How to Journey Behind the Falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario
It’s worth adding Journey Behind the Falls to any Canadian Niagara Falls itinerary, as you’ll get views of the falls that you simply can’t get any other way.here’s what you’ll experience if you’re looking to buy a ticket to this famous Niagara Falls attraction.
A tourist taking in the Falls from one of the cave-like portals.
It’s hard to get a sense for the sheer power and enormity of Niagara Falls until you’re right up close to it.
For hundreds of years, people have been travelling to come and see Niagara Falls and, believe it or not, for almost that same amount of time, efforts have been made to ensure that the folks who do come to visit are afforded an intimate and memorable visit.
It’s one of those Niagara Falls attractions that is more or less a must-see when you’re in the city or the area, especially if you’re creating an adventurous Niagara Falls itinerary. I’ve also written about Niagara Falls for couples, and, to me, it’s still got to be included.
I recently returned to Niagara Falls for the opening of the Niagara Parks Power Station, and was lucky enough to revisit the Journey Behind the Falls, and I’m happy to say that, as I suspected, it was awe-inspiring all over again.
A Brief History of the Journey Behind the Falls
It was all the way back in 1818 that the first enclosed stairs were built to get a view of the Falls, and in 1832 a spiral staircase was built that enabled visitors to see the “Sheet of Falling Water” for one dollar flat. That’s roughly equivalent to 100 of today’s dollars in case anyone is interested.
In 1885, the Niagara Parks Commission was formed, and they got to work making it easier and easier to get up close to Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. The Table Rock House was built a little less than 50 years later, and then tunnels were both extended and newly built shortly after that. Those tunnels from 1944 are actually the same tunnels that we can walk today!
The famed “observation plaza” was built in the early 1950’s, and then from there, big changes weren’t really instituted until the 1990s. For one, the raincoats and boots once provided were switched out for the famed ponchos which can now be kept as a souvenir.
In 1994, the name “Scenic Tunnels” was changed to “Journey Behind the Falls,” and that name has stuck ever since.
How to Make the Most of Your Visit to This Famed Niagara Falls Attraction
So, for those who are unfamiliar with Journey Behind the Falls, the experience essentially involves arriving in the Table Rock Centre, buying your tickets (which I’ll include details on towards the bottom of the article), and then taking an elevator down 125 feet to a series of tunnels near the bottom of the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian shore.
The experience is a combination of exploring the tunnels, as well as spending time on the observation platform. There is no hard time limit for how long you can spend with the Journey Behind the Falls experience, but the average visitor tends to spend around 45 minutes.
The Journey Behind the Falls experience is a year-round attraction, but it should be noted that the attraction’s lower observation deck is typically closed during the winter due to ice conditions, and as such, there’s a reduced entry fee.
Venture Through the Historic Tunnels
You’ll get some views in the tunnels of Journey Behind the Falls that you won’t get anywhere else.
Once you get off the elevator, you exit and begin walking down these famed tunnels which lead behind the Horseshoe Falls. There are posters that adorn the walls which provide key contextual information for visitors to understand both the history and the magnitude of the attraction.
There are two tunnels which extend about 150 feet behind the waterfall and allow visitors to take in the water crashing down in front of what Niagara Parks likes to call “cave-like portals.”
It’s dark, dim and mysterious, and I’d encourage you not to rush too, too much in order to take it all in, particularly when it comes to those cave like openings when you can witness the water coming down.
Soak it All In a the Lower Observation Deck
Personally, this is my favourite part of the experience.
I almost always spend about half an hour here just shooting photography and taking it all in. The Falls will be located directly on your right, so it’s a special opportunity for photographers. You also get a nice view of the American falls from here.
Up to 2,800 cubic metres of water pours over the falls every second, travelling at an apparent speed of 65 kilometres an hour. As Niagara Falls Tourism likes to say, “At Journey Behind the Falls, you’ll experience the awesome spectacle of one-fifth of the world's freshwater crashing down to the basin below.”
It’s honestly breathtaking to just stand there and try to understand what it is you’re seeing. I’d encourage visitors to put down their cameras for a moment to truly embrace what they’re experiencing. I also quite enjoy watching both the Canadian and American ships venturing towards the Falls. If you’re keen to be on one of those boats, the last I checked it cost about $35, and it was operated by Hornblower Niagara Cruises. It’s give or take a 20 minute experience, but, as with the Journey Behind the Falls, it is quite unforgettable.
You will get sprayed with a fair bit of water/mist (understandably) when you’re on the lower observation deck, so be mindful of expensive cameras which may be sensitive to water.
Tickets for Journey Behind the Falls
As of right now, the hours of operation are 10am-6pm Monday to Friday, 10am-8pm on Saturday, and 10am to 7pm on Sunday.
You can buy tickets at the bottom of this page. Adults (considered 13+) will pay $23.50, children (6-12) pay $15.50, and children 5 and under are free.
Niagara Parks offers a ton of different packages though for your visit, so you’d be wise to check out this page, which goes through some of their best Niagara Falls deals based on the attractions they run.
They offer:
The Niagara Falls Adventure Pass (Journey Behind the Falls, White Water Walk, Niagara’s Fury, 2 day access to hop-on, hop-off bus transportation) for $49
The Niagara Falls Pass (Journey Behind the Falls, Whirlpool Aero Car, White Water Walk, Floral Showcase, Butterfly Conservatory, 2 day access to the Falls Incline Raceway, 2 day access to hop-on, hop-off bus transportation) for $69
The Niagara Parks Power Pass (Niagara Parks Power Station and Journey Behind the Falls) for $37. This is the ticket that I had during my visit.
Enjoy Journey Behind the Falls!
As always, I hope I’ve given you the information necessary for you to set forth on another adventure. In recent years, I’ve begun to write more about Ontario travel, and it’s been enormously rewarding to help people explore my home province.
If you do visit, I do sincerely hope you have a wonderful visit, and feel free to comment below to let me know how your experience was!
I want to humbly thank Niagara Parks for hosting me as media. All opinions are completely my own.
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