Niagara Falls Blog

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Do you wish to take home some stunning photos from your trip here? Here are 10 of the best places for incredible seasonal scenic views in Niagara Falls.

#1 Skylon Tower

Cost: $18/Adult and $9/Child

You will be 775 feet high when you do the “Ride-to-the-Top” at the Skylon Tower. You will get an incredible 360° view of the Niagara Falls and the surrounding landscape via the Indoor/Outdoor Observation Decks. The elevators are also glass-enclosed. See the Falls, the Great Gorge, and even the city skylines of Buffalo, New York and Toronto!

#2 Oakes Garden Theatre

Cost: FREE

The Oakes Garden Theatre offers a few differing spots to get great photos of the Niagara Falls. The park is located at the bottom of Clifton Hill and the Niagara Parkway/River Road, and provides scenic views from the benches (as shown). It is also built in a shape in which at any point within a pergola built at the top of the park, you will be presented with a panoramic view of the Falls. It connects two open pavillions where one delivers a picturesque view of the Horseshoe Falls, and the other of the American Falls.

#3 Niagara Helicopters

Cost: from $185/Adult and $113/Child

For a one-of-a-kind adventure, the Niagara Helicopters is the way to go! Every photo you take will be awe-inspiring, with views of the Niagara Falls, the Sir Adam Beck Generating plant, the Botanical Gardens, the Niagara River from the Whirlpool area, the Rainbow Bridge and beyond!

#4 Niagara SkyWheel

Cost: $15/Adult and $7/Child

The Niagara SkyWheel offers panoramic views of the Niagara Falls and beyond from 175 feet off the ground from the top of Clifton Hill. From this vantage point you will be treated to memorable views of the Horseshoe and American Falls, the Niagara River, Niagara Parks and other landmarks. The gondolas are also climate-controlled.

#5 Table Rock Welcome Centre

Cost: FREE

The Table Rock Welcome Centre features a mixture of Gift Shops, the Elements Restaurant, the Journey Behind the Falls and Niagara’s Fury attractions. Inside this centre, there is a two-level indoor viewing gallery called the “Grand Hall”, where visitors are treated to an up-close view of the Falls.

#6 Journey Behind the Falls

Cost: $19.00/Adult and $12.50/Child

Journey Behind the Falls attraction gives you the opportunity to descend 150 feet through bedrock to tunnels that will overlook experiencing the Horseshoe Falls from directly underneath the cascading Falls!

#7 The Niagara Glen

Cost: FREE (but be very careful and wear the appropriate gear)

The Niagara Glen offers an opportunity to view the natural, rugged beauty of the region through trails, rock climbing, and close access to the Niagara River. Direct access to the Niagara Glen trails is found at the highest part of the gorge, where a metal staircase sits at the edge of the cliff. The Glen overlooks the Niagara River Gorge Whirlpool.

#8 Whirlpool Aero Car

Cost: $19/Adult and $12.50/Child
*Open Seasonally April – November*

Get out your pictures for a beautiful shot of the Niagara Gorge from the Whirlpool Aero Car. As you soar across the torrent of water below, you will witness one of the world’s most frightening natural phenomena’s, the Niagara Whirlpool below. The car travels safely between two different points of the Niagara River. the trip is slightly more than 1 kilometre (3,600 feet).

#9 Queen Victoria Park/Niagara Parkway

Cost: FREE

Of course, there’s no better place for a free view of the Niagara Falls than along the Niagara Parkway at Queen Victoria Park! Whether you are taking a stroll along the pathway, checking out the Zimmerman fountain, sunbathing in the grassy field, or purchasing tickets from the Hornblower landing, you are offered a first-class view of the Falls from here. The park also features a major stone garden, a Hybrid tea rose garden, and attractive carpet bed displays.

#10 Niagara City Cruises (Hornblower)

Cost: From $33.50/Adult and $23.50/Child

Niagara City Cruises is an intimate tour that gets you as close as possible to the breathtaking flow of water, power and mist that is the magnificent Niagara Falls. Within the Niagara Great Gorge you will journey past the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and into the very heart of the famous Horseshoe Falls. Grab a camera and get some amazing shots!

Reading Time: 5 minutes -I have lived in the Niagara Region for over 10 years now and yet one attraction that I am embarrassed to say that I have never tried is the Whirlpool Aero Car. Being towards the end of May, I figured now would be the perfect time to finally “soar above the gorge”. Memorial Day weekend has just finalized and the children have a couple of weeks yet to go before school is out, so I knew it was the optimal time to visit to ensure little to no line-ups — and it’s a Wednesday. Perfect. So off I went.

