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Coordinates: 43.080°N 79.071°W

Niagara Falls
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Niagara Falls are voluminous waterfalls on the Niagara Falls

Niagara River, straddling the international border
between the Canadian province of Ontario and the
U.S. state of New York. The falls are 17 miles
(27 km) north-northwest of Buffalo, New York and
75 miles (120 km) south-southeast of Toronto,
Ontario, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls,
Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.

Niagara Falls is composed of two major sections

separated by Goat Island: Horseshoe Falls, the
majority of which--two-thirds according to the US
Geological Survey--lies on the Canadian side of the
border, and American Falls on the American side.[1] View from Prospect Point, Niagara Falls, New
The smaller Bridal Veil Falls are also located on the York.
American side, separated from the main falls by Luna
Location
Island. Niagara Falls
(Ontario, Canada
Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at
the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last ice age), & New York, USA)
and water from the newly formed Great Lakes carved
Coordinates 43.080°N 79.071°W
a path through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the
Atlantic Ocean. While not exceptionally high, the Type Cataract
Niagara Falls are very wide. More than 6 million
cubic feet (168,000 m³) of water falls over the crest Total height 167 ft (52 m)
line every minute in high flow,[2] and almost 4 million Number of 3; Horseshoe Falls, American
cubic feet (110,000 m³) on average. It is the most drops Falls & Bridal Veil Falls
powerful waterfall in North America.[3]
Average flow 1833 m³/s (64,750 cu ft/s)
The Niagara Falls are renowned both for their beauty rate
and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power.
Managing the balance between recreational, Watercourse Niagara River
commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge
for the stewards of the falls since the 1800s.

Contents
■ 1 Characteristics
■ 2 Geology
■ 3 History
■ 4 Impact on industry and commerce
■ 4.1 Power

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■ 4.2 Transport
■ 5 Preservation efforts
■ 6 In entertainment and popular culture
■ 6.1 Over The Falls
■ 6.2 Movies and television
■ 6.3 Music
■ 6.4 Literature
■ 7 Tourism
■ 7.1 American side
■ 7.2 Canadian side
■ 8 See also
■ 9 References
■ 10 Footnotes
■ 11 External links
■ 11.1 Liturature External Links
■ 11.1.1 Fiction
■ 11.1.2 Non-Fiction

Characteristics
Niagara Falls is divided into the Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls. The Horseshoe Falls drop
about 173 feet (53 m), the height of the American Falls varies between 70–100 feet (21–30 m) because
of the presence of giant boulders at its base. The larger Horseshoe Falls are about 2,600 feet (790 m)
wide, while the American Falls are 1,060 feet (320 m) wide.

The volume of water approaching the falls during peak flow season may sometimes be as much as
202,000 cubic feet (5,700 m3) per second.[4] Since the flow is a direct function of the Lake Erie water
elevation, it typically peaks in late spring or early summer. During the summer months, 100,000 cubic
feet (2,800 m3) per second of water actually traverses the Falls, some 90% of which goes over the
Horseshoe Falls, while the balance is diverted to hydroelectric facilities. This is accomplished by
employing a weir with movable gates upstream from the Horseshoe Falls. The Falls flow is further
halved at night, and during the low tourist season in the winter, remains a flat 50,000 cubic feet
(1,400 m3) per second. Water diversion is regulated by the 1950 Niagara Treaty and is administered by
the International Niagara Board of Control (IJC).[5] Viewpoints on the American shore generally are
astride or behind the falls. The falls face directly toward the Canadian shore.

Geology
The features that became Niagara Falls were created by the Wisconsin glaciation, about 10,000 years
ago. The same forces also created the North American Great Lakes and the Niagara River. All were dug
by a continental ice sheet that drove through the area, deepening some river channels to form lakes, and
damming others with debris.[6] Scientists believe that there is an old valley, buried by glacial drift, at the
approximate location of the present Welland Canal.

When the ice melted, the upper Great Lakes emptied into the Niagara River, which followed the
rearranged topography across the Niagara Escarpment. In time, the river cut a gorge through the north
facing cliff, or cuesta. Because of the interactions of three major rock formations, the rocky bed did not

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erode evenly. The top rock formation was composed of erosion-resistant limestone and Lockport
dolostone. That hard layer of stone eroded more slowly than the underlying materials. The aerial photo
clearly shows the hard caprock, the Lockport Formation (Middle Silurian), which underlies the rapids
above the Falls, and approximately the upper third of the high gorge wall.

Immediately below the hard-rock formation, comprising

about two thirds of the cliff, lay the weaker, softer, sloping
Rochester Formation (Lower Silurian). This formation was
composed mainly of shale, though it has some thin
limestone layers. It also contains ancient fossils. In time, the
river eroded the soft layer that supported the hard layers,
undercutting the hard caprock, which gave way in great
chunks. This process repeated countless times, eventually
carving out the Falls.

