Plan Your Visit: Accessibility
Make the Most of Your Visit to Niagara Parks
Niagara Parks is committed to ensuring all of our visitors have a safe and comfortable experience. We offer many beautiful and exciting venues that are fully accessible for our guests that use wheelchairs or motorized scooters. Convenient parking and ease of access is available at all of our popular attractions and restaurants.
TIPS: The peak tourist season at Niagara Parks is between late June and early September and during those months between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. our properties can be very busy. If crowds and congestion are a concern, you may want to plan your visit outside of these times.
Please note that many of our historic buildings are over 100 years old – while most have easy wheelchair access, some areas still need to be upgraded to be compatible with larger motorized scooters. If you are using a scooter, you may want to travel with an assistant to ensure you make the most of your visit. We are pleased to provide complimentary admission at all of our Attractions to an assistant who is aiding a person with a disability.
Ample parking spaces for customers with a Disabled Person Parking Permit (DPPP) are provided at all Niagara Parks locations. When a customer with a DPPP pays to park at any of our parking lots, they can re-park on the same day at any other NPC paid parking lot at no charge.
For your best ever Niagara vacation, be sure to visit all of the following Niagara Parks attractions!
Table Rock Start your visit here to get the best view of the Falls! Park your vehicle just across the road at the Falls Parking Lot - your designated spaces are just at the foot of the ramp to the Bridge of Flowers, a year-round, covered and accessible pedestrian overpass into Table Rock.
The first thing you will see when you enter Table Rock is the entrance to Niagara's exciting new attraction, Niagara's Fury. Entertaining and interactive, you will experience the Creation of the Falls like you were actually there!
At Journey Behind the Falls elevators take you down to tunnels that go one third of the way behind the massive Horseshoe Falls and then on to an observation deck in the mist at the foot of the Falls.
Ejoy a leisurely meal as close as you can get to the Falls! On the upper level of Table Rock, the newly renovated Elements on the Falls restaurant features a fun, relaxing atmosphere and open flame cooking.
Maid of the Mist Don't miss a thrilling boat ride into the spray and the mist of the Falls!
White Water Walk Discover raging whitewater from a boardwalk that is deep in the Great Gorge, right beside the rushing class 6 rapids
Butterfly Conservatory Paved paths wind through a rainforest atmosphere featuring a waterfall and gorgeous displays of plants and blooms, all filled with over 2,000 colourful tropical butterflies. Located just 10 minutes north of the Falls, convenient parking spaces are available at the front or rear of the building- follow the signs to enter the overflow parking area at the entrance near the north end of the grounds of the Botanical Gardens.
Queenston Heights Park & Restaurant The historic Park high atop the Niagara Escarpment at the foot of Brock’s Monument features several paved trails through the parkland to picnic areas and scenic lookouts. The Restaurant features spectacular views, from indoors or on the patio, of the Niagara River far below as it winds towards Lake Ontario.
Floral Showhouse located just south of the Falls, this free attraction features an outdoor Rose Garden, Artists Garden and a Fragrance Garden that is specially signed with Braille lettering for persons who are visually impaired. Inside, orchids, exotic tropicals, floral displays and free-flying tropical songbirds, are on show all year-round.
Summary of Accessibility at Niagara Parks
The following venues are fully accessible: Niagara's Fury, Butterfly Conservatory, Journey Behind the Falls*, White Water Walk**, Maid of the Mist, Sir Adam Beck Power Tours and the Floral Showhouse.
* The lower observation deck at Journey Behind the Falls can be reached only by stairs but the view from the upper deck is still spectacular! ** At White Water Walk, the full boardwalk is accessible, however two small lower viewing decks can be reached only by stairs. Persons using wheelchairs or scooters who can only use the upper decks at these two attractions are provided discounted admission, at Niagara Parks regular reduced winter rate, throughout the year. This discount does not apply if the customer is purchasing an admission package that is already discounted, like the Niagara Falls & Great Gorge Adventure Pass or the Winter Magic Pass.
All Niagara Parks Restaurants and Golf facilities are all fully accessible except for the private function rooms on the third floor of Queen Victoria Place and on the lower level of Queenston Heights Restaurant. All our Gift Shops are also accessible and each location provides an accessible or family-style restroom.
Niagara Heritage Trail sites are all over 100 years old: Laura Secord Homestead, McFarland House and Old Fort Erie. These sites each are accessible on the main floors only, having second storeys that must be reached by stairs. We are mandated to preserve our historic buildings and renovation to provide accessibility to the upper levels is not feasible. Discounted admission is not provided at these sites as the admission rates are already very reasonable.
Niagara Parks is a financially self-sufficient agency, meaning that we must raise our own revenues for maintenance and repair projects. We are participating in the development of new standards in accordance with the new Accessibility for Ontarians, 2005 Act to ensure that our transportation system and attractions, heritage sites and buildings meet the requirements of the legislation, however currently the following sites are not accessible: Whirlpool Aero Car, Mackenzie Printery & Newspaper Museum, the in-park People Mover bus system and the Falls Incline Railway.
Future Plans
Niagara Parks has plans for a new Falls Incline Railway that will be fully accessible and available on a year-round basis, to serve all the visitors from the Fallsview tourist area that includes several major hotels and the casino resort. Ongoing work on development of a new Peoplemover system includes current accessibility standards.
To learn more about accessible services in Niagara, visit www.accessibleniagara.com.
Wheelchair Rentals
Wheelchair rentals are available at Table Rock Welcome Centre at $15.00 Cdn per day. A credit card is necessary for rentals. Wheelchairs must be returned to Table Rock Welcome Centre by 5:00 p.m. on the day of the rental. Not available during the winter months.
