Fun suggestions for Niagara Falls vacation weekend?
August 1, 2022 5:29 AM   Subscribe

A friend and I might be going up to Niagara Falls to check out the falls, and spending a long weekend there. Any other fun suggestions while we're in the area? We're thinking about swinging by Rochester and/or Toronto while we're there. Open to breweries, wineries, fun museums, or other fun locations (both indoors and outdoors). Definitely will check out the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, but open to other falls-specific suggestions. Thanks!
posted by dubious_dude to Travel & Transportation around City of Niagara Falls, NY (18 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
I love staying in the really tall hotels on the Canadian side with the fallsview rooms- the falls are so pretty at night when they’re lit up. The big waterfall is horse-shoe shaped and faces more towards the Canadian shore, so the view from the Canadian side is better.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 5:52 AM on August 1, 2022


I went to Niagara as a young person and remember being really underwhelmed at first. Then we did the walk behind the falls and the maid of the mist (the boat) and it was THEN I really appreciated how much water there was.
posted by freethefeet at 6:12 AM on August 1, 2022 [1 favorite]


Consider Niagara-on-the-Lake which is a half hour away and chock full of wineries and has some lovely breweries as well. There are several wine and beer tours available and you can arrange pick up in Niagara Falls
posted by walkinginsunshine at 6:20 AM on August 1, 2022 [4 favorites]


The US side has gotten a lot nicer in the past decade. The city of Niagara Falls, out side of the area right by the falls, isn't anything worth checking out, unfortunately, but they're done a great job with the parks, and the area near them.

DEFINITELY do the Cave of the Winds. That's where you ride an elevator down near the base of the falls and walk right near the Bridal Veil Falls. You access this from Goat Island (there's a bridge to walk to the island).

The Maid of the Mist is fantastic. Whoever decided they would drive a boat that close to the falls the first time was probably an idiot, but it sure is cool.

If you like to hike, you can hike down into the gorge on a trail that starts near the Aquarium.

If you want a longer hike, you can go to Devil's Hole. It's a bit downriver from the falls, so you'd need to drive. (it's not far, but a bit farther than you might want to walk).

The absolute most important thing that you need to do while you're there is to visit the Niagara Falls History and Wax Museum. You access it through a gift shop at the corner next to the Hard Rock Cafe. Much of it hasn't been updated since the 60s or 70s. The wax figurines bear only a passing resemblance to who they are supposed to be. Some of the displays look like they came from elementary school science fairs. It will be the best $7 you've ever spent.

Lewiston is just north of Niagara Falls, and is a very quaint town. Artwork is a neat place (I helped paint the big mural in the parking lot!) which has some sculptures, maybe a concert going on while you're here, and it also has a trail that heads along the river back towards the falls. The Silo is a neat restaurant on the river.

The Canadian side is nice, but VERY touristy. The view is great. I assume they still let you walk over the Rainbow Bridge to get there. (you still have to go through Customs, of course). Even if you end up driving over, being able to walk over the bridge is really cool.

Rochester is cool, but Buffalo is a lot closer, and there are tons of things to see. Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, great food, CanalSide/Naval Museum, tons of breweries downtown. Unfortunately, our awesome art gallery is closed for renovations right now, but the Burchfield Penney gallery across the street has lots of stuff you can't see anywhere else.

Toronto is fantastic, but definitely worth spending a fair amount of time there, and probably worth a separate question to get some specifics.

Also, don't forget to go to that wax museum.
posted by jonathanhughes at 6:37 AM on August 1, 2022 [8 favorites]


My nephews (Niagara locals) took my son on a Whirlpool Jet Boat which was rated as "awesome" by all of them. There's also the new tunnel at the power station that's opened up recently which we haven't gone to but looks cool.
posted by Ashwagandha at 6:39 AM on August 1, 2022 [1 favorite]


If you do end up in Rochester, don't miss Mount Hope Cemetery. It's the most beautiful cemetery I've ever seen and Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony are interred there.
posted by cooker girl at 6:48 AM on August 1, 2022 [1 favorite]


Rochester is cool. Toronto is cool. Buffalo is cooler. Go to Buffalo. In fact, I'd actually recommend spending most of your time in Buffalo. The American side of the Falls is pretty gross (unless you're into Rust Belt/urban decay/ruin porn, I guess), and the Canadian side gets grosser by the day. I went last month for the first time in a few years, and even in that short time, it was noticeably worse. The Falls themselves are incredible, and the park directly around the Falls is nice, but the rest of the Canadian side is Canada's equivalent of Las Vegas. Unless you're really into Rainforest Cafe, Planet Hollywood, and wax museums, the Canadian side doesn't have much to offer. Oh, and it's like Midtown Manhattan in terms of the volume and aggressiveness of pedestrian traffic. Get in, see the Falls (do the whole thing, the Maid of the Mist and all that), and get out.

The Niagara-on-the-Lake suggestion is a good one. It's a beautiful small town, really old school Victorian but with a lot of fun shopping. I'm a big fan of the cheese store, whose name I forget but it's behind the Cows ice cream parlor (which is itself not bad, and if you're into t-shirts with puns, it's a must-visit). The drive up there is through prime fruit-growing country. There are a ton of great farmstands, and I always stop to get some fresh cherries, but what that really means in terms of your questions is wine. There are more wineries on the way to Niagara-on-the-Lake than there are tourist traps on Clifton Hill at the Falls. The most famous is Wayne Gretzky Cellars.

One of the funnest museums I've ever been to is the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum, in North Tonawanda (suburban Buffalo, the north side). Merry-go-rounds are intrinsically fun. There's a vintage one onsite, and there's a lot of stuff explaining the process of building them, including various animals in mid-carving. I loved it.

