Downtown Niagara Falls is the central area of the city of Niagara Falls in the state of Ontario, Canada, separated from the city of the same name in the state of New York, USA, by the Niagara River. The downtown district lies in the shadow of the impressive and famous American, Horseshoe and Bridal Veil waterfalls that dominate the city and its tourist attractions. With a population of over 88,000, the city itself contains numerous attractions and independent features, yet also embraces the spectacular natural beauty of the area in the entertainment, services and landmarks it provides.
One of the main forms of entertainment in downtown Niagara Falls are the many casinos, offering lively shows, enticing games and colourful attractions for visitors to embrace the exciting energy and unique atmosphere of the city. There is also an abundance of shopping opportunities in the downtown area, especially souvenir stores selling waterfall merchandise, and visitors can play golf at the local clubs or witness the natural scenery from city observation decks. In the evening, there are opportunities to watch a show or performance at a downtown theatre or try the local culinary tastes in local restaurants, some of which offer amazing night time views of the waterfalls. From downtown Niagara Falls, visitors can find transport links to the waterfalls themselves through boat tours, like the Maid of the Mist, or rides and walkways to the surface of the water, such as the Cave of the Winds experience.
Visitors can drive between Niagara Falls, Canada and USA, via the Queen Elizabeth Way, which connects to the rest of Canada and America through other various highways. There is an Amtrak train station with connections in both countries and a bus terminal connecting to Toronto and New York and nearby airports like Buffalo. Within the downtown itself, visitors can easily walk the streets or cycle on the bike-friendly paths.
The area of downtown Niagara originally belonged to the Iroquois Confederacy territory, which was made up of five powerful tribes of First Nations people, and became a European settlement in the 17th century. The city developed following the American Revolutionary War and started to draw tourists in the 1800s, becoming a natural phenomenon and source of inspiration for North American artists. Today, Niagara Falls is a world famous tourist attraction and romantic destination, celebrating its title as the “honeymoon capital of the world”.