Before or after
The falls after dark
What to see at Niagara Falls in the evening around the magic show: the floodlit falls, the Winter Festival of Lights, the tunnels behind the water and the SkyWheel.
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Niagara Falls is an evening attraction as well as a daytime one. Floodlights light both falls from the Canadian side for several hours after dusk, the Winter Festival of Lights runs along the Niagara Parkway from mid-November to mid-January, and the SkyWheel on Clifton Hill runs after dark. All of it sits close enough to the magic theatre to fill the hours around the show.
The falls under floodlights
Wikipedia describes the falls as a sight by night as much as by day: after dusk, floodlights on the Canadian bank light up both cataracts for several hours. More than 20 million people visit each year, most of them in summer. Watching costs nothing: the viewpoints along the river are open to anyone on foot.
The Winter Festival of Lights
If you visit in the cold months, Wikipedia describes the Winter Festival of Lights as Canada's largest lights festival. It runs from mid-November to mid-January, admission is free with voluntary donations, and the displays line a route along the Niagara Parkway that extends into the tourist districts and the Dufferin Islands. The lights are installed and run by Ontario Power Generation. The festival was founded in 1982 to bring visitors to Niagara Falls in winter, and Wikipedia says it now attracts over one million visitors a year.
Behind the Horseshoe Falls
Journey Behind the Falls, in the Table Rock Centre beside the Horseshoe Falls, takes you by lift down to tunnels and an observation platform near the bottom of the falls. Wikipedia says the tunnels extend about 46 metres behind the water, that the first tunnels opened in May 1889, and that newer concrete-lined ones were built further back in 1944. The deck is sprayed by the cascade, which is why visitors get plastic raincoats. It is open year round and run by the Niagara Parks Commission, though the lower level closes in winter.
From the SkyWheel
For the view from above, the Niagara SkyWheel on Clifton Hill runs all year, with heated gondolas in winter. Its booking page suggests an evening ride for the lights of Clifton Hill and the Niagara skyline, and on a clear night you look over the illuminated falls as well. The ride takes around ten minutes, which makes it easy to fit before or after the show. High winds and extreme cold can stop it. Children under 42 inches ride with an adult, and the booking page asks for ID, so carry the same passport or card you need for the theatre.
Over the gorge
The zipline that starts at the bottom of Clifton Hill sends riders above the Niagara River gorge, past the American Falls towards the base of the Horseshoe Falls, with a van back to the top. The booking page sets a minimum age of seven and a maximum weight, asks every rider to sign a waiver, and says tours depend on favourable weather. It is a daylight thrill for older children and adults, best kept for the afternoon before an evening at the theatre. Riders who complete the waiver online in advance get express admission, says the booking page, which saves time on a busy day.
Putting the evening together
A simple plan works for most families: the falls or the zipline in daylight, dinner, the magic show, then a walk down to see the falls under the floodlights. In winter, swap the zipline for the Festival of Lights. Check the show's start time on your confirmation before you fix anything else, because it is the only fixed point in the evening. Take your photographs outside, since cameras are not allowed in the theatre.
Read next: Plan your magic show night
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