The Prospect Point Observation Tower (also known as Niagara Falls Observation Tower) is a great…read moreway to admire the full grandeur of the falls from Niagara Falls, NY. Although it is set a short distance away from the edge of the falls, it is close enough to the falls to occasionally enjoy a refreshing spray. From here, you can get a clear view of all three falls, including American Falls, as well as the mesmerizing rapids. The boarding area for the Maid of the Mist tours is located at the base of the tower, accessed by a high-speed elevator from the observation deck. The base of the tower also provides access to the Crow's Nest, a smaller observation area located much closer to the falls. You do not need to go on a Maid of the Mist tour to go to the lower level, but there is a small fee for the deck and elevator.

One of the natural wonders of the world The water flows through at the Bridal Veil, Horseshoe and…read moreAmerican Falls.Such breath taking views great for scenic pictures. Not to be missed.Plus you get to board the Maid of the Mist and par take in an exciting experience with the falls.C8me and enjoy nature's true beauty, it has so much to see and explore.

While visiting Niagara Falls in Winter is not for the faint of heart, its a million times worth it…read morefor the breathtaking scenes. Not only was this attraction affordable at $14. It was lovely, gorgeous, and breathtaking. During winter the area is a ghost town making parking plentiful. We purchased tickets and were guided inside promptly. We were given a brief video history of Niagara Falls before we were herded to the elevators and brought down to the main attraction. In winter just watch your step and go bundled. It was definitely misty and plenty of ice on the floor. But enjoy and take tons of pictures. Would definitely come back!

We came the day after they took down the Hurricane Deck, and while I would have loved to go up that…read morenext tier, the water, wind from the falls was so powerful in the areas that we were able to get to. 1) The poncho they give you here, is a waste of time, but regardless of what poncho you are wearing, you are going to get SOAKED. Shoes, Socks, Legs, SOAKED. 2) We went towards the end of the season, the wood handrails and boarding are all SLIPPERY, walk slow. 3) Did I mention you will get SOAKED? Ok so, first time here, but I had read some reviews and we brought our own Ponchos which were far superior to what they hand out here with your entry ticket. I wore shorts, in the cold weather, because that is just what I do, so my pants did not get wet. I wore socks and shoes that were quick drying, so I only walked around in sloshy shoes for a small time, however you are probably best to just bring a change so that you don't have to walk around in wet shoes at all. It is difficult to image the power of this falls, as my wife said to me here 'I thought it would be bigger" Is that the first time she has said that to me? Maybe not. While the falls itself is not super tall, it is massively wide, and the power that is generated by the water coming over the falls is hard to express, without experiencing it from the decks here at the cave of the winds. Oh yeah, also there is no cave.

This remains a great bridge if you need to get to Canada or coming home from Canada. You need the…read moreNexus card, but then it's always fast and easy. I'm definitely a fan of this bridge. There's also a lot of nice public mural art near nearby.

I had just come from the boat ride at Niagara Falls on the Canadian side and gone past the massive…read moretraffic queue for the Rainbow Bridge, so I was very curious as to why there's absolutely NO ONE waiting to cross over on the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge. Standing there and wondering, one of the Canadian customs officers asked if I needed any help so I asked why there's no queue here. He very politely (aren't all Canadians polite?) explained that not only is this bridge for non-commercial traffic, it is also limited to only NEXUS card holders. So if that's you and you've seen the massive wait for the Rainbow Bridge, come on down to the Whirlpool Bridge for a very quick crossing! [Review 1504 of 2024 - 427 in New York - 22527 overall]

A great addition for the fee to go up to the viewing vista (that high platform where you get the…read moreview above the water)! Yes, the $2.50 (Canadian) you're paying for indeed include this. It's the line on the furthest right hand side when you approach the vista viewing entrance -- vista being on the left side. On certain days / hours with the wind blowing just right, you can walk the Crows Nest path up to the water fall and get soaking wet. And I do mean soaking wet. The folks working down there kindly gave us the Maid of the Mist ponchos. Yay! This was a great experience and value for your buck. You can get a mini feel of the power of the Niagara. There's another attraction where you can also get close up to the water fall and also feel the mist, but that's a separate attraction at a higher cost. I highly recommend Crows Nest!

This is the road to Canada!…read more Beautiful view of Niagara Falls. This is a gorgeous area! Must see!

Rainbow Bridge is a scenic and historic crossing between the Falls on both sides…read more It's a big, beautiful bridge! It does its job!