Submerged in the river in the lower valley, hidden from

view, is the Queenston Formation (Upper Ordovician),
which is composed of shales and fine sandstones. All three
formations were laid down in an ancient sea, their
differences of character deriving from changing conditions
within that sea. Aerial view of Niagara Falls, showing
parts of Canada and the United States
The Niagara Falls at one time in history was located
between present-day Queenston, Ontario, and Lewiston,
New York, but erosion of their crest has caused the waterfalls to retreat approximately 6.8 miles or 11
kilometers southward. The Horseshoe Falls, which are approximately 2,600 feet (790 m) wide, have also
changed their shape through the process of erosion; evolving from a small arch, to a horseshoe bend, to
the present day gigantic inverted V.[7] Just upstream from the Falls' current location, Goat Island splits
the course of the Niagara River, resulting in the separation of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls to the west
from the American and Bridal Veil Falls to the east. Engineering has slowed erosion and recession.[8]

History
There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the falls. According to Iroquoian scholar
Bruce Trigger, "Niagara" is derived from the name given to a branch of the locally residing native
Neutral Confederacy, who are described as being called the "Niagagarega" people on several late 17th
century French maps of the area.[9]

A number of figures have been suggested as first circulating an eyewitness description of Niagara Falls.
Frenchman Samuel de Champlain visited the area as early as 1604 during his exploration of Canada, and
members of his party reported to him the spectacular waterfalls, which he described in his journals.
Finnish-Swedish naturalist Pehr Kalm explored the area in the early 1700s and wrote of the experience.
The consensus honoree is Belgian Father Louis Hennepin, who observed and described the Falls in
1677, earlier than Kalm, after traveling with explorer René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle, thus
bringing the Falls to the attention of Europeans. Further complicating matters, there is credible evidence
that French Jesuit Reverend Paul Ragueneau visited the Falls some 35 years before Hennepin's visit,
while working among the Huron First Nation in Canada. Jean de Brébeuf also may have visited the
Falls, while spending time with the Neutral Nation.[10]

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During the
18th century,
tourism
became
popular, and by
mid-century, it
was the area's
main industry.
Napoleon
Bonaparte's
brother Jérôme Man and woman on Canadian side of
visited with his Niagara Falls, circa 1858
bride in the
early 19th
century.[11] In
1837 during
the Caroline
affair a rebel
supply ship, the
Caroline, was
1837 woodcut of Falls, from États Unis burned and
d'Amérique by Roux de Rochelle. sent over the
Falls. In 1848,
the falls actually went dry; no water (or at best a trickle)
fell for as much as 40 hours. Waterwheels stopped, mills
and factories simply shut down for having no power.[12]
Later that year demand for passage over the Niagara River
led to the building of a footbridge and then Charles Ellet's
Niagara Suspension Bridge. This was supplanted by Maria Spelterini crossing the Niagara
German-born John Augustus Roebling's Niagara Falls gorge on a tightrope on July 4, 1876
Suspension Bridge in 1855. After the American Civil War,
the New York Central railroad publicized Niagara Falls as
a focus of pleasure and honeymoon visits. With increased railroad traffic, in 1886, Leffert Buck replaced
Roebling's wood and stone bridge with the predominantly steel bridge that still carries trains over the
Niagara River today. The first steel archway bridge near the Falls was completed in 1897. Known today
as the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, it carries vehicles, trains, and pedestrians between Canada (through
Canadian Customs Border Control) and the U.S.A. just below the Falls. In 1941 the Niagara Falls
Bridge Commission completed the third current crossing in the immediate area of Niagara Falls with the
Rainbow Bridge, carrying both pedestrian and vehicular traffic between the two countries and Canadian
and U.S. customs for each country.

After the First World War, tourism boomed again as automobiles made getting to the Falls much easier.
The story of Niagara Falls in the 20th century is largely that of efforts to harness the energy of the Falls
for hydroelectric power, and to control the development on both sides that threaten the area's natural
beauty.

Impact on industry and commerce

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Power
The enormous energy of Niagara Falls has long been
recognized as a potential source of power. The first
known effort to harness the waters was in 1759, when
Daniel Joncaire built a small canal above the Falls to
power his sawmill. Augustus and Peter Porter
purchased this area and all of American Falls in 1805
from the New York state government, and enlarged the
original canal to provide hydraulic power for their
gristmill and tannery. In 1853, the Niagara Falls
Hydraulic Power and Mining Company was chartered,
which eventually constructed the canals which would American Falls (large waterfall on the left)
be used to generate electricity. In 1881, under the and Bridal Veil Falls (smaller waterfall on
leadership of Jacob Schoellkopf, Niagara River's first the right)
hydroelectric generating station was built. The water
fell 86 feet (26 m) and generated direct current
electricity, which ran the machinery of local mills and lit up some of the village streets.

The Niagara Falls Power Company, a descendant of

Schoellkopf's firm, formed the Cataract Company
headed by Edward Dean Adams,[13] with the intent of
expanding Niagara Falls power capacity. In 1890, a five-
member International Niagara Commission headed by
Sir William Thomson among other distinguished
scientists deliberated on the expansion of Niagara
hydroelectric capacity based on seventeen proposals, but
could not select any as the best combined project for
hydraulic development and distribution. When Nikola
Tesla, for whom a memorial was later built at Niagara
Falls, NY (USA), invented the three-phase system of
alternating current power transmission, distant transfer
Canadian Horseshoe falls as viewed from
Skylon Tower. of electricity became possible, as Westinghouse and
Tesla had built the AC-power Ames Hydroelectric
Generating Plant and proved it effective. In 1893,
Westinghouse Electric was hired to design a system to generate alternating current on Niagara Falls, and
three years after that, the world's first large AC power system was created, activated on August 26,
1895. The Adams Power Plant Transformer House remains as a landmark of the original system.

