Niagara Falls (New York)



Niagara Falls is in the Niagara Frontier region of New York state.

Understand
The Niagara Falls consist of three sections. The large Canadian falls—with their distinctive curved shape—are also known as the Horseshoe Falls. They are separated by Goat Island from the American Falls, which are separated from the narrow Bridal Veil Falls by a small island at their south end.

Each side of the falls offers a different perspective, and it is always best to visit both sides to maximize your experience. In contrast to the panoramic view of the falls afforded by the Canadian side, what is seen from Niagara Falls, New York is a heart-pounding, sidelong, close-up look at the rushing water at the moment it tumbles over the precipice. On the American side, the immediate vicinity of the falls is part of Niagara Falls State Park, the oldest state park in the nation. The presence of the state park (originally laid out by renowned landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted) serves to preserve the natural beauty of the area and prevent the kind of commercialization that you'll find on the Canadian side. Visitors looking to experience the falls as a natural wonder will appreciate this.

During the winter season, a lot of maintenance of the falls, tours, and surroundings takes place. Many areas, such as Terrapin Point and Luna Island, are closed due to slippery conditions. Winter brings a different kind of beauty to the falls and a visit during that time is certainly worthwhile, but if you want to experience the full range of tourist amenities described in this article, plan to come in the warmer months.

In contrast to Niagara Falls, Ontario, Niagara Falls, NY has fallen into tough economic times. With manufacturing jobs gone, the population has continued to decrease over the years and the economic state of the city is apparent once you venture out of the actual Falls area.

Watch

 * You might check out the 2016 independent film The American Side, an old-fashioned hard-boiled noir film set in Buffalo and Niagara Falls (thus the name).

By plane

 * Allegiant Air has regular direct flights to Punta Gorda, Orlando-Sanford, and St. Petersburg-Clearwater as well as to Savannah.
 * Spirit Airlines flies year-found to Fort Lauderdale and seasonally to Myrtle Beach.
 * Buffalo-Niagara International Airport, just outside of Buffalo, is a major airport, with flights across the United States. It is about 30-40 minutes away.
 * Buffalo Airport Shuttle, +1 716-685-2550, offers service from the Buffalo-Niagara airport to Niagara Falls. A family of 4 can expect to pay $22 per person and the drivers often have great tips on where to go and what to avoid.
 * BUF Buffalo Airport Taxi Service, +1 716-292-4425, provides service from the Buffalo-Niagara Airport to Niagara Falls. Expected cost is $65 total for 1-7 people.
 * John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport is about a one-hour drive west of Niagara Falls in the Canadian province of Ontario. The airport hosts Canadian carrier WestJet which offers frequent flights all over Canada. In addition, Transat Holidays offers weekly direct flights to Cancún, Mexico and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
 * Toronto Pearson International Airport, in Mississauga is about a 90-minute drive from the Falls, assuming ideal traffic conditions on Toronto-area highways, which is not a good thing to assume.
 * Toronto Pearson International Airport, in Mississauga is about a 90-minute drive from the Falls, assuming ideal traffic conditions on Toronto-area highways, which is not a good thing to assume.

By train

 * Routes:
 * Empire Service operating twice daily between Niagara Falls (New York) and New York City including stops in Buffalo, Buffalo (Depew), Rochester, Syracuse, Rome, Utica, Schenectady, Albany (Rensselaer), Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, and Yonkers.
 * Maple Leaf train operating daily between Toronto and New York City, in partnership with VIA Rail Canada. Stops between Toronto and Niagara Falls (New York) include in Oakville, Burlington, Grimsby, St. Catharines and Niagara Falls (Ontario). Stops between Niagara Falls (New York) and New York City are the same as those made by the Empire Service. Border crossing processing takes place in Niagara Falls, where passengers must detrain with their baggage. Train crew members are staffed by VIA Rail within Canada, and by Amtrak within the United States. For trains headed to Toronto, this is the final stop before passengers reach border control for entry into Canada.
 * Maple Leaf train operating daily between Toronto and New York City, in partnership with VIA Rail Canada. Stops between Toronto and Niagara Falls (New York) include in Oakville, Burlington, Grimsby, St. Catharines and Niagara Falls (Ontario). Stops between Niagara Falls (New York) and New York City are the same as those made by the Empire Service. Border crossing processing takes place in Niagara Falls, where passengers must detrain with their baggage. Train crew members are staffed by VIA Rail within Canada, and by Amtrak within the United States. For trains headed to Toronto, this is the final stop before passengers reach border control for entry into Canada.

