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Proposed to my wife on the walkway that connects the two sides. I in on the Canada side, her on the US side. At the time I was working overseas a lot and wanted my proposal to reflect that no matter what countries we're in no matter how far apart. I'd love her forever. :)

As someone who has lived 35 minutes away by highway on the Canadian side, from Niagara Falls all my life, and spent much time there, especially the Canadian tourist strip known as Clifton Hill, I'd say you captured the area well. And yes, living as close as I do, it's considered mandatory to take family who visit from far away to Niagara Falls for a tourist visit. My childhood photo albums are filled with pictures of family visiting from overseas with us at the Falls.

Living within 5 min from the falls all my life, I'd like to say that this vid covered the bases pretty well; and didn't shy away from some of the "ugly history" either (pollution & such)... Your closing line was very well said I might add.

Niagara Falls Canada is beautiful and spectacular, especially at night time. We get the best view of both sides.

I was born and raised in Niagara Falls NY. Good job Simon you covered things well and accurately. There's more but this was really good for under 20 minutes.

Suggestion. South Africa - Kimberly. The biggest man mad mine. The diamond mine was dug with picks and shovels

Advice from a citizen! If you visit here, stay off main Street. We've been having trouble with shootings and that's the main area its happened in from what I've heard, make sure to have spare tires as well, we have a lot of pot holes because the city decides to build useless things instead of fixing roads. Also don't litter, not advice, my dad just is a landscaper and has to pick it up if its in an area he works and I really hate listening to him complaining

Growing up just around the area I take for granted now the power and beauty of the falls.

I love hearing the roar of the falls. They used to walk on the falls when it froze in winter. Not so much now. Its beautiful any time of year.

Fun fact from locals: board use to be completely open and a train ride was an attraction that took you to both sides. there was an earthquake that caused a horrible accident that destroyed the train and the tracks sent them plunging into the gorge below, hiker of the whirlpool state parks can find old iron stakes rails and even train cars and parts

When I was younger, I saw David Copperfield "go over" the falls. After that I was soooooo fascinated by the falls, and 3 years ago I finally took my family to see the falls and it was amazing. A true dream come true

We need a part two there is so much not included !!As a local I’d say yes visit here it’s a wonderful place. We have more once in a lifetime experiences that you can plan then we have pizzerias and boy do we have a lot pizza joints. If you do come here I’d highly recommend to hike the gorge at the whirlpool stairs bring water and ask locals for the best spots. Down the 190 further north is the village of Lewiston and it’s worth a visit , Amos sage Tryon who was an ABSOLUTE LEGEND and deserves his own Biographics episode , he made a huge impact with the Underground Railroad did it from Lewiston with his house with 7 cellars and bringing freed slaves to Canada in collaboration with the local natives.

Failed to mention Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse built the world's first commercial hydroelectric dam at Niagara falls, still there today and visible in some of the pictures in this video.

I grew up around here too. Like many have already said, it is crazy that I lived near such a natural wonder and rarely gave it a second thought.

We visited the falls in the late 60s when I was a kid, and when they dammed up the American side. Of course this caused all the water to go over the Canadian side. What an incredible sight from the boardwalk by the Canadian edge of the falls. I still remember what it looked/felt/sounded like more than 50 years ago.

Went to Niagara for my honeymoon, highly recommend it! Get a tour bus they take you to all the sights and give you lots of time at each spot to see it all and do it all!

I'm on the Canadian side & no matter what time of year you go, the mist is incredibly powerful; you WILL get sprayed well & if it's cold enough, the walkway will have slick ice, so be careful! I've gone in early winter, spring, and summer; summer's the best time because the falls cool the area a lot, so you'll be comfortable. Love to play dinosaur mini-putt and ride the 3-level go kart track. If you go with kids, check online for package deals for the fairgrounds, it's cheaper in the long run 😉 The arcade sucks, don't waste your time in there unless it's pouring. The spook houses on the main are great fun! If you're a big group or have kids, bring a cooler, sandwiches, and snacks, and set up a picnic on the many sprawling lawns. (Remember to put your trash in the bin when you're done!) Hungry eyes are going to want overpriced sweets, so save some dollars on meals this way. There are also indoor cafeterias with clean bathrooms. AND WEAR GOOD WALKING SHOES or you'll regret it. And for the love of god, please tip well. 18% is the bare minimum.