Please do yourself a favor whether you're staying on the U.S. side of the falls of the Canadian…read moreside, book a tour with Motherland Connextions! I found this company on Viator. I found the Underground Railroad tour in Buffalo and immediately booked. Why did I book? For starts, it's a 3 hour tour learning about one of the most historic and unknown aspects of American history. It is extremely well priced for the convenience and intimacy of the tour. You're picked up at the Underground Railroad Historic Museum (free parking is a bonus) and you're met by Kevin (dressed in period clothing including a dope top hat). He drives you to the key areas of Buffalo that were critical to the Underground Railroad. We had a very diverse tour group and Kevin made us feel comfortable to ask questions and to interact with our group. One of the best parts of the tour was going to an actual "station" on the Underground Railroad. It's a 300 year-old barn organically owned by McClew family who were "conductors" on the Underground Railroad. You get to experience the barn where many people were housed, fed, and clothed on their journey to Canada. After this experience 've become a Motherland C groupie! Kevin (the owner) could be a history professor (watch out, Dr. Gates!) with his knowledge and passion of American history and the history of Western New York (he's a Buffalo native). Kevin even gave great recommendations for shops, food and hotels for the Toronto leg of our trip. They offer a variety of tours so make sure to check out their website to get their schedule.

We booked a guided tour of the history of the Underground Railroad here in Niagara Falls for this…read moreafternoon. Turns out we were the only ones on the tour today, so it was a wonderful, personal experience with an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide named Kevin Cottrell. He was a great storyteller and a beautiful human being. We visited many historic places and heard many disturbing and heartbreaking stories. This was definitely one of the best guided tours of its kind I have ever been on. Highly recommend.

This is a historic site often barely mentioned in passing in guidebooks and brochures for Niagara…read moreFalls, and apparently off the beaten path but not entirely hidden, it's well worth a visit (and free of charge!). Parking is not a concern since the power plant site is adjacent to the Niagara Gorge Discovery Centre/Niagara Gorge Trailhead Building and the parking lot for it. Entering the stone structure, there's a big lift ahead, which will take you right down to the ground level where you're free to explore whatever is left of the once-active power station. Walk a little further down and you'll also get a wide angle view of the Rainbow Bridge and, of course, the grand Niagara River. There are brochures, maps, coupons, and guidebooks for nearby attractions and businesses once you're back up on the upper ground level where you took the lift, and the booklet with black and white pictures about the history of the site and the disaster in 1956 is another treat.

Great history and it's free! You go down in an elevator into the gorge. Parking is free and so is…read morethe elevator ride. Would've stayed longer but was getting attacked by bees-lol!

While in Niagra State park we took a quick photo after finishing Cave of the Winds. We learned…read moreTesla played a major role in utilizing the falls to energize the surrounding cities. We took a quick photo of the statue and selfie.

The inclement weather kept most visitors away for.viewing any part of Niagara Falls. On the way…read moreout of the park we stopped to see the Upper Rapids. It was very impressive to view the strength of the water rushing towards Niagara Falls. It was also cold and we were prepared with our hooded jackets and wintery clothes. Even the Canadian geese did not seem bothered by the weather. Free parking lot.

There would be no Niagara Falls without the Niagara River. Seems self evident, but still worth a…read moremoment of thought. What is often overlooked is that four of the five Great Lakes (Superior, Huron, Michigan and Erie all drain to the east, meaning that all the water flowing west to east ultimately travels through the Niagara River, over the Falls and into Lake Ontario before moving into the St. Lawrence River on the way to the Atlantic Ocean. That is a whole lot of water, and it explains while the only 36 mile long river carries more water, sediment and dissolved minerals than any other watercourse its size on Earth. That its course is north is explained by looking at a map of the Lakes. The eastern end of Lake Erie is actually southeast of the western end of Lake Ontario, and the channel connecting them (Niagara River) must navigate almost due north to link these huge fresh water bodies together. There is only a 9 foot decline from Erie to the head of the Falls, but this gravitational pull is enough rush that watercourse to the edge of the three falls in rapids that spill over the dolomite capstones and crash down the final 190 feet to account for the final verticality between the two lakes. Below this precipitous drop the River becomes a gorge as it races the narrow banks past a hydroelectric dam siphoning off power to generate electricity for more than 1 million people living on both sides of the border, yet leaving sufficient volume to continue to fill Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence beyond. In earlier times, a portion of the War of 1812 was fought in and around this area for control of these assets and for the Americans, to finally evict Great Britain from North America. Although the overall war was won by the United States, the piece that occurred in and around Canada and these borderlands, was actually lost, which is why England remained in Canada; and Canada, a part of the British Empire, and thereafter, the Commonwealth, for nearly a century thereafter. All is peaceful today, and the Niagara River and Falls can be enjoyed on both sides of the border created by the River, although from this perspective, Canada has the better views.