By car

 * From Buffalo-Niagara International Airport: Take the I-90 East to the I-290 West to the I-190 North. Take the I-190 North (over both Grand Island Bridges, $1 toll) to the Niagara Scenic Parkway.
 * From Toronto Pearson International Airport: Take Highway 427 S to QEW towards Hamilton. Drive for about 60 mi (100 km) and then keep left to take the Regional Road 420 E/Roberts Street toward Niagara Falls Bridge to U.S. Continue onto Falls Avenue and then cross via Rainbow Bridge. Roberts Street changes to State Route 384/Niagara Street once in the U.S.
 * From New York, Boston, and the East Coast: Take I-90 W towards Buffalo to the 290 W.  Exit onto the 190 N towards Grand Island and Niagara Falls.  Follow I-90 N through Grand Island, then take exit 21A immediately after the North Grand Island Bridge (as you're leaving the island) for the Niagara Scenic Parkway.  Continue until in downtown Niagara Falls.
 * From Chicago and the Midwest: Take I-90 East towards Buffalo to the 190 W. Follow signs for Grand Island and Niagara Falls. Follow interstate through Grand Island, then take exit 21A immediately after the North Grand Island Bridge (as you're leaving the island) for the Niagara Scenic Parkway.  Continue until in downtown Niagara Falls.

By bus
Greyhound offers service from Buffalo. There are two daily departures from the Municipal Transportation Center in downtown Buffalo, at 7AM and 9:30PM respectively, which drop you off in the Falls at the Quality Hotel at 240 1st St. The trip takes half an hour and costs $7. If you're headed in from elsewhere, you'll have to transfer at Buffalo first; see Buffalo for information on service from destinations further afield.

A cheaper ($2) but slower (50 minutes) option from downtown Buffalo is NFTA Metro Bus #40, which you board at the Buffalo Municipal Transportation Center and will drop you off at various locations in Niagara Falls. See the linked schedule and map for details.

OurBus serves Niagara Falls from New York City with intermediate stops in Binghamton, Syracuse, Henrietta, and Amherst. There are six weekly departures from New York (8AM every day but Wednesday) arriving at 4:30PM at the Niagara Falls USA Visitor Center at 10 Rainbow Blvd. Fares are about half what Greyhound charges.

By foot
You can really do a lot without a car once you get to the immediate vicinity of the Falls. If you are staying downtown you may be able to get by without a car. The toll for walking the Rainbow Bridge westbound to Canada is $1 (both U.S. and Canadian currency accepted), paid on the Canadian side coming into Canada. (There is no eastbound toll.) If you travel with any baby carriage, you pay no extra toll. Do not photograph or film on the Bridge without getting Bridge Commission approval and signing a liability waiver first. You cannot walk across the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge.

By bicycle
Bicycling can be faster than walking to get around. The toll for bicycling and walking the bridge across the national border is the same. On the bridge sidewalk, bicyclists are officially supposed to walk their bikes, but you may bicycle on the far right lane of the Rainbow Bridge and Lewiston-Queenston Bridge like a car.