By 1896, with financing from moguls like J.P. Morgan, John Jacob Astor IV, and the Vanderbilts, they
had constructed giant underground conduits leading to turbines generating upwards of 100,000
horsepower (75 MW), and were sending power as far as Buffalo, 20 miles (32 km) away. Some of the
original designs for the power transmission plants were created by the Swiss firm Faesch & Piccard,
which also constructed the original 5,000HP waterwheels.

Private companies on the Canadian side also began to harness the energy of the Falls. The Government
of the province of Ontario, Canada eventually brought power transmission operations under public
control in 1906, distributing Niagara's energy to various parts of the Canadian province.

Other hydropower plants were also being built along the Niagara River. But in 1956, disaster struck
when the region's largest hydropower station was partially destroyed in a landslide. The landslide

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drastically reduced power production and tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs were at stake. In
1957, Congress passed the Niagara Redevelopment Act, which granted the New York Power Authority
the right to fully develop the United States' share of the Niagara River's hydroelectric potential.[14]

In 1961, when the Niagara Falls hydroelectric project first went on line, it was the largest hydropower
facility in the Western world. Today, Niagara is still the largest electricity producer in New York State,
with a generating capacity of 2.4 gigawatts (million kilowatts). Up to 375,000 US gallons (1,420 m3) of
water a second is diverted from the Niagara River through conduits under the City of Niagara Falls to
the Lewiston and Robert Moses power plants. Currently between 50% and 75% of the Niagara River's
flow is diverted via four huge tunnels that arise far upstream from the waterfalls. The water then passes
through hydroelectric turbines that supply power to nearby areas of Canada and the United States before
returning to the river well past the Falls.[15] This water spins turbines that power generators, converting
mechanical energy into electrical energy. When electricity demand is low, the Lewiston units can
operate as pumps to transport water from the lower bay back up to the plant's reservoir, allowing this
water to be used again during the daytime when electricity use peaks. During peak electrical demand,
the same Lewiston pumps are reversed and actually become generators, similar to those at the Moses
plant.[14]

During tourist season, water usage by the power plant is limited by a treaty signed by the U.S. and
Canada in 1950 to preserve this natural attraction. On average the Niagara river delivers
1,500,000 US gallons (5,700 m3) of water per second, half of which must flow over the falls during
daylight hours from April through October. During other times the power plant may use up to three
fourths of the total available water. During winter the Power Authority of New York works with Ontario
Power Generation, to prevent ice on the Niagara River from interfering with power production or
causing flooding of shoreline property. One of their joint efforts is an 8,800-foot (2,700 m)–long ice
boom, which prevents the buildup of ice, yet allows water to continue flowing downstream.[14]

The most powerful hydroelectric stations on the Niagara River are the Sir Adam Beck 1 and 2 on the
Canadian side and the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant and the Lewiston Pump Generating Plant on
the American side. Together, Niagara's generating stations can produce about 4.4 GW of power.

In August 2005 Ontario Power Generation, which is responsible for the Sir Adam Beck stations,
announced plans to build a new 6.5 miles (10.5 km) tunnel to tap water from farther up the Niagara river
than is possible with the existing arrangement. The project is expected to be completed in 2009, and will
increase Sir Adam Beck's output by about 182 MW (4.2%).

Panoramic view of American and Horseshoe Falls from Canada.

Transport
Ships can bypass Niagara Falls by means of the Welland Canal, which was improved and incorporated
into the Saint Lawrence Seaway in the middle 1950s. While the seaway diverted water traffic from

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nearby Buffalo and led to the demise of its steel and grain mills, other industries in the Niagara River
valley flourished with the help of the electric power produced by the river. However, since the 1970s the
region has declined economically.

The cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada and Niagara Falls, New York, USA are connected by three
bridges: the Rainbow Bridge, just downriver from the Falls, which affords the closest view of the Falls
and is open to non-commercial vehicle traffic and pedestrians; the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, one mile
(1.5 km) down from the Rainbow bridge and the oldest bridge over the Niagara river. The newest
bridge, the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, is located near the escarpment. Nearby Niagara Falls
International Airport and Buffalo Niagara International Airport were named after the waterfall, as were
Niagara University, countless local businesses, and even an asteroid.[16]

Preservation efforts
Niagara Falls has long been a source of inspiration for explorers, travelers, artists, authors, filmmakers,
residents and visitors, few of whom realize that the falls were nearly to be solely devoted to industrial
and commercial use. In the 1870s, sightseers had limited access to Niagara Falls and often had to pay
merely for a glimpse, and industrialization threatened to carve up Goat Island in an effort to further
expand commercial development. Other industrial encroachments and lack of public access led to a
conservation movement in the U.S. known as Free Niagara, led by such notables as Hudson River
school artist Frederic Edwin Church, landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted, and architect Henry
Hobson Richardson. Mr Church approached Lord Dufferin, governor-general of Canada, with a proposal
for international discussions on the establishment of a public park.