If you have any interest in fast food, Buffalo is the single best fast food city in the country. Everybody knows wings, and wings are good, but beef on weck is great (Charlie the Butcher or Anderson's), Mighty Taco is fantastic, Ted's Hot Dogs, Jim's Steakout, Old Man River. So good. There's good food that's not fast food, too, but if you want to eat well without spending a lot of money, there isn't a better place to visit.

You're in DC, right? So you have Wegman's, and maybe it's not a big deal to you like it is to me, but the flagship Wegman's is in Rochester. It's pretty cool if you're into Wegman's at all. They've got a burger bar that's good.

Seconding Lewiston, NY. There's a fun ice cream place, Hibbard's, that we always go to. It's across the street from a town park, and there's often a lot of fun events in the park. Also, the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge. When we were there last month, we drove straight through the border, first car in line, both times, even though it was a holiday weekend. Take the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge and just take Stanley Avenue down into Niagara Falls.
posted by kevinbelt at 6:55 AM on August 1, 2022 [3 favorites]


It may not be your thing, but I really enjoyed the Schoellkopf Power Plant ruins on the US side. Seconding Naigra on the lake and a drive and or hike along the river.
posted by eotvos at 7:13 AM on August 1, 2022


If you do go to Niagara-On-The-Lake, go to the Shaw Festival and see some of the best rep theatre in the continent.
posted by stray at 8:39 AM on August 1, 2022 [1 favorite]


Just noting that the Shaw Festival is not suuuuuper Deaf friendly but there is one show being captioned (via app) this year - The Doctor's Dilemma. I don't have insight into the quality of the experience and be sure you have Canadian data if you go!

I wouldn't drive into Toronto on a 3-day trip; you'll spend too much time in traffic.

I liked the Whirlpool tour listed above and it's also a really nice way to be at the bottom of the gorge. For wineries in the Niagara-on-the-Lake area (which is just fun to poke around) I suggest Ravine. The walking tours on the Niagara Parks website are pretty awesome too (some have admission). I like Peller Estates too, and for the true Canadian label, Wayne Gretzky Estates.
posted by warriorqueen at 9:13 AM on August 1, 2022


If you're looking at wineries, maybe start here. You'll note there are separate listings for Niagara Escarpment and region and Niagara-on-the-Lake. In addition to the wineries themselves, there are often other events going on that are affiliated with the wine culture.

In case you go, don't be surprised if you have to pay for your tastings. Pre-pandemic, it was fairly common that if you made a purchase of more than a couple of bottles, a lot of the wineries would waive the tasting fee. I just popped down to a couple of my favourites a couple of weeks ago, and sadly, that practice seems to have been discontinued. Tastings (at least a the ones I visited) seem to be taking place outdoors (you carry your glass or your flight of glasses outside to a patio area) rather than indoors, as they had been before COVID.

That new power-station tunnel mentioned above seems to be getting good buzz and reviews.
posted by sardonyx at 9:31 AM on August 1, 2022


Also, don't forget to go to that wax museum.

Have we got time for a small story?

My mother was a schoolkid when JFK was assassinated. They sent the kids home from school early and gave them a week off. My mother was just brokenhearted, so her older brother and his wife took her on an overnight road trip to Niagara Falls to take her mind off it. They went to the wax museum... where they had rushed a figure of the late President into display. She broke down in tears right there in the gallery, because as she described it, it looked lifelike and yet not at the same time, just as she imagined the President's body would look. We went back to the same museum when we were kids, and the same figure was there, just as she had described it. I couldn't look at her because I didn't want to see if she was crying. But it got really quiet in there.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:08 AM on August 1, 2022 [2 favorites]


If you pass through Rochester, the Strong National Museum of Play could be a lot of fun, especially if you have kiddos. The Memorial Art Gallery is small but dense with interesting curatorial choices, and the George Eastman Museum is great for fans of photography.
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 12:21 PM on August 1, 2022


Response by poster: Wow, a million thanks, especially to locals from the area/surrounding areas. Definitely getting excited!

I forgot to ask this in the OP (damn Monday), so won't expect as many responses, but are there any great vegan restaurants that also has non-vegan food choices? My friend is a vegan, I am not; so trying to think of good places that we both can enjoy.
posted by dubious_dude at 12:40 PM on August 1, 2022


If you'll be on the Canadian side for breakfast, the Flying Saucer can not be beat. check the web for menu options.
Check out the Butterfly Museum and Ripley's Believe it or Not - especially if you have kids.
posted by Enid Lareg at 1:22 PM on August 1, 2022


Old Fort Niagara 15 minutes north of the Falls on the US side is interesting if you are into military history. The Buffalo Museum of History is interesting, especially if you need a rainy day activity. The Frank Lloyd Wright Martin House in Buffalo is a fabulous tour. The Erie Canal in Lockport is pretty cool, and if you find yourself in LeRoy, NY there is the Museum of Jello.
posted by COD at 2:52 PM on August 1, 2022 [2 favorites]


Do you like Indian? Then you have to try Indian Kitchen King/Vegan Experiement. Yes, that's the name. 610 Main Street in Niagara Falls, NY. Not in a scenic area, but not far from the falls. It's fantastic.

For Vegan in Buffalo, there's Amy's Place on main Street across from the University at Buffalo. There's also the newly-opened Strong Hearts.
posted by jonathanhughes at 2:53 PM on August 1, 2022


I should note that The Vegan Experiment is attached to a non-vegan restaurant (The Indian Kitchen King). I'm not remotely vegan, and not even remotely vegetarian, but I would eat their food every day. Their samosas are the best I've ever had.

Amy's place has vegetarian stuff.
posted by jonathanhughes at 7:15 PM on August 1, 2022


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