NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO —
This is, by far, the shortest distance I have ever trekked to do a travel story.
Yet even though the Ontario portion of the cataract is only about 70 blocks from where I live, it is pretty much another world.
Not to knock the natural beauty of the U.S. side of the falls, but from the States, Canada’s side looks more ... well ... fun. All those bright lights and tall, shiny buildings just call to onlookers.
So in that spirit, the first installment in the News’ new travel series will take a look at Niagara Falls, Ontario, from a tourist’s point of view. Trying to simulate a family’s budget, we capped ourselves at $80 for the day. So no, that meant that we couldn’t go to the casino.
After crossing the border (remember that you need a passport or enhanced license to return home), we quickly found some free parking in the lot next to Planet Hollywood (the adjoining parking ramp is also free to those people who have a player’s card from Casino Niagara).
Before you even get a chance to exit the parking lot, a deluge of flashes and buzzes overwhelms your senses. So do the sales pitches. Nearly every place offers some sort of multi-attraction discount ticket, which is a wise investment should any of the museums, haunted houses or other kitschy establishments interest you.
With a giant King Kong hanging off of a downed Empire State Building, the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum interested us. Anyone who’s ever been to the Canadian side of the falls has probably seen it and ignored it, but the museum is worth your time. Honestly.
We purchased a combo ticket for Ripley’s and Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks ($43.10) and then made our way inside. And while there were certainly some oddities (two-headed animals and the like), much of what the museum displayed was quite fascinating (a giant panorama made of dryer lint, for example, and a giant shark’s jaws and teeth).
Ripley’s quickly consumed a couple hours, after which we were drawn next door to the Dinosaur Park miniature golf course ($20.54). The holes were far more challenging than your standard mini golf course, but I was a bit disappointed that dinosaur props weren’t better utilized (you could, for instance, have to send the ball up a ramp into a brontosaurus’ month and then out the back through its ... well, you get the idea).
With another hour gobbled up and a victory in my pocket, we walked up the block and around the corner to the wax museum. Louis Tussaud was a descendant of the famed British wax artist Madame Tussaud who brought the craft to North America some 50 years ago. Minus a five-year absence in which the figures were put into storage due to the absence of a lease, the wax museum has been open since 1959.
The museum houses more than 120 figures, all of which are crafted after celebrities and closely resemble their namesakes (or facesakes, or what have you). You can sit next to Tom Hanks on a park bench, hop into bed with John and Yoko or shake hands with President Barack Obama (kind of, at least, as visitors are discouraged from touching the figures).
Upon leaving the wax museum 90 minutes or so later, there were options of all sorts for where to head next (the giant Ferris wheel, Dave and Buster’s, a bowling alley and a musician’s wax museum hall of fame were but some of them). But our budget was nearly met, so there was only time for a bite to eat before heading back over the bridge (dining options of all kinds, from a slice of pizza to deluxe steak dinner, are at hand on Clifton Hill).
A trip to the Canadian side of the falls will be more costly than a trip to the U.S. side (such is the price you pay for having more things to do). But the Clifton Hill region could definitely provide several days’ worth of entertainment for those people who don’t have the time or cash for a lengthy vacation (especially if the casinos are factored in).
Our day trip goes to show that fun doesn’t have to be far away.
Features
Related Photos
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Features editor Paul Lane poses for a photo at Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Nicole Lane for the News
Greetings from Niagara Falls
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