Goat Island was one of the inspirations for the American side of the effort. William Dorsheimer, moved
by the scene from the island, brought Olmsted to Buffalo in 1868 to design a city park system and
helped promote Olmstead's career. Later, in 1879, the New York state legislature commissioned
Olmsted and James T. Gardner to survey the falls and to create the single most important document in
the Niagara preservation movement, a Special Report on the preservation of Niagara Falls. The report
advocated for State purchase, restoration and preservation through public ownership of the scenic lands
surrounding Niagara Falls. Restoring the former beauty of the falls was described in the report as a
"sacred obligation to mankind."[17] In 1883, Governor Grover Cleveland drafted legislation authorizing
acquisition of lands for a state reservation at Niagara and The Niagara Falls Association, a private
citizens group founded in 1882, mounted a great letter writing campaign and petition drive in support of
the park. Professor Charles Eliot Norton and Olmsted were among the leaders of the public campaign,
while New York Governor Alonzo Cornell opposed.

Preservationists' efforts were rewarded on April 30,

1885, when Governor David B. Hill signed
legislation creating the Niagara Reservation, New
York's first state park. New York State began to
purchase land from developers, under the charter of
the Niagara Reservation State Park. In the same
year, the province of Ontario established the Queen
Victoria Niagara Falls Park for the same purpose.
On the Canadian side, the Niagara Parks
Commission governs land usage along the entire
course of the Niagara River, from Lake Erie to Lake
Ontario.

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In 1887, Olmsted and Calvert Vaux issued a View of the Horseshoe (Canadian) Falls from
supplemental report detailing plans to restore the Table Rock, Niagara Falls, Ontario in the early
falls. Their intent was "to restore and conserve the morning.
natural surroundings of the Falls of Niagara, rather
than to attempt to add anything thereto", and the
report anticipated fundamental questions. How would preservationists provide access without destroying
the beauty of the falls? How would they restore natural landscapes damaged by man? They planned a
park with scenic roadways, paths and a few shelters designed to protect the landscape while allowing
large numbers of visitors to enjoy the falls.[18] Commemorative statues, shops, restaurants, and a 1959
glass and metal observation tower were added later. Preservationists continue to strive to strike a balance
between Olmsted's idyllic vision, and the realities of administering a popular scenic attraction.[19]

Preservation efforts continued well into the 20th century. J. Horace McFarland, the Sierra Club, and the
Appalachian Mountain Club persuaded the United States Congress in 1906 to enact legislation to
preserve the Falls by regulating the waters of Niagara River.[20] The act sought, in cooperation with the
Canadian government, to restrict diversion of water, and a treaty resulted in 1909 that limited the total
amount of water diverted from the Falls by both nations to approximately 56,000 cubic feet (1,600 m³)
per second. That limitation remained in effect until 1950.[21]

Erosion control efforts have always been of extreme

importance. Underwater weirs redirect the most
damaging currents, and the top of the falls have also
been strengthened. In June 1969, the Niagara River was
completely diverted away from the American Falls for
several months through construction of a temporary rock
and earth dam (clearly visible in the photo at left).[22]
While the Horseshoe Falls absorbed the extra flow, the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers studied the riverbed and
mechanically bolted and strengthened any faults they
found; faults which would, if left untreated, have
American Falls "shut off" during erosion hastened the retreat of the American Falls. A plan to
control efforts in 1969 (see text) remove the huge mound of talus deposited in 1954 was
abandoned owing to cost, and in November 1969, the
temporary dam was dynamited, restoring flow to the American Falls. Even after these undertakings,
Luna Island, the small piece of land between the main waterfall and the Bridal Veil, remained off limits
to the public for years owing to fears that it was unstable and could collapse into the gorge at any time.

Commercial interests have prevailed on the land surrounding the state park, however, with the recent
construction of several tall buildings (most of them hotels) on the Canadian side. The result is a
remarkable alteration and urbanisation of the landscape. It has also caused the airflow over the Falls to
change direction.[23] The result is that the viewing areas on the Canadian side are now often obscured by
a layer of mist.

In entertainment and popular culture

Over The Falls
In October 1829, Sam Patch, who called himself "the Yankee Leapster", jumped from a high tower into
the gorge below the falls and survived; this began a long tradition of daredevils trying to go over the

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Falls. On October 24, 1901, 63-year-old Michigan school teacher

Annie Edson Taylor was the first person to go over the Falls in a
barrel as a publicity stunt; she survived, bleeding, but virtually
unharmed. Soon after exiting the barrel, she said, "No one should
ever try that again." Previous to Taylor's own attempt, on October
19 a domestic cat named Iagara was sent over the Horseshoe Falls
in her barrel to test its strength. Contrary to rumours at the time,
the cat survived the plunge unharmed and later was posed with
Taylor in photographs.[24] Since Taylor's historic ride, 14 other Bobby Leach and his barrel after
people have intentionally gone over the Falls in or on a device, his trip over Niagara Falls, 1911
despite her advice. Some have survived unharmed, but others
have drowned or been severely injured. Survivors of such stunts face charges
and stiff fines, as it is illegal, on both sides of the border, to attempt to go
over the Falls.

