Syracuse Facts
Fact 1: Syracuse's Landmark Theatre is central New York State's only remaining Depression-era cinema. Charles Lamb conceived the opulent design and decoration of the building, which opened for business in 1928. Today, concerts, plays and comedy acts keep the stage warm, and guided tours are available by appointment.
Fact 2: The Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park is home to more than 900 animals. Despite its small to medium size, this zoo is one of the nation's leading breeders of Asian elephants. You can feel an elephant's trunk in the petting zoo section of the park.
Fact 3: Syracuse marks the halfway point of the Erie Canal, as it journeys between Albany, New York and Buffalo, New York. This distinction makes Syracuse the perfect choice for an Erie Canal museum. The museum is located in an actual weighlock building where ships traveling the canal were measured and assessed for taxes. The structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the only building of its kind in the world.
Fact 4: Salt has a history as one of humankind's most valuable and precious commodities. In the mid-1850s, Syracuse made its mark as the nation's leading producer of the compound. "Boiling blocks" were built around the city for steaming brine away and leaving the salt behind. The Salt Museum, located just outside of Syracuse, is housed in one of the few remaining boiling block buildings.
Fact 5: Knoxville, Tennessee, Clemson, South Carolina and Syracuse, New York. What do these three cities have in common? Their blood runneth orange! Syracuse University's celebrated Orangemen play downtown at the Carrier Dome. This is the spot to see a football, basketball or lacrosse game featuring these national champions. This domed arena uses a special design to prevent collapse because of snow, so the show will go on, no matter what the weather.
Fact 6: Designer-architect I. M. Pei is best known for his work on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the addition to the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. and the controversial pyramid-shaped addition to the Louvre. But not many people realize that the first museum Pei designed is located in Syracuse. The contemporary Everson Museum, is worth a visit to examine its beautiful architecture, as well as its excellent collections of American art and ceramics.
Fact 7: New York is home to the longest running state fair in history. The first New York State Fair was held in Syracuse, on North Salina Street, in 1841.
Fact 8: An 1819 committee was charged with choosing a name for the city now known as Syracuse. Committee member John Wilkinson suggested the name "Syracuse" because of similarities between the central region of New York and Siracusa on the island of Sicily. Both areas had natural salt water springs, and both were located south of a town named Salina. The committee unanimously accepted the naming proposal.
Fact 9: Lovers of the Arts and Crafts Movement will be interested to know that one of the chief proponents of the design philosophy, furniture designer and craftsman Gustav Stickley, began making his famous oak chairs, tables and bookcases in Syracuse in 1900. The Arts and Crafts Movement grew out of the backlash against inexpensive, mass-produced furnishings. Arts and Crafts style advocated simple designs, quality materials and production by hand.
Fact 10: You might not recognize the name of Syracuse native Milton Waldo Hanchett, but you have most certainly used something of his. In 1840 Hanchett invented the dental chair.
