Practical
Plan your magic show night
Getting to the theatre near Clifton Hill, what to bring and leave behind, dinner options, parking and access for an evening at Niagara Magic Live.
Book the magic show ↗Quick answer
Book a date early in your stay, bring a passport or ID card, and leave cameras, strollers and outside food at the hotel. The theatre is at 5781 Ellen Avenue near Clifton Hill, wheelchair accessible, with paid parking. The ticket is admission only: eat beforehand, use the bar and snack counter, or add the buffet dinner through the theatre's box office.
Before you book
Take the start time from the booking calendar for your chosen date; older blog posts may be out of date. A performance can be called off or shifted when too few seats sell, so pick an evening early in your stay, not the last one. Reservations can be paid later, and anyone who cancels 24 hours or more ahead gets a full refund. Changes go through GetYourGuide, where the booking sits.
What to bring
Photo ID, meaning a passport or an ID card, is required on the booking, and it is easy to forget on a holiday evening. If you plan to visit the magic shop, keep a card or some cash handy, because nothing beyond admission is in the ticket price.
What to leave behind
Three things stay out of the theatre: cameras, baby strollers and food or drinks brought from outside. The camera rule surprises people most, and it is the reason to take your photographs on Clifton Hill or at the falls instead. Parents of very young children should plan around the stroller rule, either with a sitter or with a different evening. Older children are welcome; the show is designed for all ages.
Food and drink
A licensed bar and a snack counter are open at every performance. For a meal, the theatre offers a buffet dinner before the show, which you add through its box office rather than through this booking, and there is a separate drink and appetiser menu to buy. The theatre's dinner page notes that menus change with the season and that a gratuity is added to bills. Plenty of visitors simply eat on or near Clifton Hill beforehand. If you do add the buffet, ask the box office when to arrive, because the dinner is served before the performance and your booking confirmation shows only the show.
Getting there
The theatre's address is 5781 Ellen Avenue, Niagara Falls, Ontario, near Clifton Hill. Wikipedia describes Clifton Hill as running from River Road on the Niagara Parkway up to Victoria Avenue, so if you are walking from the falls, follow the crowds up the hill and check a map for the last few streets. WEGO, the Niagara Parks Commission's visitor bus, runs a line that loops via Table Rock, Clifton Hill and Fallsview. Fares and timetables change, so check them on the day.
Parking and access
Parking is paid and is not included in the ticket. If your hotel is in the tourist area, leaving the car where it is often makes more sense than looking for a space. The theatre is wheelchair accessible, and the booking page describes a spacious 550-seat theatre with a variety of seating options. If you need a particular seat for access reasons, contact the theatre directly once you have booked.
After the show
Wikipedia notes that floodlights light both sides of the falls from the Canadian side for several hours after dusk, so the end of the show is a good moment to walk down to the river. From mid-November to mid-January, the Winter Festival of Lights adds displays along the Niagara Parkway, free to visit. A separate guide covers the falls after dark.
Read next: The falls after dark
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