Prior to being protected, the lands surrounding Niagara Falls on both sides of the river were largely controlled by private interests, and public access to the falls was limited. Landscape architect
Frederick Law Olmsted, an early champion of the falls' surroundings, began advocating for their preservation in the 1860s. In 1879, at the behest of the New York State Legislature, Olmsted and State Surveyor
James T. Gardner helped prepare a special report on the falls' conditions, which argued for increased public access to the falls and recommended that the state purchase lands for that purpose. The report was followed by a publicity and petitioning campaign that helped bring the issue to the public's attention. Olmsted and others formed the Niagara Falls Association in 1883, a group that aimed to lobby New York to acquire and protect the falls from private exploitation. The act led to the establishment of the
Niagara Reservation in 1885. New York State Assemblyman
Thomas Vincent Welch figured prominently in getting the bill signed, and served as the first Superintendent of the Park for 18 years from its inception until 1903. Niagara Falls State Park is claimed to be the oldest continuously operating state park in the United States and the first established via
eminent domain. It is a major contributing element to the
Niagara Falls National Heritage Area. A $44-million refurbishment of the park's facilities was completed in 2003. Work focused on improvements to the park's observation tower, visitor center, bridges, trails, and other infrastructure. ==Park facilities==