Niagara Falls Attractions
Niagara Falls Attractions
 | Buffalo Zoo 300 Parkside Avenue Buffalo, NY • 716-837-3900 Just 20 minutes from the Falls, consider this the "just-right" zoo: Not too big that your 3-year-old gets tired before she gets to see the good stuff, but large enough to feature all of the key animals (giraffes, elephants, gorillas, lions and tigers and bears) that any zoo worth its salt should have. Check out their cool new rain forest habitat, which features birds, monkeys and more in an open environment. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Butterfly Conservatory 2405 Niagara Parkway Niagara Falls, Canada • 905-358-0025 After watching a brief video on the lifespan of the butterfly, you'll be set loose in a gorgeous indoor garden loaded with dozens of varieties of butterflies to view and enjoy. (Wear orange if you want to try to attract the butterflies and get them to land on you.) Be sure to look for the little glass window where your kids can watch the day's newest butterflies hatch from their cocoons. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Cave of the Winds Niagara Falls, NY • 716-278-1730 For this attraction, you don special shoes and a yellow raincoat, then take an elevator down into Niagara Gorge to get up close and personal with the Bridal Falls -- at your closest, you'll be about 20 feet out from the massive waterfall. To get that close to the Falls, you'll need to do some climbing up and down stairs -- but there is another ledge further away that's perfect for families lugging along small children. (This is the perfect vantage point for seeing lots of rainbows in the mist!) Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Clifton Hill Niagara Falls, Canada This is Canadian-side "Street of Fun" is ground zero for the Niagara Falls cheese factor. You can revel in the glitz and kitsch by simply wandering around -- or heading to any of the attractions there, from the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum to the Movieland Wax Museum of the Stars. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Fallsview Indoor Waterpark 5685 Falls Avenue Niagara Falls, Canada • 905-374-4444 Rain or shine, summer or winter, your kids can keep their cool in this massive indoor water park, with everything from splash parks for the littlest kids to massive slides and wave pools for the older kids. (And even two adults-only "Hot Springs" whirlpool tubs for you.) And since it connects to four Niagara Falls hotels, you don't even have to take wet kids out in wintry weather. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Maid of the Mist Niagara Falls, NY • 905-358-5781 You'll need the supplied plastic poncho for this ferry boat excursion deep into the wild waters right beneath the Falls -- no matter where you stand on the ships, you're going to get drenched. But it's worth it for the amazing views of Niagara Falls the boat allows (and the cool-off you'll get on a scorching hot summer day). Keep in mind that there are no seats on the boat, so you may need to hold small children for the duration of the half-hour tour. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Niagara Falls Canada Take your pick from two fabulous parks. On the American side, the vast park is perfect for hiking through, with wonderful views of the rapids, and the American Falls. (Here's also where you can grab Maid of the Mist boats and head down into Cave of the Winds.) The Canadian side has more manicured gardens, grand views of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls (arguably a bit more dramatic than the American side's view), and check out attractions like Journey Behind the Falls (where you can look behind the Horseshoe from an observation platform behind the waterfall), and the Whirlpool Aero Car, which takes you down over the ledge and right to the whirlpool. Be sure to come back to get a good look at the Falls at night, when the Falls are lit up in rainbow colors -- and during the summer, fireworks add to the excitement several nights each week. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Niagara-on-the-Lake Niagara Falls, Canada This stop may be more for you than the kiddos, but this beautifully quaint old town just minutes from the Falls features wineries, antiques stores and boutiques, and plenty of fabulous restaurants. You can rent bikes in town and tour the countryside, or head to one of the local parks or public pools to cool off. The world-famous Shaw Festival takes place here almost year round, where you can see performances of the plays featured in many high-school English classes -- by Shaw, Ibsen, Wilde and more. Best For: Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Pop & Lolly's Candy Shop 6650 Niagara Parkway Niagara Falls, Canada What kid wouldn't want a chance to play Willy Wonka for the day? At this interactive candy store, you can watch them make lollipops and artful hard candies (and even get a free taste of the freshly made batch) or let your kids make their own candy bars or chocolate or caramel-covered apples. (They can pick any ingredients from the massive wall of bulk candies to load into the bar mold, which is filled with milk or white chocolate or a swirl of the two types.) You can also get handmade fudge, chocolates or an array of standard sweets (M&Ms, jelly beans) throughout the store. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
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