Of note, until 2001 one never ever needed a passport to travel between the USA and Canada. You can defeat the terrorists all you want, but you will never take their win away.

Niagra Falls is on my bucket list of places to visit, along with Zion Canyon, the Appalachian Mountains, and the Rockie Mountains.

Bit of advice for anyone thinking of visiting the American side of the Falls: Don't leave any valuables in your car. Not even in the trunk. The residents of the city of Niagara Falls have been mutated by the massive amount of pollution in the area, and hardcore drug use. They can smell loose change in a locked car from over 4 miles away, and can easily smash thru a car window thanks to a plethora of large chunks of asphalt lying around; from the crater-sized potholes. Actually, watch out for the potholes too, they've been destroying transmission systems for decades now.

Learned a lot about different places in the world from you. Great job bro try and keep your content genuine

There's a promontory in the woods on the Canadian side overlooking the falls that I don't think can be accessed today. In 1954, at dawn, I stood there alone with my Dad at 10 years old and watched the sun come up over the falls. No one around for miles, silence except for the roar, and he bent down and yelled in my ear and it sounded like a whisper, imagine being a missionary, walking for miles through the forest, alone with a few Indian guides, hearing that sound get louder for miles, and finally, walking through the trees and seeing......this. To this day, no sight has been so wondrous or a memory so vivid. Thank you, Dad.

I've been on both the American and Canadian side of Niagara Falls. This waterfall is beautiful.

I grew up in Western New York and we went to the Falls several times on field trips. Everyone knows that if you are going over the falls, aim for the canadian side. All the survivors did.

Loved growing up around Niagara falls. Not much going on in the Buffalo area, but you can always count on Niagara Falls. Go Bills.

Shocked how much this focused on the American side. Normally the Canadian side is the focus as it has all the good views, attractions and of course the bigger of the two falls. Also Canada Day we do fire works there as well. In the winter all the parks on the Canadian side also have a light festival which is pretty interesting as well.

So nice to see my hometown from the perspective of an outsider! Many people that live here have a very dour and critical view of the area. While the city has had many trials and ecological disasters, the area is still rich in history and beauty resulting in a very unique area, both in landscape and denizens.

The native tribes of the area perform a bridge walk every year to ensure the boarder will always remain open to them. They do this practice because the governments will take it back if they dont

Your video almost makes the US side sound as nice as the Canadian. Can’t imagine how disappointed those who believe that would be coming here…

1:00 - Chapter 1 - Origins 2:35 - Chapter 2 - Historical discovery 4:15 - Chapter 3 - Conservation or profit ? 6:35 - Mid roll ads 8:05 - Chapter 4 - Saving niagara 9:50 - Chapter 5 - The poison of man 11:50 - Chapter 6 - Putting on a show 14:00 - Chapter 7 - Niagara falls today - Chapter 8 -

I've lived 25 minutes away from the falls my whole life. The city itself is disgusting but the attraction is beautiful

You should do a megaprojects on the superfund. It's an amazing initiative that led to cleaning up some pretty crazy sites. It's pretty much served its purpose at this point but it was huge in the 80s and 90s.

i was born and raised in Niagara falls, its such a shame the city ended up being such a shit hole. I'm glad I don't live their anymore.

Very timely video! My wife and I are visiting the falls today. Also: Biographics on Julia Child!!!

I just want to say that the music usage has gotten so much better. Hearing it quietly in the background as you talk makes it the whole video much better imo

Their is also a cave/ tunnel on the Canadian side which lets tourists go behind the Falls. Just like the maid of the mist they provide ponchos.

Suggestion: Christ Redeemer, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It would be great to see its development narrated by Simon!

Lol I just got back from the Canadian side yesterday. Comfort Inn Fallsview is clean, affordable, close enough to walk to Clifton hill but far enough to be relatively quiet. On the hill, play zombie blasters, def check out the go karts and nightmares just up the street. Nachos at kelseys are a must. Skip the ferris wheel imo. Bird kingdom and the butterfly conservatory are worth a visit. White water walk is good. If you're fit and like a challenge, try hiking at the gorge. Skip it if you're not into a five story stairclimb to get back out.

I visited in 2016. It was a stunning experience. They built viewing galleries directly behind the falls inside the cliff face, so you can watch the water coming down. I could have stayed there for hours and was so surprised at how many people just glanced and moved on.

I've been to Niagara's horseshoe falls, I went on both the boat and tunnel tours. its an amazing sight, I'd like to go back someday. Also I'm distantly related to French explorer Etienne Brule, who might have been one of the first europeans to see Niagara falls. Etienne did explore much of the great lakes, so it's possible he saw them. Etienne was an interpreter and guide to Samuel de champlain, unfortunately he didn't keep a personal diary.

I was taught as a child that Kaaterskill Falls was really the the first tourist destination in America, made famous by the paintings of Frederick Church and Thomas Cole. Also the story of Rip Van Winkle helped a bit. I used to go swimming there when I was a kid but now it is so full of people that isnt really worth going anymore (at least for me) It is really amazing to see in the winter though. Super dangerous but a frozen waterfall nearly 200 feet tall is incredible to see.

I now understand why some tourists ask when does Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) get "turned off"? Quite a crazy notion to those parts

Thanks for a great video.

I have lived in Niagara Falls Canada for 5 years now and there was so much new information in this video that I never knew!

We stopped briefly on the Canadian side on the way to the Baseball Hall of Fame in New York. We were on our way home to Bristol, Ct. It was a long trip we took during the school vacation.

Visited here in 2012 as the start of our American trip. Loved it

There is a small museum over the Cave of the Winds walkway. It documents the past over exploitation of the falls. Saying it was a tourist trap is an insult to tourist traps. It is both a cautionary tale of unrestrained greed and incredible tale of recovery to it's current magnificence. Highly recommend.

I live in the US, about 10 minutes from the Falls. When quarantine had just started, I was still taking our dogs for walks and it was very eerie to walk through the park for 2 hours and only seeing maybe a max of 10 people the whole time and not having to pay for parking.

How about a video of the Amazon (river and/or forest ) ?

I was there when I was a kid. It really is awe-inspiring.

Niagara Falls is amazing and yes, you should definitely visit. I was worried that all the commercialism would make me hate it but the natural beauty completely overcomes the commercialism. For me, anyway. GO THERE.

I think my first intro to Niagra Falls which i thought were somewhere in Africa based on the name was a Harry Houdini magic trick from Copperfield. He was supposed to escape from a safe i think before he went over the edge on the canadian part of the falls. I dont want too spoil the conclusion if anyone wants to hunt down the footage, but it was spectacular.

A short 45 minute drive from my house , this is a great place to have some drinks and enjoy the views !!

Grew up in st.catharines near the welland canal, I could always see the mist from the falls in the sky. Now I'm in nb on a massive tidal river. I miss Ontario. Also that's not the Niagara river lol maybe blacks or Frenchman's creek lol also ive hooked and been in the whirlpool area when bodies from suicides come in it's horrible but the anglers pitch lines to retrieve one if seen usually take 3 or 4 of us. In the gorge it has it's own biosphere u can see pine snakes in tree 12 feet long jet black, find plants from Appalachian areas and with the humidity I can hit well over 40°c. Ppl die every year falling off the trails. It's not for day hikers. U need harnesses and clips if its wet u slide 100 feet down hill over a 50 foot cliff into the white Rapids in the whirlpool. Your gone for years, or ever.

I lived in Canada for a year for medical treatment and I've been to Niagara falls three times. it never ceases to awe you. in a way it makes you feel insignificant but its a humbling insignificance if that's even a thing haha. but seriously, absolutely beautiful. the sad thing is I do find that people don't appreciate natural wonders as much as they treat it as a tourist destination but it is an incredible site nonetheless

Simon, how many channels do you have!? I think I started watching your videos when you hadn't been on KZfaq very long and now I see you everywhere! 👍😁 Always high quality, always interesting and educational!

Niagara is a beautiful region

I'm going to agree with many others and suggest Love Canal for a future video. It's the first superfund site in America.

I live in Ontario, only about an hour's drive away from the Falls. Been there countless times, and the waterfalls themselves are still the main attraction, no matter how much other tourist crap they try to jam in. It's funny that something like Cliffton Hill has *always* been a part of the Falls since it first became a tourist trap. On another note, while in university, I took a "The Environment and Tourism" class for my social science credit. One seminar's topic was to think of a way to "revitalize the Falls". One of my classmates suggested "Barrel rides! Make 'em sign a waiver, have the Maid of the Mist pick them up at the bottom!" The entire class, including the prof, was laughing too hard for anything else to get done that seminar.

