New York Discount Hotels - Niagara Falls Travel Guide

For a more relaxed pace, there are the tours of the Aquarium of Niagara, Niagara's Wax Museum of History, or some of Niagara's other museums and educational facilities. Children will enjoy a visit to the Buffalo zoo and to the Herschel Carousel museum.

See top quality theater at Artpark and Artpark at the Church. Take a relaxing ride on board the Grand Lady Cruise Boat for a lunch or dinner cruise. Each night, take in the breathtaking view of the Falls, illuminated in vivid multicolor. During the summer months, Fireworks Over the Falls are featured every Friday evening. For winter visits, enjoy A Festival of Lights celebration as Niagara Falls magically becomes a winter wonderland, complete with animated displays, entertainment, and daily activities.

Just minutes from the Falls are the charming small cities, towns, and villages where a visit to a local apple orchard or farm, exploration of historic landmarks, and shopping in picturesque craft and antique stores, as well as in extensive outlet malls are all possibilities.

A fascinating vingnette of our nation's past is the extensive Erie Canal System which was hand dug in the early 1800's before the days of modern machinery. It was a marvel of engineering. Its system of locks raised and lowered the water at numerous points along the route from Albany to Buffalo to accommodate mule pulled barges carrying people and commodities. The 363 mile long canal system connected the Hudson River with Lake Erie to provide a major shipping route. A substantial height adjustment of 49.5 feet was necessary as the barges approached the Niagara escarpment. The Erie Canal Museum and two hour cruise on a surviving portion of the canal can be experienced at nearby Lockport, New York. Passengers watch the water rise as they peer from aboard the cruise boat through locks 34 and 35 at the approach to the escarpment. The cruise and museum are examples of the living history that is so abundant in the Niagara Falls, New York area, and is a treasure to share with our children and grandchildren.

Niagara is well-known as a year-round, world-class sport fishing destination. Camping and boating sites are numerous. All of this is accompanied by a friendly, welcoming, hometown feel.

 

Maid of the Mist Boat Tour
World famous boat tour of the three Falls (New York State and Ontario, Canada)
Spectacular one-half-hour ride.
Waterproof clothing provided.

New York State Park Observation Tower
Dramatic views of all three Falls from this 282 foot structure.
Glass-walled elevator rises above Falls, descends to base and boat tour.

New York State Park Viewmobile
Stops at all major points of interest.
Seasonal. Admission charged.
Handicapped accessible.

New York State Park Visitors' Center
The tremendous volume of water never stops flowing, nor does it decrease in volume. However the falling water and mist create ice formations along the banks of the falls and river. This can result in mounds of ice as thick as fifty feet. If the Winter is cold for long enough, the ice will completely stretch across the river and form what is known as the ice bridge.

This ice bridge can extend for several miles down river until it reaches the area known as the lower rapids. Until 1912, visitors were allowed to actually walk out on the ice bridge and view the Falls from below. February 24th of 1888 the local newspaper reported that at least 20,000 people watched or tobogganed. On February 4th 1912 the ice bridge broke up and three tourists lives were lost.
There can also be a great deal of "mini-icebergs" which flow down the Niagara River from frozen Lake Erie. The flow of ice has been reduced considerably by the yearly installation of the "ice-boom" on Lake Erie. The ice-boom is a large floating chain of logs strung from Buffalo New York to Fort Erie Ontario. It is usually set in place during the month of December and removed in March. This boom helps prevent the ice from clogging the river and most importantly the hydroelectric companies water intakes.
The flow of water was stopped completely over both falls on March 30th 1848 due to an ice jam in the upper river for several hours. This is the only known time to have occurred. The Falls did not actually freeze over, but the flow was stopped to the point where people actually walked out and recovered artifacts from the riverbed. Safety and ecological concerns no longer permit foot traffic on the bridge.

Prospect Point
The prime viewing area for the American falls and upper rapids. Look for a rainbow in the morning mist or see the falls illuminated in colored lights every night.

Cave Of The Winds Trip, Goat Island
The walking tour follows wooden walkways to within 25 feet of the base of the falls. An elevator takes visitors 175 feet through the Niagara rock escarpment to view the falls from the bottom. Allow 1 hour minimum.

Niagara Reservation State Park
Covers more than 400 acres. New York's oldest state park, it opened in 1885. The visitor center has displays and electronic exhibits about the falls and information about area attractions.

Amherst Museum
Located on a 35-acre site along Tonawanda Creek near the Erie Canal, the Amherst Museum lets you step back in time to the 19th Century and enjoy local history exhibits in the ambience of authentically restored buildings (homes, churches, and schoolhouses) from the 1800's. The complex includes an interactive Erie Canal exhibit.