In 1918, there was a near disaster when a barge, known locally as the Niagara
Scow, working up-river broke its tow, and almost plunged over the falls.
Fortunately, the two workers on board saved their own lives by grounding the
vessel on rocks just short of the falls.[25]

Other daredevils have made crossing the Falls their goal, starting with the
successful passage by Jean François "Blondin" Gravelet in 1859. These
tightrope walkers drew huge crowds to witness their exploits. Their wires ran
across the gorge, near the current Rainbow Bridge, not over the waterfall
itself. Among the many was Ontario's William Hunt, who billed himself as
"Signor Fanini" and competed with Blondin in performing outrageous stunts
over the gorge. Englishman Captain Matthew Webb, the first man to swim Blondin carrying his
manager, Harry
the English Channel, drowned in 1883 after unsuccessfully trying to swim the
Colcord, on a tightrope
rapids down river from the Falls.

In the "Miracle at Niagara", Roger Woodward, a seven-year-old American boy, was swept over the
Horseshoe Falls protected only by a life vest on July 9, 1960, as two tourists pulled his 17-year-old sister
Deanne from the river only 20 feet (6 m) from the lip of the Horseshoe Falls at Goat Island.[26] Minutes
later, Woodward was plucked from the roiling plunge pool beneath the Horseshoe Falls after grabbing a
life ring thrown to him by the crew of the Maid of the Mist boat.[27][28]

On July 2, 1984, Canadian Karel Soucek from Hamilton, Ontario successfully plunged over the
Horseshoe Falls in a barrel with only minor injuries. Soucek was fined $500 for performing the stunt
without a license. In 1985, he was fatally injured while attempting to re-create the Niagara drop at the
Houston Astrodome. His aim was to climb into a barrel hoisted to the rafters of the Astrodome and to
drop 180 feet (55 m) into a water tank on the floor. After his barrel released prematurely, it hit the side
of the tank and he died the next day from his injuries.[29]

In August 1985, Steve Trotter, an aspiring stunt man from Rhode Island, became the youngest person
ever (age 22) and the first American in 25 years to go over the Falls in a barrel. Ten years later, Trotter
went over the Falls again, becoming the second person to go over the Falls twice and survive. It was also
the second-ever "duo"; Lori Martin joined Trotter for the barrel ride over the Falls. They survived the
fall but their barrel became stuck at the bottom of the falls, requiring a rescue.

On September 28, 1989 Niagara's own Peter DeBernardi (42) and Jeffery James Petkovich (25) became
the first "team" to successfully make it over the falls in a two person barrel. The stunt was conceived by

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Peter DeBenardi, who wanted to discourage the youth of the time from following in his path of addictive
drug use. Peter was also trying to leave a legacy and discourage his son Kyle Lahey DeBernardi (2)
from using addictive drugs. Peter DeBernardi had initially expected to have a different passenger,
however Peter's original partner backed out and Peter was forced to look for an alternative, and Jeffery
Petkovich agreed to the stunt. Peter claims he spent an estimated $30,000 making his barrel including;
harness's steel and fiberglass construction with steel bands and viewing ports. Peter's Barrel also
included a radio for music and news reports, rudders to help steer the barrel through the falls, oxygen,
and a well protected video camera to record the journey over the edge. They emerged shortly after going
over with minor injuries and were charged with performing an illegal stunt under the Niagara Parks Act.

On September 27, 1993 John "David" Munday, of Caistor

Centre, Ontario, became the first person to survive going over
the falls twice.[30]

Kirk Jones of Canton, Michigan became the first known person

to survive a plunge over the Horseshoe Falls without a flotation
device on October 20, 2003. While it is still not known whether
Jones was determined to commit suicide, he survived the 16-
story fall with only battered ribs, scrapes, and bruises.[31]

A second person survived an unprotected trip over the

Horseshoe Falls on March 11, 2009 and when rescued from the
river, was reported to be suffering from severe hypothermia and
a large wound to his head. His identity has not been released.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the man intentionally enter the
water.[32][33]

A newspaper account in the late 19th century does cite a

bulldog believed to have successfully, though accidentally,
endured the passage.[citation needed]
Niagara Falls at night
Movies and television
Already a huge tourist attraction and favorite spot for honeymooners, Niagara Falls visits rose sharply in
1953 after the release of Niagara, a movie starring Marilyn Monroe and Joseph Cotten. Later in the 20th
century, the Falls was a featured location in 1980s movie Superman II, and was itself the subject of a
popular IMAX movie, Niagara: Miracles, Myths and Magic.[34] Much of the episode Return of the
Technodrome in the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon series take place near the Niagara Falls
and its hydroelectric plant.[35] Illusionist David Copperfield performed a trick in which he appeared to
travel over the Horseshoe Falls in 1990. The Falls, or more particularly, the tourist-supported complex
near the Falls, was the setting of the short-lived Canadian television show Wonderfalls in early 2004.
More recently, location footage of the Falls was shot in October 2006 to portray "World's End" of the
movie Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.[36]

The fourth episode of the sixth season of the NBC comedy The Office, Niagara, took place there in
celebration of a wedding between two of the characters on the show.

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Music
Composer Ferde Grofe was commissioned by the Niagara Falls Power Generation project in 1960 to
compose the Niagara Falls Suite in honor of the completion of the first stage of hydroelectric work at the
Falls. Each movement is dedicated to the Falls, or to the history of the greater Buffalo region.

Literature
The Niagara Falls area features as the base camp for a German aerial invasion of the United States in the
H. G. Wells novel The War in the Air.

