As far as weird travel destinations go, Niagara Falls is as quirky as they come. I have to admit, I was expecting Niagara to be tawdry, crowded, and awful. I, however, enjoyed myself and loved the city’s sense of quirky, which it owns very well.
When you come to Niagara be sure to stay on the Canadian side, as that is where most of the fun is. (The American side is good for close up views and some relaxing walks, though.)
I could easily come up with a top 100 weirdo things to do in Niagara Falls, but let’s stick with just the top ten for now.
Yup. Niagara Falls is as Quirky as they come.
- Sail on the Maid of the Mist. With departures from both the US and Canadian side, you have no excuse to take one of the most famous boats in Canada! The boat actually does drive up right underneath the horseshoe falls – the spray whips several minutes before you get there. Tons of fun, totally geeky. (Prepare to protect electronics – it is WET.
- Get the pants scared off of you at the Nightmare Fear Factory. It’s by far the scariest haunted house in Niagara Falls (there are many), and perhaps one of the scariest haunted houses in North America. Definitely not something to do alone.
- See the unbelievable at the Criminals Hall of Fame Wax Museum. Perhaps the only thing more plentiful in Niagara, other than drinks with umbrellas and haunted houses, are the many wax museums. And the worst of the best has to be the cheeky Criminals Hall of Fame. It’s really just… undescribably the types of stuff going on in here. See for yourself.
- Have breakfast at the Flying Saucer. It’s one of Niagara’s weirdest, but most tasty, dining establishments. The interiors are also themed accordingly – feel free to dress up in alien gear for the occasion.
- Go to the men’s room at the Secret Garden Gift Shop. This is the closest store to the American-Canadian crossing bridge – the Rainbow Bridge – and believe me, you won’t believe who is waiting in there for you.
- Snicker in Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum. While there are many of these museums around the world, this museum has been here since 1963, making it a relic in comparison terms, but it’s still good for a laugh and some brevity in entertainment.
- Ride the yellow bug up the Skylon Tower. This is a typical tower ride tourist attraction, complete with the many attempts to take your picture, but the views up top are stunning. Try both day and night for comparison, or get a dusk shot for the best snaps.
- Enjoy a ride on the Whirlpool Aero Car. On the north edge of town this strange exhibit was built in the early 1900s; it takes you across the river for a bird’s eye view of the massive whirlpools that swirl around a sharp bend in the river. You can get a fairly decent view from the road, but the aero car is worth seeing for the strange car alone.
- Go on a Journey Behind the Falls. This adventure takes you behind a sheet of water that is the horseshoe falls. It’s not all that interesting until you get to the water spray – one window doesn’t even have a viewing deck because the force of the water is so fast (and deafening). There is one deck a little further away that is guaranteed WET.
- Dive into the Crystal Caves. Last but not least is one of Niagara’s many adventure attractions, but this isn’t actually a cave – or is it? Mirrors abound as you try to find your way while avoiding what else might be in here!
- Marvel at the Niagara Power Project. This electricity generating plan is certainly a marvel; it’s so large that a road goes over the building, and you wouldn’t even know if there weren’t signs. Massive tunnels pull water off this channel to create electricity that powers homes for miles away. A great tour on a very complex engineering feat.
