Prices and information updated 09/2024

This summer, my husband and I got to see one of the greatest sights in the United States: Niagara Falls!

We were taking a family vacation to western New York, and while looking at a map, we discovered that we were about an hour from the falls! So naturally, we packed up and made a day trip of it. We had the best time!

10/10 would recommend this vacation for everyone, it was so beautiful! Let me introduce the park to you.

Niagara Falls is located within the Niagara Falls State Park, the oldest state park in the United States!

Multiple falls make up Niagara Falls, including Bridal Veil Falls, the American Falls, and the famous Horseshoe Falls.

The park is open 24/7, 365 days a year, and it is completely free to enter. You only have to pay for parking, which is around $10-$15. But sometimes, if it is not too busy, they’ll waive that fee too!

It’s a great place to enjoy the natural beauty of the falls if you don’t want to budget for the tourist attractions.

What to Expect at the Niagara Falls Attractions

There are beautiful trails for biking and walking, where you can enjoy the sites of the falls and the rapids of both the Canadian side and the American side. The park has tables and tons of shady spots perfect for picnics.

And yes, you can stand out on the pier that borders the Horseshoe Falls (again, for FREE). It is a beautiful sight, not the best place to see the entirety of the falls, but it is stunning nonetheless.

The park is free, but the park’s major attractions and famous “rides” are unfortunately not free. The park’s “extra” attractions include:

• Maid of the Mist 
• Cave of the Winds
• Discovery Center
• Aquarium 
• Trolley ($3 per ride)
• Fireworks (Free, every night during “on season,” which is most of May-October)

The park is PACKED during the peak season summer months, and it is a huge park. HUGE. My husband and I did not want to walk the entire way (some things are a 30-40 minute walk away) so we rode the trolley in between some of the attractions. 

There were so many people that we often had to stand for the ride, which was sometimes 20 minutes. It wasn’t much faster than walking due to the massive numbers of people loading and unloading at every stop, but it saved our feet from giving out on us before we even got to our stops.

Riding it later in the day was awesome because there were fewer people. We could finally hear the tour guide as she read the facts about the islands!

What to Expect at the Cave of the Winds

The Cave of the Winds is one of the popular attractions, and you will need to reserve a time slot for while at the park. It costs $21 for adults, and $17 for ages 6-12 (5 and under are free). During off-season (winter months) it will be slightly cheaper. If you have a group of 20 or more, you can save a few dollars per person. 

Once you give your ticket to the worker, you’ll watch a short film about Niagara Falls and its tourism history. Then you’ll walk into a room where workers will hand you ponchos and allow you to change into different shoes (you’ll want to bring your own water shoes or sandals). 

After you’re dressed and ready, you’ll walk across to these large elevators. The workers will take you down to the cave, and you’ll be near the bottom of the falls! There is a large staircase at the base of the Bridal Veil Falls. You get to walk along this staircase, right up to the falls, and then touch it! We had a great time.

It’s the best way to FEEL the falls. Expect awesomeness! It’s windy and slick. It’s hard to see because of the spraying water, and it’s loud because of the roaring water, so little children might be a little scared.

I would not recommend this attraction for anyone young who may be wary of the loud sounds and anyone older who may be at risk for falling. Remember to walk slowly so you don’t slip!

Near the end of your walk, you’ll see the “Hurricane Deck”, which is where the winds are strongest on the trail. It replicates the winds of a hurricane.

Try to get a video here; it is a special experience. It was a great way to capture the moment. I wish we had brought our Go-Pro.

The yellow poncho didn’t do much for people if they didn’t tie their hoods tight and then hold onto them during the walk. It is where you’ll get most wet during your time at Niagara Falls (mostly my face and feet). 

What to Expect at the Maid of the Mist

The Maid of the Mist Boat Tour attraction is the most expensive at $28.25 for adults and $17.75 for kids 6-12 (5 and under are free). It is also the most famous attraction!

You’ll pass onto the observation deck, which was one of my favorite views of the falls. It is a very tall building in the middle of the park. The fee for the observation deck is included in the price of your MOTM ticket, or you can pay $1.25 to see the view without the boat ride. 

You’ll take the elevator down, about 200 feet, to the boarding deck of the ride. Then you’ll pass through a room where they hand you a poncho–the famous blue ponchos!

Once you have that, you’ll wait in a very long and tight line. They make you get really close to each other, so be warned. After a long wait, you’ll board the massive boat and take a 10-15 minute ride up to the base of the Horseshoe Falls!

They take you close enough to get sprayed, but not soaked. This boat trip is where you’ll get great pictures! You’ll be able to SEE the falls from this spot and angle at its PRIME.

Such spectacular views! It’s the main attraction for a reason.

If you can, try to get to an edge, preferably the top, and try to face the dock when boarding (that side definitely has the best view).

Know that because everyone wants to see the falls, you’ll be squished and people don’t care that your body is there. They’ll stick their hands and elbows anywhere to get their phone out to take a good picture.

Besides that, it was my favorite part of the park, as it was just a stunning view.  

Niagara Falls Myth Busters

Let me bust some myths that I read about Niagara Falls. 

Ever heard the phrase “you can see the falls from the Canada side, but you can feel the falls from the United States side”? That is true to an extent, but you can definitely see the Falls from the US border. 

