While Niagara Falls is famous for its amazing waterfalls, and is known around the world as a popular honeymoon destination, this beautiful part of North America has a lot more to offer.

When it comes to adventurous activities, there are plenty to choose from, and, despite being one of the most travelled destinations in the world (30 million people visit annually!), Niagara still manages to keep a few secrets.

If you’re planning a trip to the Niagara region, start by booking one of the many great hotels in Niagara Falls, Canada, and then make sure you set aside time for some of these things you probably didn’t know you can do!

Things You Probably Didn’t Know You Can Do at Niagara Falls

Zipline Over the Falls

Adventure lovers visiting Niagara Falls should add WildPlay Niagara to their list. You can spend the day ziplining on the Whirlpool Adventure Course, which runs right above both the gorge and whirlpool of Niagara Falls.

And this is a great family friendly activity if you’re visiting Niagara Falls with kids.

Ziplining is a thrill in itself, but when you add a birds-eye view of the natural phenomenon into the mix, it’s an adventure that really shouldn’t be missed! For the daring, you also have the option of taking a ‘What’s To Fear bungee jump’.

Make sure you do the MistRider Zipline to the Falls. You’ll face the American and Canadian Horseshoe Falls on one of four parallel ziplines suspended 220 feet above the ground. You’ll end up, handily, at the observation landing for the falls.

But you can also zipline Niagara Falls at night! Their four ziplines that face Horseshoe Falls are open well after dark, allowing you to take in Niagara while it’s illuminated in a cascade of colors, as well as the scheduled fireworks display.

Image credit: Bradley Howard (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr

Brave Nightmares Fear Factory

If you really want to get your adrenaline up, no visit to Niagara Falls is complete without braving Nightmares Fear Factory.

This 30-plus-year-old attraction is a Niagara institution. It’s a haunted house that has genuinely scared so many people over the years that more than 140,000 ticketholders have chickened out before they reached the end of the experience!

Located in the cool suburb of Clifton Hill, and close by the Horseshoe Falls, the Fear Factory challenges visitors to “survive” in the house for as long as they can as they make their way, on foot, through the attraction’s spaces.

Unlike many haunted houses, this one doesn’t operate on a motorized train or cart system, so you can walk through it at your own pace — whether that happens to be a leisurely stroll or running as fast as you can!

A trail of red lights guides people through the house, in groups capped at six at a time.

Image credit: Nightmares Fear Factory / Niagara Falls Canada

Practice Skydiving

If you love climbing, games and skydiving, you must make your way to the Niagara Freefall and Interactive Center whilst in Niagara Falls. This one-stop spot boasts all sorts of fun activities for those who like to get their heart racing.

For example, there is a 32-foot high rooftop rock wall, suitable for both beginners and experienced climbers, as well as many modern interactive arcade games, a mechanical bull ride and a Lazerball game, which is similar to paintball but involves foam balls instead.

However one thing that’s a big draw at the Center is the indoor skydiving. Here, in groups of a maximum of four people, you can get the experience of flying via the wind-tunnel flight chamber.

Enter this chamber and you’ll end up moving at air speeds of up to 140 miles per hour. This attraction is a good introduction to the feeling of skydiving for those who haven’t had the chance, or been game enough, to try outdoor skydiving already.

Take a Whirlpool Jet Boat Ride

If you’re a real water baby, buy a ticket for a jet boat ride while you’re in the Niagara area. Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours operate joy rides on the Niagara River during the warmer months of the year, between May and October.

Each experience lasts between 45 minutes and one hour and is completed within a specially designed vessel operated by the company. Tours pass through the Niagara River Gorge and give passengers the chance to experience Class 5 white water at the Devil’s Hole rapids.

You’ll find the tour operator based at Queenston. This is a suburb situated an approximately 20-minute drive from downtown Niagara Falls. The company has taken over 1.5 million people on its rides over the years.

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Megan is an Australian Journalist and award-winning travel writer who has been blogging since 2007. Her husband Mike is the American naturalist and wildlife photographer behind Waking Up Wild; an online magazine dedicated to opening your eyes to the wonders of the wild & natural world.

Having visited 50+ countries across all seven continents, Megan’s travels focus on cultural immersion, authentic discovery and incredible journeys. She has a strong passion for ecotourism, and aims to promote responsible travel experiences.