where it continues to operate as the Italian Club of Tampa.