There’s more than one way to see water fall.
Most visitors to Niagara Falls (about 18 million per year) favor the Canadian side for its astounding view of Horseshoe Falls — the big one. But the American side has its charms, too, attracting about 5 to 6 million annually.
How to see the falls in all their glory? Here are 10 ways:
1. By Ferris wheel. Just a year old, the $10 million Niagara Sky Wheel on the Canadian side takes you on a ride 175 feet above the ground. That’s higher than the Navy Pier Ferris wheel in Chicago. Passengers ride in six-person gondola cars for an 8- to 12-minute trip. From the top you can see the falls below. The Ferris wheel is in the busy Clifton Hill tourist district.
9 a.m.-2 a.m. in summer. $9 for adults and $5 for children. www.cliftonhill.com; 905-358-4793.
2. From a restaurant. The newly remodeled Top of the Falls restaurant on the American side in Niagara State Park offers clever dishes like Niagara Gorge nachos and “The Rapids” — native steelhead trout. www.niagarafallsstatepark.com, 716-278-0337.
On the Canadian side, the Skylon Tower revolving dining room is popular, but you get to see the falls only a quarter of the time as it turns. Try the low-level close-up view from the Sheraton Fallsview Hotel’s second-floor A Cut Above steakhouse instead. Skylon: www.skylon.com, 905-356-2651; A Cut Above: www.fallsview.com, 905-358-4720.
3. By night. It’s been a main attraction since 1925 — the falls lit up by a continually changing pastel rainbow of 21 colored xenon lights. Man’s attempt to improve upon nature is kitschy but strangely entrancing.
9 p.m.-midnight in summer. Free. Fireworks some nights. www.niagaraparks.com.
4. By Whirlpool Aero Car. This takes you over the roiling Niagara River whirlpool, not directly over the falls, but what a ride. One snap of a cable and you could be history. It has been a favorite since 1916, with cheerfully photogenic cable cars. It is north of the falls on the Canadian side.
Open 9 a.m., closing times vary. $10 adults, $6 children. www.niagaraparks.com, 877-642-7275.
5. By boat. The Maid of the Mist is still the ultimate way to see the falls — up close with water blowing in your face. If you think it’s corny or haven’t done it since you were a child, you are missing a thrill. It leaves from the Canadian side near the Sheraton Fallsview Hotel and from the U.S. side at the shoreline below the observation tower.
Service starts at 9 a.m. in summer; closing times vary. $12.50 adults, $7.30 children. www.maidofthemist.com, 716-284-8897.
6. From backstage. On the Canadian side, try the Journey Behind the Falls attraction. On the American side, try Cave of the Winds.
Both let you go behind the falls and watch the spectacle from there. All that water you see pouring in front of you? It’s falling at 740,000 gallons per second over Horseshoe Falls. Enjoy the roar.
Journey Behind the Falls opens 9 a.m. in summer; closing times vary. $12 adults, $7.20 children. www.niagaraparks.com.
Cave of the Winds opens 9 a.m.; closing times vary. $10 adult, $7 children. www.niagarafallsstatepark.com, 716-278-1730.
7. By Crow’s Nest. The observation tower, a fairly ugly structure on the U.S. side, gets you out far enough to get a good view of the American Falls, but if you take the elevator all the way down to the gorge, then climb to the Crow’s Nest lookout point, you’ll feel the spray and be right next to the falls.
Open 9 a.m. in summer; closing times vary. $1 for adults and children over 5. www.niagarafallsstatepark.com, 716-278-1796.
8. By helicopter. Years ago, helicopters used to buzz the falls at low levels, turning in tight circles above the rushing water. They can’t do that anymore. But it’s still an amazing sight to see the falls from directly above.
Niagara Helicopters are near Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side at 3731 Victoria Ave; 9 a.m. to sunset daily. $95 per adult; check family rates. Rides last 12 minutes. www.niagarahelicopters.com, 905-357-5672.
9. From a balloon. Flight of Angels lifts you up in a tethered balloon to get a great view. It’s a floating experience — as long as nobody lets go of the cord (just kidding — the balloon is well anchored).
Near the Rainbow Bridge on the American side; 9 a.m.-midnight in summer. $20 adults, $10 children. www.flightofangels.net, 716-278-0824.
10. From the railing. Niagara Falls has a lot of gimmicks, rides and attractions, but perhaps the best way to see one of nature’s greatest wonders is to just be quiet and watch.
The perfect place for you — and probably a zillion others — is on the Canadian side, standing at the railing early on a summer’s morning, amid Queen Victoria Park’s flowers.
Free. www.niagaraparks.com.
