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Niagara Falls, in the border between New York, U.S.A and Ontario, Canada, is one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world.
So what can you do around Niagara Falls? Well, let’s see: There is a Guinness World Record Museum, a motorcycle museum, two wax museums. Not interested in museums? Don’t worry, there are two miniature golf parks, lots of theaters, several casinos, three sky towers, restaurants, night clubs, a Hershey’s store, beaches, fireworks… Oh I almost forgot, there are also several waterfalls.
Don’t get me wrong, the waterfalls of Niagara are one of the most spectacular in the world. The difference is that while most of the other world’s major waterfalls, such as Iguazu Falls(Argentina/Brazil), Victoria Falls(Zambia/Zimbabwe) or Angel Falls(Venezuela) are the only show in town, Niagara Falls is surrounded by an endless list of urban attractions, day and night.
This may suit some and may not suit others, a matter of taste.
Geography
On the border between Canada and the United States, Niagara Falls is comprised of three distinct waterfalls: Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side and American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls on the American side.
Horseshoe Falls, the largest waterfall, is 53 meters high and 790 meters wide. The American Falls is between 21 and 30 meters high and 320 meters wide. Bridal Veil Falls, by far the smallest of the three falls, is 17 meters wide.
At its peak, Niagara Falls has a water flow of over 5 million liters per second, the highest in the world, 90% of which goes over Horseshoe Falls.
When to go
Niagara Falls can be visited all year round, but the best months to visit are May or September, when the skies are generally clear, but the weather is not too hot.
What to do
The number of attractions found in Niagara Falls can fill a small country. We will mention here a few of them most relevant to the waterfalls.
The most popular attraction is the Maid of the Mist cruise, and for good reason, it has been carrying visitors towards the falls for over a century and a half.
Skylon Tower (160 meters tall) and the Konica Minolta Tower Centre (99 meters tall) on the Canadian side and Prospect Point Park Observation Tower (86 meters tall) on the American side offer spectacular aerial views. For more views from atop, hot-air balloons and helicopter rides are also available.
Journey Behind the Falls on the Canadian side, is a series of underground tunnels taking you right behind Horseshoe Falls, to take a peek behind the scenes. The observation deck offers spectacular view of the falls from the side, just don’t forget to put on your raincoat.
Don’t miss the beautiful Queen Victoria Park on the Canadian side with its attractive gardens and great views of the falls.
As mentioned before, there are plenty of attractions around the falls, from museums, casinos, theatres, restaurants of all kinds, fireworks, shows and shopping. Too many to fit in this page. Whatever your taste, Niagara Falls has something to match.
About the author: David Porat is the editor of the Trip Ingredients website, with hundreds of destinations around the world. Trip Ingredients gives you great travel ideas and helps you find the perfect destination with all your favorite trip ingredients.
Niagara falls at Night, photo by Sujit kumar, Creative Commons
