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Tourist places in Niagara Falls

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Friday, 09 May 2008
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History of Niagara Falls

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The Niagara Falls - among the largest, most impressive and best known falls in the world - lie in the extreme north-west of New York State. Here masses of water from Lake Erie plunge over an almost 200 ft drop to flow into Lake Ontario. First described and sketched by a missionary, Louis Hennepin in 1678, they attract over 12 million visitors a year.

The masses of water are used to produce energy. The present hydroelectric power stations have a total output of 3 million kW. Before the falls were harnessed to produce electricity, water poured down at the rate of almost 1,300,000 gallons per second. A Canadian-American agreement of 1951 on the joint use of the water guarantees a daytime flow of just under half that amount during the summer and just under a quarter at night and in the winter.

Formation The origins of the Niagara Falls go back to the Ice Age, when the river, flowing at a higher level than today over a limestone plateau on the Niagara escarpment, dropped down to the level of Lake Ontario near the present-day town of Lewiston. Then, as a result of retrograde erosion, the falls rapidly moved upstream. Over the last 3000 years they have moved back from the Rainbow Bridge to their present position. The pace of erosion depends on the volume of water going over the falls; but at present rates it can be expected that within a few hundred thousand years the Niagara Falls will be close to the American city of Buffalo.

Geography The masses of water from Lake Erie thunder over a horseshoe-shape rock wall 700 yds long at the Horseshoe Falls, which are in Canada, and, a short distance north-east, over the straight American Falls, 360 yds long. The frontier between the United States and Canada runs along the middle of the river.

Below the falls the Niagara River flows through a deep gorge varying in width between 90 yds and 330 yds. To the north-west the gorge narrows and forms a series of rapids (the Whirlpool Rapids).

The best views of the falls (which are illuminated at night) are to be had from terraces and observation towers on the Canadian side. Even more impressive is a rather damp boat trip in the "Maid of the Mist" (waterproof coats and hats provided). The boat sails past the American Falls into the clouds of spray under the Horseshoe Falls.

A cableway on the Canadian side, the Spanish Aerocar, crosses the surging waters of the Whirlpool. Sightseeing helicopter flights are available both on the American side (Goat Island) and on the Canadian side.

Tourist Attractions in Niagara Falls

Bedore Tours
Bedore tours include sightseeing in front of the various falls. Guides are available to answer any questions.

Castellani Art Museum
The Castellani Art Museum features a permanent collection that includes contemporary and 20th century artwork as well as folk art that date back to the 1850's. Paintings, drawings, photographs and pre-Columbian ceramics are on display.

Maid of the Mist
Maid of the Mist passes directly in front of the falls and enters the Horseshoe Basin.

Niagara Aerospace Museum
The Niagara Aerospace Museum is dedicated to Western New Yorkers who contributed to the world's aviation and space flight endeavors. Buffalo was America's center of aviation from 1917 to 1940.

Niagara Falls Aquarium
The Niagara Falls Aquarium, offers a variety of marine animals, including sea lions, penguins and otters; natural world of the Great Lakes and North Atlantic.

Rainbow Tours of Niagara
Rainbow Tours has 4 hour boat and bus tours that visit the American and Canadian sides of the falls as well as other stops along the way.

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