First off, accessing the Whirlpool Aero Car from the Clifton Hill tourist district is easy. The Whirlpool Aero Car is located about 4.5 km north of the Horseshoe Falls at 3850 Niagara Parkway, Niagara Falls, ON. By car it took me 10 minutes to drive there. The Whirlpool Aero Car is also one of the stops on the WEGO bus transit (Green line), which accesses all the Niagara Parks attractions. It will literally drop you off right at the doors to the attraction.

Within minutes, I was there and there is ample FREE parking located there and also runs all alongside the Parkway overlooking the gorge. Makes for terrific photos:

With the exception of a tour group that was just leaving, there were only about a handful of people there (just before noon). I purchased my ticket and I was told that they would announce when the next ride aboard the Whirlpool Aero Car would be and we would then board behind the ticket booth which leads down stairs to catch the ride.
*Please note: This attraction is NOT wheelchair accessible*

I had a few minutes to spare, so I took a couple of minutes to take a few photos of the attraction (formally known as the “Spanish Aero Car”) from a spot that overlooks the cable car and the gorge below. Beside the ticket booth there is also a gift shop where you can buy some Niagara Falls and Whirlpool Aero Car souvenirs and trinkets.

About the Whirlpool Aero Car
The Whirlpool Aero Car was built in Bilboa, Spain and was designed by a Spanish engineer, Leonardo Torres Quevedo (1852-1939) and has been in operation since 1916. The cable car is suspended from six sturdy cables and operates on a back and forth principal. Propelled by a 60 horsepower engine which drives a 7/8 inch steel looped cable, each cable is attached to an anchorage at one end while tension is maintained by a 10 ton counterweight at the other end. It offers a wonderful view of the Niagara Whirlpool which is formed at the end of the rapids where the gorge turns abruptly counterclockwise, and the river escapes through the narrowest channel in the gorge.
The aerial cable car travels safely between two different points of the Canadian shore of the Niagara River over the spectacular Whirlpool. A round trip is about one kilometre (3,600 feet), carrying its capacity of 35 standing passengers, and is approximately 10 minutes long.
The price is $13.50+tax for Adults (13+) and $8.50+tax for Children (6-12). Children 5 and under are free at ALL Niagara Parks attractions.
For the Hours of Operation click here.
*The Whirlpool Aero Car welcomes Tour & Travel groups, in which group pricing is applicable when the appropriate number of guests are met. Please click here for terms and conditions, or call Call Toll Free 1-877-642-7275 ext. 2 for pricing and reservations.*
My Experience
While waiting to board, I met a lovely couple. Funny, charismatic and charming, you could tell that these two live life to the fullest and it was a pleasure to have met them. Coincidentally, their last name was “Bond”, and I could tell from the few minutes that I got to know them that they lived up to this namesake! “My name is Bond…Steven Bond”, was how I was introduced.
While the cable car can hold up to 35 people, I’m not going to lie, I was relieved when there was a grand total of 7 of us (including the friendly and informative Niagara Parks staff member, Melissa). Having rode the Niagara SkyWheel, that soars 175 feet high above the ground overlooking the Niagara Falls, you would think that I would have nerves of steel — no pun intended — to handle riding the Whirlpool Aero Car that runs along by steel cables. In the back of my mind, I had pictured a single flimsy, rusty cable that connected the two sides of the Canadian shore of the Niagara River over the spectacular Whirlpool below — and the original cable too from 1916. This is clearly not the case! Like mentioned above, they use six, very sturdy cables and they were replaced in 1985.
The cable car takes you from “Colt’s Point” (which is the location of the ticket booth) to “Thompson’s Point”. You are suspended approximately 240 feet above the Niagara River.

*Pictured Above: Thompson’s Point. Side note: Also holds a “Rescue Car” should you need it! So NO, you will NOT get stuck!*
When I stepped into the aero car I felt immediately at ease when I realized how sturdy these cables were. Other than an initial jolt at the beginning and at the end of the ride, it is completely smooth sailing from one end to the other. While waiting for the aero car to begin its departure, may I remind you that it is a lot cooler that close to the Niagara River and with no obstacles in your way, the cross breeze is fierce! I started to get quite chilly and that was when Mrs. Bond (bless her heart) offered me her sweater for the duration of the ride. I refused at first, but she was adamant to help me. Meeting people like the Bond’s is exactly why I love my job so much.

*Pictured Above: Mrs.Bond and Myself*
I had a great time on the Whirlpool Aero Car, made even better by meeting new friends. I talk so much about the Niagara Falls, that it was really nice to catch some photos from a different perspective along the Niagara River, the Niagara Gorge and I even took some photos of my new conquest — the Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours!
Here are some photos along my journey. Please click the thumbnails to access the full pictures: