Top 7 Underrated Things to Do in Niagara Falls

It’s true that Niagara Falls is home to one of nature’s most breathtaking sights – the waterfalls – but it’s also a place where visitors can have a memorable vacation for years to come. There are so many Niagara Falls attractions to satisfy you no matter what you and your family are into. Here Couple viewing the Fallsare seven fun things to do near Niagara Falls to add to your itinerary, that you might not have known about before.

1. The Ice House Winery

Niagara Falls is known around the world for ice wine, a unique sweet wine made from grapes that are still frozen on the vine. Niagara Falls weather makes the region the perfect place to produce this dessert wine. If you enjoy wine, ice wine is a must-try when you’re looking for things to do in Niagara Falls. The Ice House Winery is the perfect place to check it out.

Head here to try a variety of tasty ice wines, as well as the super cool N’Ice Slushies, made with the winery’s signature ice wines. Try offerings like ice wine riesling and ice wine Gewürztraminer here.

2. Dufferin Islands

Dufferin Islands Park is a stunningly beautiful piece of nature in Niagara Falls. The small and secluded islands span 10 acres and are connected by wooden footbridges. There’s lots of nature around, including fish and birds, plus indigenous vegetation.

It’s free to visit Dufferin Islands, where you enjoy solitude, walk along babbling brooks and escape from city life. If you visit here during winter, you can see trees lit up and holiday decorations as part of the Winter Festival of Lights.

3. Hershey’s Chocolate World

Fun for kids and adults alike, Hershey’s Chocolate World is a larger-than-life journey into all things chocolate. The venue is 4 stories high and 7,000 square feet of chocolatey goodness, where you can taste freshly made chocolate and fudge and gorge out on sweet goodies like chocolate-dipped strawberries.

Try a chocolate shake, mix and match your favorite chocolates in the candy machine to take with you, dig into a chocolate chip cookie and more. Hershey’s Chocolate World sells branded merchandise and has fun figures like a giant chocolate Kiss greeting visitors as they enter.

Old Water Mill4. Short Hills Provincial Park

Nature lovers will love Short Hills Provincial Park, the largest park in Niagara Falls covering 660 hectares of land. The park’s name comes from the short hills that are a result of glacial erosion that occurred more than 12,000 years ago. A visit to this park is also a lesson in Niagara Falls natural history.

Traverse one of the park’s seven trails, including the Paleozoic Trail that takes visitors to a view of Swayze Falls. You might see Niagara Falls wildlife along the way, including birds, wild turkeys and deer amid the gorgeous plants and scenery.

5. Heartland Forest Nature Experience

It’s free to visit Heartland Forest Nature Experience, a kid- and family-friendly spot offering a variety of outdoors activities and entertainment. Some of the things to check out include music nights, nature school for kiddos, camps, gardening clubs, wood shops, train rides, forest art and astronomy nights.

There are outdoor paths to walk, which feature learning opportunities about the surrounding wildlife. Keep an eye out for frogs, birds and garter snakes along the way.

6. White Water Walk

Get up-close to Niagara Falls nature on the White Water Walk, a quarter-mile boardwalk adjacent to the Niagara River’s Great Gorge Rapids. The White Water Walk is a self-paced activity, where visitors can check out the rapids from several observation areas throughout the walk. Besides the water, see 410-million-year-old rock formations at various views.

The walk is a flat path that’s suitable for all ages and abilities. You’ll take an elevator down to the base of Niagara Gorge before embarking. There is an entrance fee, of about $10.50USD/$14CAD for adults and $6.50USD/$9CAD for kids ages 6 to 12.

7. The Screaming Tunnel

If you’re into spooky things and other worlds, you should visit the Screaming Tunnel in Niagara Falls. This tunnel is off Warner Road in northwest Niagara Falls, near Perridiso Estate Winery between Garner Road and Queen Elizabeth Way.

Legend has it that a young girl burned to death in the tunnel. Some say she ran to it to escape a burning barn but didn’t survive. Other tales say her father set her on fire in the tunnel, while others claim she was set on fire after being assaulted. Her screams are said to be heard today, especially when you’re in the tunnel around midnight.

It’s also rumoured that if you go to the tunnel at night and light a match within the middle of it, the spirit of the girl may cause the flame to be extinguished. Go if you dare.

So Many Fun Things to Do Near Niagara Falls

This is a taste of the multitude of Niagara Falls attractions to check out, no matter what you’re into – chocolate, ghosts, nature and more. For more things to do in Niagara Falls, check out our blog.