The spectacular Falls and the beautiful scenery of the Niagara River and its gorge are the greatest attractions of the American and Canadian sides of Niagara Falls. The sightseeing, tours and illuminations focus on the mist, the remarkable curtain of water vapor produced by the power of an enormous volume of falling water that is one of the chief features of the Falls. The mist also figures prominently in the ancient history of the native inhabitants of the region, and the story of the Indian maiden who came to live behind the Falls and who protected the people of the Neutral Nations is told in several ways at the Niagara attractions.
Category: East Coast US Attractions
The Maid of the Mist Boat Ride
How the Falls boat rides began
Seven generations of boats named Maid of the Mist have served visitors to Niagara Falls for almost 170 years. The vessels, first steamboats and now diesel-powered, have outlasted business reverses, panics and depressions, Civil War and two world conflicts, and continue to provide poncho-wearing visitors with an often wet but always exhilarating sightseeing adventure around the base of the greatest waterfalls in the world. The iconic Niagara Falls experience has been enjoyed by millions of families, lovers and honeymooners and visiting royalty and heads of governments.
Niagara Falls Illuminations
Lights over Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls represents one of the most spectacular sights in North America, and in fact in the world. The spectacle is even more remarkable at night, when the cascading waters are lit by various colors and styles of light, and frequently by fireworks as well. Illumination of the Falls began in 1860, when English electrical engineer Robert W. Blackwell proposed to celebrate a visit to the Falls by the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, with Bengal lights, signal flares used for illumination and communication and particularly important in sea rescue.
Corning Glass Museum
The Corning Museum of Glass is one of the world’s largest collections related to glass history, technology and art. Located in Corning, New York, approximately 250 miles from New York City and 125 miles from Buffalo, the museum was opened in 1951 in celebration of the centennial of the famous glass works that was founded in that city, and that is now a world-wide presence in the glass and ceramics industries under the name of Corning International. The museum originally occupied a low-slung glass-walled building designed in the International Style by Wallace Harrison, famous for Lincoln Center, LaGuardia Airport and the Museum of Modern Art.
Statue of Liberty Cruises
History of Lady Liberty
The Statue of Liberty symbolizes New York City in the way that the Eiffel Tower means Paris and Big Ben instantly evokes London. The figure of “Liberty Enlightening the World” was a gift from the people of France, although the American people were expected to pay for and erect the pedestal. Construction of the statue began in 1876 in France, and in 1884 work commenced on the pedestal on Bedloe’s Island in New York harbor. The statue was presented to U.S. Minister Levi P. Morton on July 4, 1884 and then disassembled and shipped to New York; it arrived about a year before the pedestal was ready, but the statue was rapidly erected when that was finished, and the dedication on October 28, 1886 was marked by cannon salutes, fireworks and the cheers of a million New Yorkers despite fog and drizzle.
Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum
How the Museum Started
Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum has been an iconic tourist attraction, first in France and then in London, since the end of the 18th century. Now a worldwide chain of 14 museums and growing, the museums are entitled Madame Tussauds without the apostrophe, and are part of Merlin Entertainments, the largest amusement company in the world except for Disney. The first Tussaud wax exhibits opened in Paris in 1795 and moved to London in 1802; in addition to the London museum, the Tussauds group has opened museums in Amsterdam, Bangkok, Berlin, Blackpool, Hollywood, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, New York City, Shanghai, Sydney, Vienna, Washington, D.C., Wuhan, Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing, Prague, Singapore, Orlando, San Francisco. The Tussauds portfolio includes about 50 other attractions, including Legoland, Sea Life Centers, Gardaland in Italy, The Dungeons, The London and Orlando Eye rides and Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, and Chessington World of Adventures in Britain.
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Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is located at the border between the two countries of Canada and the United States. On the Canadian side there is Ontario Province and on the United States side visitors will find the State of New York through which Niagara River flows before forming the falls. The name Niagara is used to identify three falls that are located close to one another. The biggest one is the Horseshoe Falls and the next is the American Falls. The smallest one is called the Bridal Veil Falls. Niagara River is the one that carries water from Lake Eerie to Lake Ontario which carries the water to form the falls.