In the last few months I have written several articles about Niagara Falls because I realized that many people think that it is very close to Toronto but it takes a little bit of organization. Today I’m going to tell you what to do around Niagara Falls to make the most of your day in the area. If you want to know more you can read my other blog posts: how to get to Niagara Falls from Toronto, how to see Niagara Falls from the Canadian side.
Walkable around Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls Village
I must warn you: Niagara Falls is not in a wilderness area where the village next door is an unspoiled village. It’s more like a mix between Las Vegas and an amusement park. But it’s worth it to go there once to see what it’s all about. Especially since you will be at a few minutes walk from the Falls. Here is a selection of some activities you can do in the village:
- Wax Museums (Louis Tussaud or Movieland Wax Museum for example)
- The upside down house
- The Ferris wheel
- Frankenstein’s house (above Burger King)
- Ripley’s Believe It Or Not
- You can also eat in the jungle at Rainforest Café (it’s really fun for kids, there are animals everywhere and every 30 minutes a kind of tropical storm)
- You can also walk around and find lots of activities, it’s all there is!
Niagara Parks Power Station
If you’re wondering what’s inside the big building next to the Niagara Falls parking lot: it’s a power plant! You can discover how the water from the Falls is used to create electricity for example.
Visits around Niagara Falls requiring a car
Wine tasting
The Niagara region is known for these wineries, if you check the LCBO (or other liquor stores in your province) you will find quite a few. Take advantage of being in the area to go taste them. Depending on the winery the prices will be different but they all offer a tasting. I would recommend the Ferox winery where we went this summer with my mother and father-in-law. We were very well received, the person spoke French.
We accompanied our tasting (well theirs, I was a pilot that day and honestly they appreciated it more than I did), with a platter of charcuterie and cheese. They were also able to taste a speciality of the Niagara region: the ice wine, it’s a wine made from frozen picked grapes (I let you read the exact description here) which is very sweet. It is a very good idea for a gift to bring back from your stay in Canada.
Niagara on the Lake
If you tell someone in Toronto that you’re going to Niagara Falls, chances are they’ll recommend a trip to Niagara on the Lake, a village 30 minutes’ drive from Niagara Falls. You can check out tourism office website to find out more about the activities to do there. What I like to do there when I take people to visit me:
- walk on the main street which seems to come from another time
- stop in one of the restaurants to have a bite to eat
- take a piece of chocolate in one of the factory stores
- buy local jam in the store Greaves Jams and Marmelade (also available in some stores in Toronto)
- take pictures of old buildings
- walk in the residential areas around, they really look like houses straight out of an American movie
walk by the lake, if the view is clear you can see Toronto in the distance
By the way, Niagara on the Lake is often used as a set for American movies! Over the last few years I remember the Christmas movie The Holiday Calendar which was filmed there. Vous pouvez retrouver la liste complète ici.
Butterfly Conservatory
Last on your list of things to do around Niagara Falls: The Butterfly Conservatory. I’ve only been there once several years ago but the Niagara Butterfly Conservatory is really beautiful. It’s like a magical space, you can walk among the beautiful butterflies. A great activity for kids and adults alike.
I hope all this information will help you make the most of your stay in Niagara Falls.
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