Tourism
Peak numbers of visitors occur in the summertime, when Niagara Falls are both a daytime and evening
attraction. From the Canadian side, floodlights illuminate both sides of the Falls for several hours after
dark (until midnight). The number of visitors in 2008 is expected to total 20 million and by 2009, the
annual rate is expected to top 28 million tourists a year.[37] The oldest and best known tourist attraction
at Niagara Falls is the Maid of the Mist boat cruise, named for an ancient Ongiara Indian mythical
character, which has carried passengers into the rapids immediately below the Falls since 1846. Cruise
boats operate from boat docks on both sides of the falls.[38][39]

American side
From the U.S. side, the American Falls can be viewed from walkways along Prospect Point Park, which
also features the Prospect Point Park observation tower and a boat dock for the Maid of the Mist. Goat
Island offers more views of the falls and is accessible by foot and automobile traffic by bridge above the
American Falls. From Goat Island, the Cave of the Winds is accessible by elevator and leads hikers to a
point beneath Bridal Veil Falls. Also on Goat Island are the Three Sisters Islands, the Power Portal
where a huge statue of Nikola Tesla can be seen, and a walking path which enables views of the rapids,
the Niagara River, the gorge, and all of the Falls. Most of these attractions lie within the Niagara Falls
State Park.[40]

The Niagara Scenic Trolley offers guided trips along the American Falls and around Goat Island.
Panoramic and aerial views of the falls can also be viewed from the Flight of Angels helium balloon
ride, or by helicopter. The Niagara Gorge Discovery Center showcases the natural and local history of
Niagara Falls and the Niagara Gorge. A casino and luxury hotel was opened in Niagara Falls, New
York, by the Seneca Indian tribe. The Seneca Niagara Casino occupies the former Niagara Falls
Convention Center. The new hotel is the first addition to the city's skyline since completion of the
United Office Building in the twenties.[40][41]

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The turbulent Cave of

American Falls From Cave Of the Winds the Winds creates
Maid Of the Mist Tour
USA Side Tour conditions similar to a
hurricane

Trolley service is The American Side of

Niagara Falls State Niagara Center with
offered throughout the Falls and Bridal
Park maintains a small aerial view from the top
Niagara Falls State Veil Falls taken from
aquarium. floor
Park. the Canadian side.

Canadian side
On the Canadian side, Queen Victoria Park features manicured
gardens, platforms offering spectacular views of both the American
and Horseshoe Falls, and underground walkways leading into
observation rooms which yield the illusion of being within the
falling waters. The observation deck of the nearby Skylon Tower
offers the highest overhead view of the Falls, and in the opposite
direction gives views as far as distant Toronto. Along with the
Minolta Tower (formerly the Seagrams Tower, currently the Konica
Minolta Tower), it is one of two towers in Canada with a view of
the Falls.[42] The Canadian Horseshoe falls is
better viewed from the Canadian
Along the Niagara River, the Niagara River Recreational Trail runs side.
the 35 miles (56 km) from Fort Erie to Fort George, and includes
many historical sites from the War of 1812.[43]

The Whirlpool Aero Car, built in 1916 from a design by Spanish engineer Leonardo Torres y Quevedo,
is a cable car which takes passengers over the whirlpool on the Canadian side. The Journey Behind the
Falls - accessible by elevators from the street level entrance - consists of an observation platform and
series of tunnels near the bottom of the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side.[44][45]

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There are two casinos on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, the Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort and
Casino Niagara. The former is situated in the Fallsview Tourist Area, alongside many of the area's
hotels, whilst the latter is adjacent to Clifton Hill, on Falls Avenue, a major tourist promenade.[46]

American and Bridal

Looking over the brink American Falls and the
Falls on a full moon as The Horseshoe from
of Horseshoe falls at Bridal Veil Falls from
seen from the Canadian helicopter
night Maid of the Mist
side

View of the Horseshoe Niagara Falls rapids The popular Clifton

View from the
from a Fallsview hotel (White water walk, Hill on the Canadian
Rainbow Bridge
room Canadian side) side lit up at night

Observation platform of A portal looking out on

Maid of the Mist leisure Horseshoe Falls viewed
the Journey Behind the the back of Horseshoe
boat in front of the falls from Maid of the Mist
Falls below Table Rock Falls

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American and Canadian

Niagara Falls in winter
Falls at dusk

See also
■ Federal Power Commission v. Tuscarora Indian Nation
■ Incline railways at Niagara Falls
■ Niagara Falls, New York
■ Niagara Falls, Ontario
■ Niagara Scow
■ Ontario Hydro
■ Table Rock, Niagara Falls
■ Welland Canal
■ Whirlpool Aero Car
■ List of waterfalls by flow rate

References
■ The Earth, Tarbuck and Lutgens, 1987
■ Encyclopædia Britannica
■ National Geographic Guide to State Parks of the United States
■ "Niagara Falls at Thunder Alley" (http://www.niagarafrontier.com/)
■ "Hydro One Historical Timeline" (http://www.hydroone.com/en/about/history/timeline/)

