This museum is located in the old City Hall building, in the non tourist part of Niagara Falls (at 5810 Ferry Street). It is a great place to go if you want to learn the history of Niagara Falls, at a very cheap price, usually just a few bucks. It should be noted though, that unless your child has an extreme interest in history, they will likely be quite bored here. It is not an interactive museum, and is more of a “look, don’t touch” type of place. This is a museum for adults who enjoy learning about the history of a city by reading placards, looking at photos, and viewing displays behind glass.

The building is due for some updates, but the slight disrepair that the building has fallen into, more or less adds to the atmosphere. You are free to take as long as you want to browse through the several displays in this three floor museum. Several artifacts from the War of 1812 are on display, as well as many artifacts relating to the history of Niagara Falls. Parking is free (a real rarity!), and there is also a research room. One of the newest exhibits is the chronicle of the development of hydro power generation in Niagara Falls. One of the unique features of this museum is their “Community Exhibit Programme”, which allows community groups from around the area to come up with their own displays relating to their organization. Current community groups on display are: United Empire Loyalists, Niagara Falls Nature Club, Niagara Scouting and Niagara Black History Association.

This museum is one of three that are owned by the City of Niagara Falls, the other two being the Willoughby Historical Museum and the Battle Ground Hotel Museum. The Willoughby Historical Museum is located along the Niagara Parkway, and is a very small museum set up in an old schoolhouse. The exhibits there cover the history of Willoughby Township. The Battle Ground Hotel Museum is situated on a patch of land where the Battle of Lundy’s Lane was fought during the War of 1812. This museum is a little more interactive, and might be more enjoyable for kids, as you get a guided tour, and you are able to experience tavern life as it was in the 1850s.

These three municipal museums are all perfect places to go if you want to get away from “tourist Niagara Falls” and see “the real Niagara Falls”, or at least get a sense of how it all started. Check out their web site for more details.

This attraction takes you as close as you can possibly get to the Falls without going over in a barrel. You enter the Journey Behind the Falls attraction from Table Rock Centre, a large plaza type structure on the Niagara Parkway filled with restaurants and attractions, with paid parking available across the street. The Table Rock Centre is easy enough to walk to though, and it is a pleasant walk during the summer. If you are already staying in the downtown Niagara Falls tourist area, don’t bother driving and paying to park at Table Rock Centre.

Once you get your ticket, you get on an elevator which takes you down 150 feet through a passage carved through sheer rock, letting you out to explore the tunnels that lead to portals and observation areas looking out to the waterfall. You will be given a rain poncho, as you will likely get wet from the mist, and this poncho is yours to keep as a souvenir. This attraction can get very crowded especially in the summer, but the views you will get are worth it.

You can hear the Falls before you see it; with 2800 cubic metre of water per second crashing down at over 65 kilometres an hour, it sounds like thunder. Indeed, when you get up close to the observation areas, it becomes hard to hear anything but the water and the voice in your own head. The entire attraction can take between 30 and 45 minutes, and it includes entrance to the underground tunnels (where you get to see the waterfall from behind out of two different portals), as well as the upper and lower observation decks. It is best to keep your raincoat until you have been to the lower and upper observation decks as well, because you will get wet without it. Unless it is a hot summer day, then the mist might just be the refreshing boost you need.

Somewhere along the line when you are waiting, you will get your picture taken in front of a picture of the Falls, which is usually available for you to purchase at the end of the attraction.

Prices vary depending on whether it is winter or summer, with it being slightly cheaper in the winter. Don’t let that dissuade you though; the Falls are spectacular in the wintertime. One thing to note if you are going in the wintertime, is that the lower observation deck is closed, due to the ice that forms everywhere. The entire attraction is wheelchair accessible with the exception of the lower observation deck which is only reached by stairs.

This attraction is a must do in Niagara Falls: it is reasonably priced, and it allows you to see the Falls from a completely different perspective. It is a view you won’t soon forget. For pricing information click here.

By, Megan Pasche.

Niagara Falls Butterfly Conservatory