Niagara County Community College's first campus opened on September 30, 1963 within a former Nabisco factory at 430 Buffalo Avenue in downtown Niagara Falls, New York.

It was built on 287 acres (1.16 km2) of semi-wooded land, with eight interconnected buildings:[4] The school's library was named in honor of philanthropist Henrietta Grigg-Lewis on November 15, 2005 after her foundation donated $1 million for modernizing the facility.

[7] The school's Niagara Falls Culinary Institute opened on September 28, 2012 within the former Rainbow Centre Factory Outlet in downtown Niagara Falls, New York.

[9] SUNY Niagara athletic teams were first known as the Frontiersmen from 1962–1984, and then the Trailblazers from 1984–2010.

[13] Eric Knuutila has coached wrestling at the college since 1973, producing four national champions including Rashad Evans.