I just visited last month. Even got a complementary tour on the maid.

We Canadians have the best one the horseshoe falls but the bridal falls is nice to Niagara Falls is a fun city

Yes, go, visit them, they're BEAUTIFUL.

Hey Simon I’m not normally one for making suggestions. But a video on Edinburgh’s old town and the south bridge would be really interesting.

breathtaking place

I’ve been there many times, it’s an amazing view

I live an hour from the Falls. Really cool to see in the winter! Never been on the Maid of the Mist. 😅

Just a few minutes drive from the falls is the Niagara white water rapids, which is another, albeit less popular, attraction. You can take a walk along the river to see them and they are stunning aqua green and looks like ocean waves, however they are incredibly dangerous, so much so that even very large sturdy boats will be destroyed by the turbulence. Additionally, there is a bridge there that was a notable crossing into Canada for people fleeing enslavement during the 19th century. There's a little museum that displays the [recorded] history of the bridge, the rapids, and the falls, and gives some first/second hand accounts.

Was just there this past weekend. My wife's favourite spot! lol I'm not sure why. My youngest son now lives about 15 mins from Niagara Falls, ON in Welland. So now she has an excuse to go multiple times a year.

Good video 👍

Would love to see a video on Venice, Italy - it's initial creation and the massive flood barriers they installed to protect the city from the ocean!

Great video

You should do one about the iguazu falls. Its a gorgeous place and its full of history

Grew up on the Canadian side, about a 20 min bike ride to the actual falls. it was really cool to see what you covered here! Tourist trap is right. The local college has courses about tourism so you can basically get stuck in the tourist industry forever lol. That's part of the reason I don't live there anymore.

Nice video on a place I know well. I went there last week. You made a few mistakes and omissions. There was a photo early on that was definitely not the Niagara River. There are three falls not two: Horseshoe or Canadian Falls, American Falls and, the one you overlooked, Bridal Veil Falls, which is next to Goat Island. You had nice old postcard view of Queenston, Ontario, which is part of Niagara-On-The-Lake. It has no industry. Nearby, on top of the Niagara Escarpment, are the power plants Sir Adam Beck I and II. The volume of water going over the falls is also lowered during off-season. Water quality has substantially improved. River otter and beaver, along with the Bald Eagle, now reside along the river. Stunting was not made illegal because of Red Hill Junior's ill-fated voyage over the falls in a flimsy contraption called "The Thing" in 1951. It was always illegal. Authorities just started enforcing the ban on it. The Maid Of The Mist operates only on the American side and no longer on the Canadian side. Hornblower operates the tour boats on the Canadian side. In 1846 the falls temporarily dried up naturally due to an ice dam across the river between Fort Erie and Buffalo. The American side has the Cave Of The Winds boardwalk. The Canadian side has the Scenic Tunnels at Table Rock House. These tunnels go behind the falls. I've been in them many times. Incidentally the Niagara River, which is actually a strait, connects Lake Erie with Lake Ontario. One last thing Niagara Falls and the surrounding area is one of the premier places for bicycling in Canada and North America. I highly recommend it.

Went there last year, if you go try to get on the Canadian side the view is much better I couldn’t at the time because of COVID

I went to the Falls when I was a kid. My parents brought us there during summer vacation. Took the Maiden of the Mist boat too! I don't remember all that much about it since it's been so long ago though. What I do remember is that my mom and sister were the kind of people to visit all the random shops and malls and I *hated* that. XD I think they're called outlet malls or something? Bunch of shops surrounding a parking lot.

Niagara Falls ❤️ my hometown

The falls have been at work carving out the area for a lot longer then 10 000 years, that is just the gorge at the end of the river that is roughly that old. However there is the full Niagara Escarpment that runs along most of the South and West banks of Lake Ontario connecting right up with the Niagara River Gorge and Falls, it was formed by cascades and other natural carving events spanning millions of years and several ice ages. In some townships along the Escarpment's length they can have hundreds and even thousands of cascades and waterfalls in their area alone (no where near as impressive as Niagara Falls mind you). Some of the largest I know of are Webster Falls, Trew Falls, and The Devils Punchbowl cascade (you actually get to see it for a split second in the beginning of the Silent Hill movie when the little girl is about to jump into a gorge since they filmed that scene at The Devils Punchbowl but as you see the falls it transitions to the Dark World so you don't get a good idea of it's real size).

