A Day in Niagara Falls with Kids

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Niagara Falls is one of the great natural wonders of North America.

It’s exciting, even moving, to see its three falls — Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls — thundering down with a big spray of mist.

It’s just as exciting to introduce your kids to this giant marvel for the first time.

So we decided to spend a family day in Niagara Falls when we recently took a trip to nearby Buffalo, New York.

(Follow this link to read more about our weekend trip to Buffalo.)

Max is 8 and Miki is 5. Because of the pandemic they haven’t been to all that many places, so we’re still finding our travel footing as a family.

That’s why for this time we opted to just get our feet wet in Niagara Falls, so to speak.

We plan to come back on a dedicated trip and take in the “full program,” which includes a Maid of the Mist boat tour, a walk through the Cave of the Winds, and seeing the illumination of the falls at night.

I have fond memories of visiting these places when I was a kid myself.

old photo of two people at Niagara Falls — My first visit to Niagara Falls…in 1987. (Sitting here with my dad.)

Next time, I also want to take the kids to Niagara Power Vista Visitor Center, about 10 minutes north of Niagara Falls State Park. It’s supposed to be really fun and educational for both adults and kids. (We left Niagara Falls in the afternoon. This would have been a good program point for the rest of the day.)

Planning a trip to Niagara Falls

Here are some helpful resources for planning the details of your trip:

Niagara Falls, New York: niagarafallsusa.com

Niagara Falls, Ontario: niagarafallstourism.com

Niagara Falls State Park: niagarafallsstatepark.com

Parking in Niagara Falls, New York

If you have time (and passports), I think it’s worth visiting both the American and Canadian sides of Niagara Falls. You get different viewpoints and impressions.

We arrived from Buffalo before 9 AM (it’s about a half-hour drive along the Niagara Scenic Parkway) and got an easy parking spot right in Lot 1 of the Niagara Falls State Park. You really can’t get any closer to all the attractions. (More about parking here.)

If you have the Empire Pass, you can save yourself the $10 fee for the lot. Entrance to the surrounding park itself is always free.

(I have a whole series about this New York state park pass. Learn more about:

whether the Empire pass is worth it for you
whether you should maybe even get a Lifetime Empire Pass
how you can use the Empire pass for free
and how to get the most out of your Empire Pass.)

Niagara Falls State Park, by the way, is the oldest state park in the country.

Rainbow Bridge

One of the things that stuck most with the kids is that they walked into another country. And it didn’t take very long.

The Rainbow Bridge is an arch bridge connecting the cities of Niagara Falls, New York and Niagara Falls, Canada.

Rainbow Bridge Niagara Falls — View of the Rainbow Bridge

You can walk, drive, or bike across.

On foot, it takes maybe 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how often you stop to take in the views. (Plus, factor in time at each country’s entry for passport controls, which can have lines, especially on holidays. The day we were there, early in the morning on a spring Saturday, there was virtually no wait.)

There’s a plaque at the mid-point that shows where the US-Canadian border is in the middle of the Niagara Gorge. Of course we took pictures with one foot in each country.

Naturally the views along the way are amazing!

view of Niagara Gorge from Rainbow Bridge — View from the Rainbow Bridge

I will say this: Even though the railing along the looked perfectly stable and safe, I noticed myself and other people walking closer to the road side of the sidewalk. There’s just something about 202 ft of height from the water that reminds you of your mortality.

A couple of practical notes. Bring:

CASH for the bridge toll: You’ll pay $1 (US or Canadian) per person returning from the Canadian side.
PASSPORTS: You must have your passport with you when crossing the border in either direction. Kids under the age of 16 can use an original or certified copy of their passport. (Please verify this with official sources before attempting to cross the border.)

walking across the Rainbow Bridge — Walking across the Rainbow Bridge

Niagara Falls, Canada

By the time we had crossed into Canada, the sun was shining brightly and we got “gorges” views (sorry, Ithaca joke) across the gorge onto the falls.

We spent the next few hours wandering around and enjoying the scenery.

And saying no. Because this side has many, many commercial attractions for tourists. Think Hard Rock Cafe, Hershey’s Chocolate World, casinos, a waterpark, souvenir shops…The kids, of course, wanted to see and do it all.

Andrew, bless him, volunteered to take them to (though not into) a series of haunted houses and to get a close-up of the giant ferris wheel.

We could all agree that the Oakes Garden Theatre, very close to the bridge, is lovely! It consists of a curved pergola overlooking an amphitheater with grassy areas and loads and loads of flowers. My favorite part was a little garden with lily ponds tucked away at the back — an oasis of calm.

Oakes Garden Theatre ponds — Hidden pond garden at Oakes Garden Theatre

Next time, I may also be tempted by the 670-meter zipline, though.

To be honest, I have to admit that the kids basically just glanced at the waterfalls. I think that approaching the falls from below on a boat and getting soaked will make a greater impression on our next trip.

Still, we spent a lovely extended morning taking it all in before heading back to the U.S. side.

Royal Dragon Noodle Bar & Grill

By the time we arrived back on the New York side, we were famished!

Royal Dragon Noodle Bar and Grill was well reviewed and came recommended — for good reason.

Yes, you pay a Niagara Falls central location premium. We shelled out about $20 for chicken broccoli with rice and $15 for a noodle or rice bowl, but in this case I felt we got what we paid for: high-quality, well prepared food in generous portions.

It was even more delicious eaten on a park bench under flowering trees with envious gulls hovering nearby to see if we were feeling generous. (They rejected Max’s proffered carrot slices.)

Chinese lunch in the park — Lunch in the park

Plus, the restaurant — geared mostly towards take-out but also offering a few seats — had some of the friendliest service I’ve experienced in such an establishment. So patient as I took in the menu board with some 42 different options: stir-fries, teriyaki rice bowls, udon and other noodle bowls, fried rice, and a handful of appetizers.

I also treated myself to a passionfruit green tea boba tea. Very sweet but delicious with a fruity flavor and a pleasant bitterness from the green tea.

Prospect Point

Before we returned to Buffalo, I convinced Max to come check out the precipice of the American Falls.

With the river roaring by us into the depths, even he was a little impressed.

boy looking from above at American Falls — American Falls…falling

If you’re coming to do the full program, Prospect Point and the surrounding park are the area from where you access the boat rides and observation tower.

All in all, we had a really nice day and introduction to Niagara Falls. Next time, we’re going to dive in (figuratively!) and get up close to the falls.