Footnotes
1. ^ http://www.niagarafallslive.com/Facts_about_Niagara_Falls.htm
2. ^ "Falls Facts (Trivia) - Niagara Parks, Niagara Falls, Ontario,
Canada" (http://www.niagaraparks.com/nfgg/falls_facts.php) .
http://www.niagaraparks.com/nfgg/falls_facts.php. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
3. ^ "City Profile for Niagara Falls,
Ontario" (http://gocanada.about.com/od/niagarafalls/tp/niagara_falls_travel_guide.htm) .
http://gocanada.about.com/od/niagarafalls/tp/niagara_falls_travel_guide.htm. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
4. ^ "Niagara Falls History of Power" (http://www.niagarafrontier.com/power.html) .
http://www.niagarafrontier.com/power.html. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
5. ^ "IJC – International Niagara Board of
Control" (http://www.ijc.org/conseil_board/niagara/en/niagara_home_accueil.htm) .
http://www.ijc.org/conseil_board/niagara/en/niagara_home_accueil.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
6. ^ InfoNiagara.com, Niagara Falls Geological History (http://www.infoniagara.com/other/history/geo.html) .
Retrieved March 3, 2007.

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Niagara Falls - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 15 of 17

7. ^ "Geological Past of Niagara Falls and the Niagara

Region" (http://www.tourniagara.com/geologynature/niagara-escarpment/geological-past/) .
http://www.tourniagara.com/geologynature/niagara-escarpment/geological-past/. Retrieved 2008-12-21.
8. ^ Irving H. Tesmer, Jerold C. Bastedo, Colossal Cataract: The Geologic History of Niagara Falls(SUNY
Press,1981,ISBN 0873955226), pp.75.
9. ^ Bruce Trigger, The Children of Aataentsic (McGill-Queen's University Press, Kingston and Montreal,1987,
ISBN 0-7735-0626-8), pgs.95.
10. ^ The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents Volume 33
(http://puffin.creighton.edu/jesuit/relations/relations_33.html)
11. ^ "Niagara Falls is such a cool honeymoon destination even Napoleon's Brother chose
it" (http://www.canadacool.com/COOLFACTS/ONTARIO/NiagaraFallsNapoleon.html) .
http://www.canadacool.com/COOLFACTS/ONTARIO/NiagaraFallsNapoleon.html. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
12. ^ http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2010/03/0330niagara-falls-stops
13. ^ Honor For E.D. Adams : Engineers to Award the John Fritz Medal for Niagara Development.. (1926,
March 17). New York Times (1857-Current file), 6. ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times
(1851 - 2004) database. (Document ID: 119063396).
14. ^ a b c NYPA Niagara (http://www.nypa.gov/facilities/niagara.htm)
15. ^ "Niagara Falls Original Turbines" (http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object.cfm?
key=35&objkey=251) . National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object.cfm?key=35&objkey=251. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
16. ^ Asteroid 12382 Niagara Falls was named for the Falls.
17. ^ Laura Wood Roper, FLO: A Biography of Frederick Law Olmsted [Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins
University Press, 1973], pp. 378–81.)
18. ^ New York (State). Commissioners of state reservation at Niagara, Albany, The Argus company, printers,
1887
19. ^ The New York State Preservationist, Vol. 6/No. 1, Fall/Winter 2002, "Falling for Niagara", page 14+15
20. ^ Burton Act.
21. ^ U.S. Statutes at Large, Vol. 34, Part 1, Chap. 3621, pp. 626-28. "An Act For the control and regulation of
the waters of Niagara River, for the preservation of Niagara Falls, and for other purposes." H.R. 18024;
Public Act No. 367
22. ^ This remarkable event had actually occurred only once before, when an upstream ice jam stopped almost
all water flow over Niagara Falls on March 29, 1848.
23. ^ Students at the University of Guelph demonstrated, using scale models, that the air passes over the top of
the new hotels, causing a breeze to roll down the south sides of the buildings and spill into the gorge below
the Falls, where it feeds into a whirlpool of moisture and air. "Discovery Channel Video
Player" (http://www.exn.ca/video/?Video=exn20040929-niagara.asx) . The Discovery Channel.
http://www.exn.ca/video/?Video=exn20040929-niagara.asx. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
24. ^ Parish, Charles Carlin, Queen of the Mist:The Story of Annie Edson Taylor, First Person Ever To Go Over
Niagara Falls and Survive (Empire State Books, Interlaken NY, 1987, ISBN 0-932334-89-X), pgs.55.
25. ^ "STRANDED ON BRINK OF NIAGARA FALLS; Scow with Two Workmen Aboard It Fast Upon a
Rock 1,000 Feet from Cataract" (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?
res=9904E0DB1739E13ABC4F53DFBE668383609EDE) . The New York Times. August 7, 1918.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9904E0DB1739E13ABC4F53DFBE668383609EDE.
Retrieved May 20, 2010.
26. ^ "Over the Falls" (http://www.wholesomewords.org/children/stories/overfalls.html) .
http://www.wholesomewords.org/children/stories/overfalls.html. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
27. ^ "Account of Roger Woodward's Niagara Falls
incident" (http://www.infoniagara.com/other/history/roger.html) .
http://www.infoniagara.com/other/history/roger.html. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
28. ^ "Pictures from the Niagara Falls Public Library (Ont.) Includes a stamp issued to commemorate the
event" (http://www.nfpl.library.on.ca/nfplindex/search.asp?
search=1&db=5&idx=ti&query=roger+Woodward) . http://www.nfpl.library.on.ca/nfplindex/search.asp?
search=1&db=5&idx=ti&query=roger+Woodward. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
29. ^ "Info Niagara Karel Soucek" (http://www.infoniagara.com/other/daredevils/karel.html) .
http://www.infoniagara.com/other/daredevils/karel.html. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
30. ^ "Info Niagara Dave Munday" (http://www.infoniagara.com/other/daredevils/dave.html) .
http://www.infoniagara.com/other/daredevils/dave.html. Retrieved 2008-02-08.