Kenan Center
William Kenan's gracious Victorian mansion & adjacent carriage barns have been remarkably transformed into classrooms, studios, gallery spaces, and an intimate 150-seat theater. The Kenan Arena accommodates special events, recreation programs, and sports activities. The prestigious "100 American Craftsmen" festival and "Art in the Arena" exhibitions highlight a year-round schedule of art shows, plays, concerts, classes, numerous community-wide events, and amateur athletics.

Luna Island
Small island at the edge between the American and Bridal Veil Falls.
Offers a close up view of both.

Albright-Knox Art Gallery
The Albright-Knox Art Gallery is supported in part by grants in aid from the County of Erie and the City of Buffalo and with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts. Albright-Knox Art Gallery enjoys a worldwide reputation as an outstanding center of modern art.
The Gallery's collection is especially rich in post-war American and European art, Abstract expressionism, pop art, and art of the 1970s through the end of the century are well represented by works of artists such as Gorky, Pollock, Warhol, and Johns.
Gallery visitors will find offerings from a Mesopotamian figure dated 3,000 B.C. and Renaissance painting and sculpture, to American and European art of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Impressionism and postimpressionism are well represented by such leading French artists of the nineteenth century as Gauguin and van Gogh. Cubism, surrealism, constructivism, and other trends of the revolutionary twenties and thirties are documented by a large selection of significant works by Picasso, Braque, Matisse, Derain, Miró, Mondrian, Rodchenko, and others.

Murphy Orchards
Visit a working family operated fruit farm and learn about the historic New York State Underground Railway at the same time.  

Herschell Carousel Factory Museum
This is the only museum in the world housed in an authentic, original carousel factory building. The building and 1916 carousel are listed on both the New York State and National Registers of Historic Sites.
Exhibits include the Lockman Collection of 20 hand-carved carousel animals which document the changes in style and ownership of the North Tonawanda carousel companies.
The museum also carries a 26-photo exhibit documenting the production of a carousel at the Herschell-Spillman Company factory, from delivery of lumber to setup in a park.
"Good Fun in Hard Times" explains with text and artifacts the introduction by the Allan Herschell Company of "Kiddieland" and all of its related rides for children.

The Wurlitzer Music Roll Shop contains the only remaining music roll production equipment from the Wurlitzer Company. The Lockman Collection: The Lockman Collection, a private collection of carousel animals, is currently on exhibit at the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum. These animals document the changes in style of carousel animals over a period of sixty years in the different factories with which Allan Herschell was associated. The earliest animals are small and fairly plain. Later animals have a more realistic look and have been carved with more detail. The collection includes animals from the four eras of carousel companies in North Tonawanda: the Armitage-Herschell Company, Herschell-Spillman Company, Spillman Engineering Company, and Allan Herschell Company.
Some have elaborate scroll work and painted details on their bridles and saddles. This collection also includes several unusual and popular menagerie animals, such as a carousel dog, a wild boar, a rooster, and an ostrich. The Armitage-Herschell Company (1872-1906), was as well known for its custom made boilers and machinery parts as it was for its Steam Riding Galleries (early merry go rounds). The Herschell-Spillman Company (1906-1926), made safety and design improvements to carousels. Herschell's third company, the Allan Herschell Company (1916-1969), introduced the concept of aluminum horses and "Kiddieland" rides. The Allan Herschell Company factory complex is the only remaining North Tonawanda facility which produced hand carved carousels. It houses the present day Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum. The Herschell companies collectively were the most prolific producers of carousels in the country, manufacturing machines which were known for quality in workmanship and reliability. Their horses, while not as elaborate as some of their competitors, have a charm and grace which is unique to Herschell animals. They are prime examples of the "county fair" style of carousel horse.
Wurlitzer Music Roll Shop: This collection of original machinery from the early 1900's Wurlitzer Company factory demonstrates the production of paper music rolls. Band organs need these rolls to play the magical sounds which have always been a part of the carousel experience.

Pedaling History Bicycle Museum
Pedaling History features one of the world's largest collections of antique and classic American bicycles, including thousands of items of cycling-related memorabilia. A very rare 1883 Otto Dicycle large two wheeled bicycle has recently been added to the collection. The gentlemen rider sits on this vehicle between two large wheels, one on each side of him. This is the only one of its kind in America and one of only a few remaining in the world. The machine is completely restored to its original condition.
Another of our newest exhibits is of 1890's military bicycles. They have been retrofitted with the exact specifications that the Pope Manufacturing Company of Hartford, CT, offered them to the United States Government back in the 1890s, complete with the rifles, pistols, Colt machine gun, and other field equipment. An unusual marine bicycle is suspended in water over the cases filled with bicycle memorabiliaAn exhibit traces the bicycle's influence on social and technological history. in America.

Niagara County Historical Society
The Niagara County Historical Society houses a unique collection of historical artifacts relating to Niagara County industries, the Erie Canal, and pioneer life. Exhibits within a five building complex relate to industrial, military, Native American, agricultural, and other aspects of the past. Our pre-Victorian Colonel William Bond house is located at 143 Ontario Street in Lockport. The Niagara County Geneological Society is also located at 215 Niagara Street.

