Things To Do And See At Niagara Falls, Part 2

Read Part 1 here.

After Maid of the Mist and Cave of the Winds, we discovered there was another “behind the falls” excursion on the Canadian side.  Oddly, it’s called “Journey Behind The Falls”.

Journey Behind The Falls: A 10 to 15-minute walk from the Sheraton, this is an actual excursion that goes behind the falls unlike Cave of the Winds.  We weren’t sure we wanted to spend the time to do a second similar trek but it ended up being well worth it.  We went earlier in the day (around 10:30 in the morning) and there was no wait.

You head down an elevator to a series of old tunnels.  The tunnels were part of an old hydroelectric plant that’s now defunct.  It used to harness part of the water of the falls to generate electricity, and two of the tunnels that were used as bypass are open to the public.  It’s obvious the water flow is pretty immense but it was great to get a first-hand look at the power.

There’s also an observation platform at the base of the falls where you get a great vantage point.  The Maid of the Mist looks pretty small compared to the size of Horseshoe Falls.

With the walk, you’ll need a bit more than an hour to do Journey Behind The Falls.  There’s also some dining options and souvenir area there as well.  That being said, there’s a souvenir store pretty much everywhere near the falls.

Fireworks:  They definitely look pretty cool over the top of the falls.  We had a great view of them from the balcony at the Sheraton.  There’s a park at the base of the Sheraton as well as a couple of viewing points along the water.

Butterfly Farm:  About a 10-minute drive from the falls.  Our daughter’s always been a butterfly freak, so this was a must for us.  It’s definitely one of the larger butterfly farms we’ve been to.  There’s a horse-drawn carriage ride as well, though we didn’t partake. We spent about 45 minutes at the farm, but it would be easy to zip through it in less time.  If you’re traveling with kids, bring a bit of honey or peanut butter (thanks, Barrie!) to help make your kid’s eyes light up.

What You Need To Know: As I said, you probably need 3 days to do Niagara Falls right.  It’s not the type of trip I think we’d repeat anytime soon, but it’s definitely something to check off your bucket list.  It’s hard to explain how compelling it is until you’ve seen it.  And, while it’s not a week-long vacation, it’s likely something your family won’t forget.