The observation deck has great views, the trails have great views, and the Maid of the Mist has the best view. So don’t buy a passport FOR Niagara Falls. The view of the falls is beautiful from the US side, and if you want to see the Falls from Canada’s view, just ride the Maid of the Mist.

If you already have a passport and want to see it from different angles, then that’s cool! There is a bridge at the edge of the park where, with your passport, you can walk to Canada. You can also ride or bike on the Rainbow Bridge. I have heard great things about Skylon Tower on the Canada side! 

You don’t need a change of clothes for Niagara Falls.

I read many blogs that said you’ll want to bring extra clothes to change into, but I didn’t get that wet with my shorts and poncho. Even if I had, you have all day to dry off.

If you have kids, bringing some might be a good idea, but that is up to your discretion. Use your ponchos wisely; tie them up tight, and you’ll be pretty dry. 

The rides are not that cold. I read many blogs that said, “Bring a jacket! It’s so cold near the falls!”. I went in August, and it was so hot. Dress for the weather outside in general, and you’ll be fine.

Cave of the Winds is the only place where you might get cold, especially if you go during the early or late months of the year. People said to dress in layers, which is never a bad plan, but I was happy I did NOT bring a jacket into the park because I would’ve been carrying it the entire time. 

You don’t get that wet….. Unless you want to. Most of the kids came out of the rides soaking wet. Why? Because they wanted to; they didn’t wear the hoods on the ponchos and water just went straight down their back.

But again, on a hot day, you’ll dry fast. I kept my hood tied tight around my hair, and I barely got water on me, except on my exposed skin that wasn’t covered by the poncho (face, hair in the front, knees, and legs).

Now, from the knee down… you WILL get wet. I’m telling you now, wear shorts and sandals!

How Long Should I Plan to Stay at Niagara Falls?

You can spend an entire day in the park, but it is awesome if you can stay longer! We saw everything we wanted to in one day, but we did feel a little rushed to fit everything in and would’ve LOVED to spend a few more days just walking the trails and enjoying the park itself.

But if you are close and have a day to spare, GO! It will still be worth it.

Every night from the end of May through early October, there are free fireworks in the park. It is a fun event, but they are not a must-see. I WOULD recommend staying until night to see the falls lit up (thanks Canada) for the Illuminations attraction. 

Essentials to Bring to Niagara Falls

Since Niagara Falls was a last-minute thing, we did not have time to prepare. Here’s a list of things I would have brought if we’d planned ahead for a Niagara Falls vacation! 

• Backpack/drawstring bag to carry stuff. I didn’t want to carry my purse all day long, so I left it in the car. I wish we had a drawstring bag to put our tennis shoes in after putting on our water shoes. We had our plastic baggies on our wrist all day, which got tiresome. 
• Plastic bag for your water shoes or change of shoes if you plan on going to Cave of the Winds
• Water. We forgot to bring water and paid that awful park price for a cold beverage (hello 3.50 for bottled water). Save yourself, bring your own! 
• Snacks. My husband and I brought a lunch that we ate outside the park, but we got a little hungry during the day. We could have brought our lunch into the park with us, but it was nice not having to carry it around all day. 
• Hair tie. Not only was it hot all day long, but the Cave of Winds is WINDY, and it would’ve helped to have my hair pulled back 
• Blanket. If you stay longer for fireworks, it gets a bit cold at night. 
• Easy to collapse stroller. If you have little ones in strollers, and you will be using the trolley at all, bring your stroller that is easiest to fold up. I watched the dads struggle all day with the strollers as they folded them up to get on the trolley. They got embarrassed as everyone on the trolley was waiting for them, and that button or that strap wasn’t working. Bring your quick-folding ones!
• Walking shoes. You’ll be walking all day–don’t wear your cute shoes that hurt within 10 minutes! 
• Water Shoes or Sandals. If you are going down to Cave of the Winds, bring some water shoes or sandals, preferably ones that have a good grip on them. 

And one last list for you, just a few tips we picked up in our 24 hours at Niagara Falls! 

• Know that the rides do close in the evening, even though the park is open 24 hours. And if it’s a busy day, the rides might run out of tickets for the day! Get your tickets early.
• If I was staying longer/lived closer, I would have loved to take a bike ride on the trails. They are so beautiful. The Niagara Falls State Park website is not very informative for planning a complete trip, but their trail info is pretty good! 
• If you have a chance to see the movie in the visitor center, do it! We watched it at the end of the day, but it would’ve been great to start with since you learn so much history and hear cool stories. They also teach you which falls are which. We went to the Bridal Veil Falls and didn’t know it wasn’t the Horseshoe! 
• You can feel the falls during Cave of the Winds, but see them on Maid of the Mist……both super cool experiences! Just think about which activities you want to do so you get the most out of it.
• If you are even remotely close, then go see them. They are magnificent. To see them, it’s free! To have the best fun, you’ll have to pay a little, but the whole experience is pretty cool.

Niagara Falls is a wonder of the earth, and you really should add it to your bucket list! It’s an incredible sight and a testament to God’s love and His wonderful power to create beautiful things. 

I hope this helped you feel better prepared for your Niagara Falls trip! If you have any questions, please ask! If you have tips because you’ve been to Niagara, too, drop those in our comments!

-Madison

For more travel inspiration, check out these posts!
The Do’s and Don’ts of Catalina Island
Cruise Tips and Tricks
Traveling by Train