Reddy Bikeshare, Buffalo's bike-sharing network, expanded to Niagara Falls in 2019, with about three dozen locations spread out citywide but (as you might expect) most heavily concentrated in the downtown tourist area. To use a Reddy bike, sign in to the SoBi mobile app to find and reserve an available bike at any of the various Reddy racks around the city (or simply walk up to a rack and enter your account number and PIN on the bike's keypad to unlock it). Then, when you're finished, simply lock your bike up at whichever Reddy rack is nearest you. There's a $2 fee for locking a Reddy bike up anywhere other than a Reddy rack. If you need to stop off somewhere along the way, you also have the option to "hold" your Reddy bike, which will enable you to lock it temporarily without incurring the $2 fee and without the bike becoming available for reservation by other users. When you're ready to take off again, simply enter your PIN number on the bike's keypad and you're good to go. Rates are $8.50 for a 30-day membership or $55 for an annual membership, after which point use of the bikes costs 6¢ and 1¢ per minute, respectively. If you're planning on visiting Buffalo before or after your trip to the Falls, your Reddy membership works there too.

By car
Car is a convenient option to get around, and to see the attractions surrounding the Falls.

Parking at Niagara Falls State Park is a breeze, with four ample-sized parking lots that charge $10/day. Parking on the American side and walking across the bridge may be an attractive method of getting to the Canadian side for a day trip.

Once you leave the park and enter downtown Niagara Falls proper, rates get steeper and availability gets scarcer. There are four public parking ramps downtown that each charge the same rate: $20/day M-Th and $30/day F-Su during tourist season (May-Oct), $10/day offseason. On-street parking is more expensive still, at $5/hour during the tourist season and $3/hour offseason.

If you're parking downtown, there are clearly posted signs directing you to the tourist area. Most shops and attractions are within walking distance from downtown.

Crossing the border
If you want to see the Canadian side, you can cross at the Rainbow Bridge (downtown) or the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge (north of the city). Be sure you have proper documentation for yourself (passport or other approved alternative) and your vehicle (registration, insurance card, etc.) If you're driving a rental car, pay particular attention to your rental contract. Unlike driving into Mexico, most national rental firms in the US don't have an issue with you driving into Canada; however, there's a decent chance that Canadian travel is not included in your unlimited mileage allowance (unless the rental originated in New York State) and surcharges may apply. Remember, you can always park in downtown Niagara Falls, New York and walk across the Rainbow Bridge to enjoy the sights on the Canadian side.

By bus
In addition to the aforementioned #40 bus, the NFTA municipal bus system includes five additional routes serving Niagara Falls. The two of most interest to tourists are:
 * Bus #55T (Trolley), which begins at Niagara Falls International Airport and runs westward down Niagara Falls Boulevard past the factory outlet mall, then along Pine Avenue through Little Italy as far as the Aquarium of Niagara, then descends southward into the downtown casino and hotel district, and
 * Bus #50 (Main-Niagara), which begins at the outlet mall, proceeding westward from there into downtown via Buffalo Avenue and Niagara Street, and from there northward, with service to the destinations in the upper Niagara Gorge (Whirlpool State Park, DeVeaux Woods State Park, Devil's Hole State Park, and the Niagara Power Vista) en route to its terminus in Lewiston.

Waterfalls
Views of Niagara Falls are free and accessible. Access to the riverside walks and parks offer great views. You can walk across to Goat Island on the pedestrian bridge.

There are a number of attractions designed to give different experiences of the falls.



You can combine all these attractions with a Niagara USA Discovery pass for $35, which you can purchase at the attractions.


 * Whirpool Tours in nearby Lewiston is a jet boat ride that will take you to the falls.
 * Helicopter Rides Howard Johnson's on Rainbow Blvd.

Must stay a night and see the night view of the Niagara Falls. It is equally beautiful.

Do
There are literally dozens of operators offering tours of the area; only a few offer value-added services on top of simply ferrying you place to place and describing the sites.

