Niagara Water Power Tour: Skylon Tower & Tailrace Tunnel Experience

With a dramatic and revolutionary history, it can be overwhelming to piece together Niagara Falls’ relationship with electricity. This tour assembles the story for you, visiting major sites with pre-reserved access and a local guide, and weaves the tale of how Nikolas Tesla used the force of rushing water to change the world. From July 1st you'll also get the opportunity to experience the Tailrace Tunnel - Niagara Falls' newest and most thrilling attraction.

Start with a birds-eye view of Niagara Falls and the Niagara River Gorge from atop the Skylon Tower, which you’ll enter with pre-reserved access. The expansive views from the Skydeck will leave you breathless. Your expert guide will point out the key locations of the story you’re about to hear - from this vantage point you’ll see the Power Station and International Control Dam which guides the flow of the river and diverts it into the power stations to drop 180 feet and rush through a 2000 ft tunnel into the lower Niagara River.

Leaving the Skylon Tower, your journey into the history of electricity begins. A stop at Queen Victoria Place is next, and the Illumination Tower which every night transforms the falls into a glittering colorful light show.

The story of Nikola Tesla and The Current War starts as you reach the Tesla statue. For years, and even to this day, the battle between AC & DC currents has raged – Tesla v Edison. Learn that fascinating history, and how Niagara Falls shaped the outcome, gaining a unique insight into the many aspects of nature’s power and human ingenuity that make this area special.

Next up, after a quick stop to admire the Horseshoe Falls at Table Rock Visitors Center, is Niagara Parks Power Station. With pre-reserved tickets, you’ll get to enter this 115-year-old power station - which includes interactive activities for visitors such as a hands-on training exercise with the original machinery. As the first large-scale AC power plant ever, when it originally launched it was a futuristic work of genius and laid the groundwork for Niagara Falls to supply a quarter of all power used in the New York area.

Your tour draws to an end with a 180 ft descent through the inner workings of the power station to the base of Niagara Falls. What you see from the top of the power station is just the tip of the iceberg. Walk the Tailrace Tunnel, following the path the water once flowed, to a one-of-a-kind view of Niagara Falls. Be one of the first to experience this thrilling journey when it opens on July 1st, 2022.

Discover a unique side of Niagara Falls through the history of Water Power, visiting the sites that provide the story it's backdrop.