New for this year at Niagara Falls State Park are high-tech attractions, immersive storytelling exhibits and upgraded viewpoints that are taking guests closer to North America’s most powerful waterfall.
On the U.S. side, Niagara Falls State Park, which was established in 1885, has launched Above the Roar, a multi-sensory virtual reality experience that lets guests soar above, around and beneath the Falls.
Using exclusive aerial footage, motion-enhanced seating and immersive sound, visitors “fly” over the Horseshoe, American and Bridal Veil Falls, glide through the gorge and plunge into the depths below.
As drones are not permitted over Niagara Falls, the experience offers a rare perspective, placing visitors at the heart of the waterfall’s power without getting wet. A ticket costs $18, with the attraction open daily from 10.00 to 16.00 in September; the last ride is at 15.30.
Also new is Voices of the Falls, a permanent exhibition inside the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr Welcome Center. Opened in June, the interactive, immersive exhibit explores the geology, culture and Indigenous heritage that have shaped this world-famous destination.
Visitors will also enjoy improved access to some of Niagara’s most dramatic viewpoints. The expanded Crow’s Nest experience has also been completed. Now officially known as the Cataract Stairs and Overlook, the new staircase alongside the American Falls adds 163 steps to the existing route, creating 274 stairs in total and bringing visitors even closer to the Falls.
As part of the park’s 150-acre expansion, two miles of new trails are planned for the Niagara Gorge Corridor, linking the Falls area with Whirlpool and Devil’s Hole State Parks and creating more than five miles of continuous overlooks along the Niagara River.
