Family Travel Guide for Niagara Falls Canada
Growing up just minutes away from Niagara Falls, Ontario, you could say that I was a frequent visitor. It was a family favorite in our household to make a weekend trip to Niagara Falls. There are so many beautiful sights. Over the past few years, the area has been upgraded to a fun and exciting tourist area for people of all ages. The attractions are divided up into 2 sides, each based around a certain casino. You will find more of the family fun attractions closer to Casino Niagara, and more adult activities, restaurants and more hotels near the Fallsview hotel. In this post, I’m going to break down some of the must-see sights for your trip to Niagara Falls, Canada.
Family Attractions On Clifton Hill
Niagara Skywheel
One of the best experiences and a must do to get a beautiful perspective of the falls.
‘Soar 175 feet above Niagara Falls for the most spectacular view you will ever experience. Climate controlled gondolas provide year-round sightseeing comfort, day and night.’
Niagara Speedway
Our main reason for our trip. Brandon LOVES go-carting – everywhere we go, we always stop at a go-carting track. Especially after a long road trip, it’s such a fun pit stop activity. We’ve been to almost every go-cart track in our area. Thank goodness we have a new one to conquer!
Dinosaur Adventure Golf
Loggy bear was so excited to see the dinosaurs. We actually first saw them through our gondola on the Sky Wheel – as soon as we started going around he screamed ‘dinosaurs!!!’.
‘As one of the nation’s largest miniature golf courses, Dinosaur Adventure Golf features two 18-hole courses: “Raptor” and “T-Rex” (A Total of 36 Holes); 3 distinct decorative ponds with fast-moving rapids and bubblers; and a 50 foot high “active” steam-erupting volcano that lets golfers play directly through a realistically eerie, cavernous volcanic interior on their way to the 18th hole.’
Movieland Wax Museum
‘No need to go to Hollywood to see your favorite stars. At Movieland Wax Museum you see top movie, television and music celebrities up close and personal. A walk through Movieland is a like a walk through entertainment history. You’ll see everything from classics like “Indiana Jones” and the “Terminator”, to current hits like “The Hunger Games” and “Pirates of the Caribbean”’
Zombie Attack
This is one of their new attractions. I love all things zombie and apocalypse! This was so fun and scary at the same time. The 6D effects made it the perfect battle challenge game between me and Brandon.
Great Canadian Midway
This was my absolute favorite place as a kid – my dad used to take me here almost every week when I was growing up. He called it ‘the kids’ casino’. I had so much fun reliving my childhood again this year. Everything is so exciting inside, it definitely got my adrenaline pumping. Brandon and I are so competitive, we had so much fun playing all of the different midway games inside – there are over 300!
Ghost Blasters
A spooky fun ride through a haunted house! We got to shoot all the ghosts and of course, I obviously won…
Strike Rock n’ Bowl
We had so much fun taking Logan and my mom for their first bowling experience. Somehow my mom was a professional and was throwing strike after strike. Logan even got a strike before me. They are perfect for bowlers of all ages. They have baby sized bowling shoes, ball rollers for kids, and bumper rails.
But there’s more in this space than just bowling. ‘25,000 square feet of high energy entertainment, featuring 14 full-size bowling lanes, billiard tables, arcade games, a high-def audio/visual system, intelligent LED lane lighting and touch screen monitors for easy, automated scoring.’
Ripley’s Museum
It was so cool to see so many strange and mind-boggling artifacts from around the world. It’s totally kid friendly and features over 900 different interactive exhibits.
There is ample parking around Clifton Hill so your walk is short. There is also a public transit service that runs through the main attractions in Niagara Falls, Ontario in case you are in the mood to explore. If you are in the area you have to take a visit to see the Falls. My favorite time to go is at night. They project beautiful lights onto the falls. There are also a nightly fireworks show that can be seen directly beside the Falls.
For your convenience, Clifton Hill offers the following attractions for one low priced package.
- Niagara SkyWheel
- Zombie Attack
- Wild West Coaster
- Movieland Wax Museum
- Dinosaur Adventure Golf or Wizards’ Golf
- Ghost Blasters Dark Ride
Best Restaurants in Niagara Falls, Canada
Sit down restaurants on Clifton Hill:
- Kelsey’s
- Boston Pizza
- Mamma Mia’s
- Rainforest Café
- Hard Rock Café
- Crepe Delicious
- The Works
Fast food restaurants in Niagara Falls:
- Tim Hortons
- Pizza Pizza
- Starbucks
- Wendys
Best Sit Down Restaurants in Niagara Falls:
- Carpaccio
- Rainforest Café
- Taki Japanese Restaurant
- Revolving Dining Room
- Flying Saucer Restaurant
- Elements on the Falls
- My Cousin Vinny’s
Must-See Attractions in Niagara Falls
The Falls
Niagara Falls is one of the most famous waterfalls in the world. It’s a beautiful walk to make from either of the main tourist sides of Niagara Falls, Canada. The walk takes about 20-30 minutes from the Clifton Hill area to the peak of the Horseshoe Falls. The view of the Falls is breathtaking – tourists from around the world come to Canada just to see it. In the evening the Falls are illuminated from the Canadian side with lights. If you are looking to get to the Falls from the Fallsview Casino area, you can walk down Murray Street, or you can take the Niagara Parks Falls Incline Railway (trolley) to save some time.
The Maid of the Mist
Anyone remember Jim and Pam’s wedding on The Office? Well, they had it right here, on the maid of the mist. It’s a must do when you’re in Niagara Falls. I still remember my first time on The Maid of the Mist. It was one of the most excitingly terrifying, but amazing boat rides ever. You get up close and personal to the Falls- it really is an experience like no other.
The Fallsview Casino
One of the newer attractions in Niagara Falls – and this one isn’t for just the adults. There are shops, restaurants, and hotels all located in the casino complex. One of my favorite features is the beautiful fountains that are located in both the front and the back of the casino. The back of the casino also has a beautiful outlook on the Falls. It’s just a few minute walk from the casino down to the Horseshoe Falls.
Inside the casino, there are bars, slot games and table games for adults. There is also my favorite restaurant in the casino complex, Johnny Rockets. I love being taken back to the 50s / 60s in this little diner. They serve all of my favorite foods too, like fries, burgers, and milkshakes.
They have a great shopping area too. There aren’t too many shops but they are the best ones. There’s a beautiful jewelry store, a clothing store, and a little souvenir shop.
Botanical Gardens
A beautiful spot for a picnic and some photos. These gardens are hands down the most beautiful that I’ve been to. Parking is only $5, and admissions are free to see the 99 acres of gardens. On site is also the Butterfly Conservatory. There are beautiful butterflies living in this lush, tropical rainforest setting. You can learn all about butterflies – which is perfect for kids!
Outlet Collection at Niagara
This is Canada’s largest outdoor shopping mall, with over 100 stores and restaurants. It has some of my favorite stores like Old Navy, Marshalls, Forever 21 and YaYa’s. The parking is more than ample and the deals are insane. It is located in Niagara on the Lake at Queen Elizabeth Way and Glendale Avenue.
Skylon Tower
The observation tower has sweeping views of Niagara Falls and the Niagara vista. There is a revolving restaurant and an arcade in the base. There are 2 levels of fine dining to choose from. Personally, I love the buffet!