Please do a video on Chuuk lagoon I love the history of the place and not a lot of people have heard of it

I enjoy your videos. No politics, no bull shit. Just enjoyable information.

Do a video on Love Canal!!!

End point for the Empire State RIde as well. Where 250+ people bike ride there from NYC (550+miles) to raise funds for cancer research.

Suggestion: Unit 731 the Japanese WWII Biocamp

Suggestion: there is so much more information on the Love Canal that I think you guys can do a separate episode on. from William T. Love's idea to turn to area into a "model city" to even today people in the neighboring La Salle Community are experiencing similar toxic smells as the residents of the love canal did back in the 70's & 80's even though the EPA believes the area is clean, its still fenced off. Also there are still people who live around the area.

Living only 45 minutes from Niagara falls on the USA side, great job. Also on a side note could you do a geographic on Hohenzollern Castle in Germany? I visited there 20 plus years ago when I was an exchange student and hadn't learned enough German to understand it's history when I visited. Thanks

SIMON PLEASE DO A GEO VIDEO ON ALASKA LIKE THE WHOLE PLACE ITS HUGE!!! BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING!!!

Niagara Falls is but one spot on the Niagara Escarpment that runs from the Falls up to Tobermory on the tip of the Bruce Peninsula. One can walk that distance on the Bruce Trail. The escarpment in fact is the border between South Western Ontario, and Dickhead Ontario. The Great Lakes looks like the end result of slow geological processes, but they are in fact pretty dynamic. Not long ago (in geological terms) one could walk from Point Clark on the Canadian side of Lake Huron to Michigan, on dry land. Though god knows why one would. At that time, the lakes drained into Georgian Bay, over the escarpment at Cypress lake, about 15 minutes (one beer, in Canadian measure) south of Tobermory. The "well" just off shore created by the waterfall is the deepest part of Georgian Bay. From there it drained down what is today Beaver Valley, and entered Lake Ontario at about where Grenadier's Pond is in Turono. (Source: Nick Eyles "Ontario Rocks" available where ever fine books are sold)

Gotta say, the slide into the sponsor ad bit really, uh, flowed in this video

Do Kamchatka! Do Kamchatka!! Woo!🙌🎉✨

There is some little known history of the falls such as in 1827, a derelict boat called the Michigan was outfitted to look like a pirate ship and a buffalo, some racoons, wolves, 2 baby bears and birds were caged and placed on the boat. The boat was then cut loose and headed downstream towards the falls. 10000 people showed up to watch the animals and boat go over and all the animals died. This was an early attempt at tourism from hotel owners in Niagara.

It'd weird. It's so pretty but growing up there I never really felt it was such a huge deal tbh

I drove past a billboard promoting Niagara Falls as the tallest waterfall in the world... Turns out it was falls advertising. 🤪BA DUM TSS

Regarding the love canal, it's still an issue. The neighborhoods next to it now have similar medical cases at a growing rate

i grew up near buffalo and have been to the falls more times than i can count. a lot of people don’t understand the great grand falls are on the canadian side and the US side is like a spout in comparison

How long till that mysterious background setting light...blinks?

The tightrope walker who took his manager is the same guy who cooked the omelette. It was the same walk; the omelette was for his manager ;)

People live in love canal again.. tho part of it is still fenced off... another note he makes it seem like the falls and love canal are close to each other but there is a whole city in between them.

I was, until recently, a local business owner in Niagara Falls, NY. I loved the video and I do appreciate you pointing out how the state built a thruway to make sure tourists don't go into the city and spend their money there. A fairly extended effort has been made to make the state park a zone where tourists spend all of their money, taking their spending dollars away from locally owned business. The city is set up to show you the poorest parts of the area immediately when you leave the park, discouraging people from going another few blocks and seeing that there are more businesses than just the State-owned stores and restaurants in the park itself.

2/3 of the Niagara River is diverted for power and no longer even go over the falls ! One week a year they should restore the falls to their true glory