Niagara Parks Power Station

I had a free day in Niagara Falls, so I went to go check out some attractions that I would never have the chance to go see. One such attraction was the recently-opened Niagara Parks Power Station. The Niagara Parks Power Station was formerly a hydroelectric generating station opened in 1905 and decommissioned in 2006. The generating station re-opened as a museum and general tourist attraction in 2021, and so I went and paid the roughly $35 admission price (including tax) to go check it out.

As soon as I walked into the building, I was in awe of how big this facility was. It looked like it stretched as far as the eye could see. As you walk through the station, you get to read and hear about the history of the station, as well as how the station generates power. There were also some refurbished parts on display, as well as some old-time machines that I would imagine the workers of a century ago would have to use.

In the back of the station, there was an exhibit of the life and inventions of Nikola Tesla, which was cool to see. There were some items and descriptions of this life and his career, if you were ever interested in any of that.

The coolest thing about this exhibit is that you get to experience a Tesla coil in action. You stick your hand in the centre with the metal mesh, turn on the coil and you see electricity in action. The electricity does not hurt you; it just tingles a bit.

The main attraction within the Niagara Parks Power Station is The Tunnel. You take an elevator down to a tunnel area, where you would walk roughly a mile to get to the Niagara River to get close-up views of Niagara Falls. It was a hot day outside, and getting to the tunnel was so refreshing, as it was significantly cooler inside the tunnel than outside in the hot sun. It was a little bit spooky walking through this tunnel, especially if there was no one else in your vicinity.

Your reward for walking through the tunnel is a rather nice view of Niagara Falls and the Niagara River. It is not quite as close to the Falls as “Journey Behind the Falls” (more on that in an upcoming post), but it was a beautiful day to see the Falls and the surrounding area. I have never seen a unique view of Niagara Falls like this in my life.

That was my time at the Niagara Parks Power Station. I think there is some enjoyment and education here, especially if you are an electricity buff. If you are not interested in electricity all that much, there is still some enjoyment here with the tunnel and the unique view of Niagara Falls. I can think of so many worse attractions in Niagara Falls, and the Niagara Parks Power Station was not so bad compared to that.

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