Niagara Falls: Whirpool Aero Car and enjoying the Falls

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This summer we were looking to take a summer vacation that wasn’t too long a drive from Ottawa and that would appeal to three teenagers. We decided Niagara Falls would fit the bill and we weren’t at all disappointed.

The mix of the splendour of the Falls and surrounding attractions along with the fun and hype of Clifton Hill made for a fantastic getaway that the whole family enjoyed (which if you have teens you may know isn’t always that obvious to find!)

Whirlpool Aero Car

The Whirlpool Aero Car was our first stop and I’d never heard of it before we went. Based on how many people told me it must be new when I told them about it, clearly many others haven’t heard about it either but it has been around for 106 years!

White man and teen smiling on aero car with view of the river behind

I was worried that my fear of heights and bridges would mean that this ride would be scary for me and others in our group, but it felt completely safe and not like something I needed to be brave to be on at all (which was great!)

The ride itself only lasts 10 minutes, but the views are spectacular and it’s quite thrilling to be in the car. It was a great kick off to the day and everyone enjoyed it. There is also free parking at the Aero Car which made it easy and convenient to visit.

Panoramic photo taken from the Aero Car

Power Station and Tunnel


The Niagara Falls Power Station was only de-commissioned in 2006 and they opened it as a museum last year. There are a lot of artifacts from the power station to check out and to learn about.

You can then ride an elevator down 180 feet and see all the levels of the old power station and then walk to the end of a 2200 foot tunnel to come out and view the Falls from a magnificent angle. This is a long walk so anyone with small kids or who has difficulty walking should take note.

All of the bathrooms at the power station were individual and gender-neutral which was great and something I know many families can have difficulty finding so I was thrilled to see that!

Journey Behind the Falls

We weren’t originally sure what the difference was between this attraction and the tunnel attraction.

Journey Behind the Falls is located right at the main Falls building, and is a shorter experience than the tunnel, and you are closer to the Falls when you come out. You also get to see how impressive the waterfall is from the back.

My recommendations

  • There are passes that include a bus to get you to all of the different attractions. We were lucky enough to be gifted some tickets to attractions by Niagara Parks but if we had to do it again I would get one of these passes that included the on and off bus.

  • If we had to pick between Journey Behind the Falls and the tunnel we would pick Journey, especially if there is anyone in your group who has challenges with long walks.

  • Food and parking everywhere is expensive - just prepare yourself for that :)

Disclaimer: we were provided tickets by Niagara Parks to these three attractions. All opinions are our own.