Niagara Power Project Power Vista
The New York Power Authority's Niagara Power Project Visitors Center is simply electrifying! Exhibits on electricity, energy, and local history spark curiosity and imagination. Due to renovations of the visitors center, there is a mini-version of the "Power Vista" located in the parking lot area east of the visitors center.

The Historic Riviera Theatre
Visit an authentic, beautifully restored Vaudeville era theatre. See the Original Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ installed here in 1926 as a factory demonstrator. It still plays magnificently! Take a backstage tour where you can see the inner workings of an old roaring 20's theatre and the intricate inner workings of the Wurlitzer!

Terrapin Point
Goat Island. Viewing area for Horseshoe Falls.
Thundering water over the wide expanse and sweeping curve of the Horseshoe.

Three Sisters Islands
Access via Goat Island. Offers a unique view of the upper rapids and the river as it races to the falls.

Aquarium of Niagara
Included in New York State Master Pass.
The aquarium displays more than 1,500 aquatic animals ranging from the Great Lakes to the coral reefs and is home to the state's largest collection of Great Lakes Fish. Visitors can see California sea lions, sharks, piranha, river otters and more. Highlights include a colony of endangered Peruvian penguins and an outdoor harbor seal pool.

Goat Island
in the Niagara River at the Falls. Easily accessible by foot or vehicular bridge, this wooded island has paved drives and walks that offer spectacular views of both falls. The Three Sisters Islands, which lie in the rapids, are accessible by footbridge, as is Luna Island, which lies between the American and Bridal Veil falls. Wonderful area for a quiet walk, close-up view of the rapids.

Niagara Festival Theater
The theater presents the film ``Niagara Wonders.'' Filmed using a technique that gives a 3-D effect, the movie provides a bird's-eye view of the Niagara Falls region. Admission charged.

Festival of Lights
A Festival of Lights is one of the oldest and most outstanding regional winter festivals in the country. Since 1981 hundreds of thousands of families from around the world have attended the winter festivities. The year 2000 show features a new Festival Laser Light Show. Along with indoor and outdoor light displays, there are activities and entertainment for families and visitors of all ages. November 20-January 1.

Over The Falls Tours
Offers three narrated van tours of Niagara Falls, New York . Each tour includes a ride aboard the Maid of the Mist. The tour also includes the Cave of the Winds Trip. The Illumination tour allows visitors to see the area's attractions both during the day and at night.

Rainbow Air, Inc.
Offers views of both the American and Canadian falls. Allow 1 hour minimum Fare for 10-minute tour approximately $50. Daily 9-dusk.

The Schoellkopf Geological Museum
The museum provides an audiovisual explanation of the natural history of the Niagara Gorge and the falls. A geological garden and nature trail are on the grounds. Guided trail tours are offered seasonally by reservation.

Whirlpool State Park
The park is on a bluff overlooking the whirlpool that results from the Niagara River's 90-degree turn. Nature trails throughout. Ramps and steps wind along the gorge.

Wintergarden
This is a glass-enclosed garden with tropical, semitropical and desert plants and trees, waterfalls, pools and secluded rest areas. Winding pathways, platforms and three-story glass elevators offer a variety of views. The garden is illuminated in the evening. This is a favorite spot for weddings.

Niagara Summer Experience
Fridays at 8:00pm, in July and August. Music, dancing, cultural exhibits, art fairs, concerts and ethnic festivals presented by the Niagara Council of Arts.

Niagara's Wax Museum of History
Forty six exhibits featuring life size wax figures in scenes depicting the history of the area. Topographic maps and collections of memorabilia from the Niagara frontier also are displayed.

Niagara Aerospace Museum
The Niagara Region was home to Curtis Wright and Bell Aircraft (later Bell Aerospace) who produced warplanes during World War II. Later, Bell Aircraft became famous for its jet and rocket engineering. Some international visitors may fly directly into Niagara Falls International Airport, originally home to Bell Aircraft. Bell's old buildings can be seen just south of the runway. The nearby Niagara Aerospace Museum is a new and growing museum. It is dedicated to preserving the history of powered flight and of planes used in recent wars. It also recounts some of the history of associated industries such as Calspan, Cornell Aeronautical Labs, and Moog. The WWII Bell Airacobra, early helicopters, gasoline and jet engines, civilian airplanes are on display.  

Artpark & Company
The Mainstage at Artpark has an inside seating capacity of 2400. On select shows, lawn seating (1600 capacity) is also available. Artpark at the Church is an intimate theatre setting with 150 seats. This theatre is located in the heart of downtown historic Lewiston. 

New York State Power Authority
Energy exhibits, history of Niagara power, and observation deck.