If you get bored with the scenery and don't much care for probability and statistics, the local Native American tribe has just the place:

If you really want to take the gamble of a lifetime, throw your freedom away by tying the knot in Niagara Falls, the most famous honeymoon destination in the state:

Buy
There is an outlet mall, which may be of interest to bargain hunters crossing the border.



There are numerous places to pick up gifts and souvenirs including:



Book lovers should definitely check out:



Pizza
Aside from a single Papa John's location inside the Quality Hotel downtown and a Pizza Hut way out by the outlet mall, the big national pizzeria chains don't have much of a presence in Niagara Falls. So you may as well take the opportunity to get acquainted with the local style, a closely guarded local secret that's practically unknown even to folks from elsewhere in Western New York. Classic Niagara Falls pizza is cooked in a square pan and always sliced into squares, with a crust that's thin like New York-style but with a pillowy consistency and nutty flavor, and a sauce that is subtly seasoned with oregano and has a faint tinge of sweetness (though nowhere near as assertively sweet as on Buffalo pizza). The cheese is thin and sparse — generally there's just enough to fully cover the crust — with pepperoni baked underneath and any other toppings (generally there are none) on top. If you're intrigued, the stretch of Niagara Street between Portage Road and Hyde Park Boulevard is where you'll find the two best exponents of the style: Frenchy's and The Pizza Oven. Or if that's too rough of a neighborhood for you, head north to Mr. Ventry's on Pierce Avenue.

Drink
The drinking age in New York is 21, however, due to the fact that Niagara Falls straddles the border, 19 and 20 year-olds may cross the border into Canada to legally drink. Alcohol is more expensive in Canada.



Sleep
There are not really any major luxury hotels in the area, but a new hotel is now at Seneca Niagara Casino. There are several other nice-looking hotels downtown by the Falls, and then a series of motels on Niagara Falls Boulevard, including several $20/night fleabag specials (where they really always charge you more than that anyway).

Downtown, the best hotels are Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel, Doubletree Hotel & Conference Center, and The Red Coach Inn. Radisson on the River is coming soon on Buffalo Avenue and is located on the Niagara River overlooking the North Grand Island Bridge.

There are several B&Bs: Butler House, Park Place B&B, and the Elizabeth House.



Connect

 * The Niagara Falls area code is 716 for the entire area.
 * The Niagara Falls zip codes are 14301-14305

Stay safe
Downtown Niagara Falls — that is, the area immediately surrounding the falls themselves — is undergoing something of a renaissance, with a small boom in new hotels being constructed, new shops and restaurants on Old Falls Street, and a general sprucing up compared to a few years back. However, many of the residential neighborhoods surrounding downtown remain rundown, a victim of the economic malaise that swept over the region as a whole in the late 20th century, a time when many of the chemical plants and other industries that employed residents shut down. If you're straying outside of downtown, common-sense rules for any urban area apply: lock your car doors, avoid flashy displays of wealth, keep your wits about you. Exceptions to this rule are the DeVeaux neighborhood as well as adjacent areas along the lower Niagara River north of downtown, which are quite well-to-do residential neighborhoods, as well as the busy commercial strip of Niagara Falls Boulevard and the adjacent middle-class neighborhood of LaSalle, near Niagara Falls International Airport.

Go next
There are numerous other waterfalls in western New York (all much smaller), notably the 3 falls of the Genesee River within Letchworth State Park. Old Fort Niagara, a historical site, is around half an hour to the north, and Buffalo is about half an hour away.

You can travel to the Canadian side for a closer view of Horseshoe Falls and to visit the other attractions in Niagara Falls, Ontario and Niagara-on-the-Lake, although you will need a passport or another document proving both identity and citizenship, the main Canada article covers documentation requirements and crossing the border by land in depth.

Lewiston is just to the north, and is usually visited as part of a trip to the Falls. Lewiston sports a cute village center filled with shops, restaurants, and bed and breakfast inns. Lewiston is also home of Artpark State Park, with a popular open-air auditorium in addition to normal park activities.