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Niagara Falls - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 16 of 17

31. ^ "Niagara Falls survivor: Stunt was

'impulsive'" (http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/americas/10/22/niagara.falls.survivor.ap/) . CNN. October
22, 2003. http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/americas/10/22/niagara.falls.survivor.ap/. Retrieved 2008-02-
08.
32. ^ "Man survives plunge into Niagara Falls" (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/03/11/falls-plunge.html?
ref=rss) . CBC News. 2009-03-11. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/03/11/falls-plunge.html?ref=rss.
Retrieved 2009-03-25.
33. ^ "Man survives plunge over Niagara
Falls" (http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/03/11/niagara.plunge) . CNN. 2009-03-11.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/03/11/niagara.plunge. Retrieved 2009-03-11.
34. ^ http://www.imaxniagara.com/IMAX-theater/the-movie.cfm
35. ^ Ninjaturtles - Return of the Technodrome (http://www.ninjaturtles.com/cartoon/guide/cart018.htm)
36. ^ Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) - Filming locations
(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449088/locations)
37. ^ "Niagara Falls" (http://www.travelooce.com/niagara-falls.shtml) . Travelooce.com.
http://www.travelooce.com/niagara-falls.shtml. Retrieved August 2007.
38. ^ "Maid Of The Mist" (http://www.maidofthemist.com/en/) . Maid of the Mist Steamboat Company, Ltd.
http://www.maidofthemist.com/en/. Retrieved March 27, 2007.
39. ^ "American Indian Legends - Legend Of The Maid Of The Mist" (http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-
Legends/Legend_Of_The_Maid_Of_The_Mist-Unknown.html) . www.firstpeople.us.
http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/Legend_Of_The_Maid_Of_The_Mist-Unknown.html.
Retrieved March 27, 2007.
40. ^ a b "Niagara Falls State Park" (http://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/) . Niagara Falls State Park.
http://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/. Retrieved March 27, 2007.
41. ^ "The Flight of Angels" (http://www.flightofangels.net/) . The Great American Balloon Company.
http://www.flightofangels.net/. Retrieved March 27, 2007.
42. ^ Let's Go Travel Guide, 2004
43. ^ "Niagara River Recreation Trail" (http://www.niagaraparks.com/nature/rectrailarea.php) . Niagara Parks
Commission. http://www.niagaraparks.com/nature/rectrailarea.php. Retrieved March 27, 2007.
44. ^ "Journey Behind the Falls" (http://www.niagaraparks.com/nfgg/behindthefalls.php) . Niagara Parks
Commission. http://www.niagaraparks.com/nfgg/behindthefalls.php. Retrieved March 27, 2007.
45. ^ "Whirlpool Aero Car" (http://www.niagaraparks.com/nfgg/aerocar.php) . Niagara Parks Commission.
http://www.niagaraparks.com/nfgg/aerocar.php. Retrieved March 27, 2007.
46. ^ "Niagara Falls Casinos" (http://www.niagarafallstourism.com/allcasinos.html) . Niagara Falls Tourism.
http://www.niagarafallstourism.com/allcasinos.html. Retrieved December 6, 2008.

External links
■ Niagara Falls travel guide from Wikitravel
■ Niagara Falls - History of Power (http://www.niagarafrontier.com/power.html) Historical and
engineering data on the U.S. and Canadian power stations
■ Geology of Niagara Falls (http://www.niagaraparks.com/nfgg/geology.php)
■ Panorama (http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/freeland/index.html) Niagara Falls
Panorama found at Queen's Park, Toronto.
■ Niagara Falls (http://www.niagara.edu/library/nfguides/gdhome.html) Guidebooks from the 19th
Century Digitally recreated 19th-century guidebooks
■ Historic Niagara Digital Collections (http://www.nflibrary.ca/nfplindex/)
■ US Army Corps of Engineers (http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/cepa/pubs/nov99/story16.htm) The
US Army Corps of Engineers completely blocked the flow of water over the American Falls in
1969.
■ The History of Niagara Falls (http://www.history.com/topics/niagara-falls)

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Liturature External Links

Fiction

■ The Day the Falls Stood Still (http://cathymariebuchanan.com/the-day-the-falls-stood-still) by

Cathy Marie Buchanan
■ The Whirlpool (http://www.mcclelland.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780771034763) by Jane
Urquhart

The War in the Air by H. G. Wells

Non-Fiction

■ Inventing Niagara: Beauty, Power, and Lies (http://www.gingerstrand.com/niagara_book.htm) by

Ginger Strand
■ Niagara: A History of the Falls (http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/display.pperl?
isbn=9780385659307) by Pierre Berton
■ Imagining Niagara: The Meaning and Making of Niagara Falls (http://books.google.ca/books?
id=vLGsfZjf-jYC) by Patrick McGreevy

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Falls"

Categories: Niagara Falls | International waterfalls | National Historic Landmarks in New York

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