Tips for a Fabulous Family Holiday to Niagara Falls

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It's a bucket list item. Who doesn't want to see the famous falls? Thanks Jason for these great tips on our next visit. I love the mixture of beautiful natural wonders & man-made fun!

With gorgeous views that captivate individuals regardless of age, as well as a zoo filled with an array of animals, a number of amusement parks, a year round water park, and much more, it’s easy to see why Niagara Falls is a favourite family vacation destination. If you are planning a trip to the falls, it is always a good plan to have an idea of where you want to go and what you want to see, so that you can at least tentatively have an itinerary in place. The following list includes an array of family friendly activities to help you schedule a trip that every member of your family will enjoy:

The Falls

It goes without saying that the waterfalls are the main attraction. There are numerous ways to see the Falls including gazing down on them from the observation decks, hovering from above in a helicopter, or taking a boat tour. For an incredible experience, head to Journey Behind the Falls for a behind the scenes look at their majestic wonder or take a ferry ride with Hornblower cruises for an up close and personal look.

If you plan to visit the Falls several times, check out some of the Niagara Falls packages to save money.

Animals Everywhere

Only a 20 minute drive from the Falls, Buffalo Zoo is not too large to tire your younger kids out, but large enough to include everything they may want to see including bears, giraffes, lions, elephants, tigers, and more. Be sure to stop by the new sea lion exhibit, as well as the rainforest exhibit which houses an array of birds and monkeys.

If your children are fans of birds, Bird Kingdom is worth visiting. The wide varieties of colourful birds fly around freely within the centre, which allows your kids to get really close. You can expect to spend several hours here and they close at 5pm, so plan your arrival accordingly.        

The Niagara Falls Butterfly Conservatory is full of all different species that fly throughout the indoor garden. If you plan to visit, wear orange if you can. This colour is known to attract them and they will often land on you. 

Amusement Parks Galore

There is no shortage of amusement parks in Niagara Falls. If you visit during the summer, Martin’s Fantasy Island provides a fun way to spend the day. In addition to countless rides - including a wooden roller coaster - there are various other attractions available throughout the day too, including a petting zoo and even a water park.

If you want to get wet, visit Fallsview Indoor Waterpark. With everything from splash pools for tots to large wave pools and massive slides for older kids, your children are sure to be occupied for hours. It is open year round, rain or shine.

If your children aren’t scared of heights, the Niagara Sky Wheel offers outstanding views of the area from inside a comfortable gondola that is temperature controlled.

If you have the time, there are plenty of other places to visit in Niagara Falls. From the Great Canadian Midway that offers more than 70,000 square feet of fun to the Guinness World Records Museum, Pop and Lolly’s Candy Shop, and Skylon Tower, you can expect an exciting and fun holiday you will always remember. 

Jason Cook is a web designer by day and traveller every other day. Any money he makes online is used as much as possible to travel the world. He also loves gadgets. 

Reader Comments...

"I respond to every comment by direct private email. I look forward to your feedback" -

I've been to Niagara many, many times, and I can't stand the over-development (just try taking a picture without a building in it somewhere), especially the casinos, but the falls are majestic. The light shows at night can actually be quite nice, and when portions of the falls are frozen (usually the US side, but rarely) it's a unique spectacle.

Then there's nearby Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, which is a mecca for the vintner-set due to its ice wines. There are great places to eat, bike and do the "touristy" thing. It's also quite beautiful. And, the ice wines are delicious, if sweet. On the New York side, the nearby Finger Lakes region offers a similar gentile country experience. You surely noticed the similarities between the US and Canadian side, but also some of the differences (prices for one).

When I was a kid I got a kick out of the wax museums, so I can't be entirely cynical.

Did you ever make it to Lackawanna (US version of Dresden, 1945), near Buffalo? I always found it fascinating to see the decaying infrastructure of the industrial age, kind of haunting in its way.

Mike Orobona Mar 21st, 2015

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