Niagara SkyWheel

The Niagara SkyWheel is Clifton Hill's big wheel, and it is better than its funfair setting suggests. It stands 53 metres, about 175 feet, above the strip at the top of Clifton Hill, and its 42 enclosed gondolas are climate-controlled, which matters a great deal in Niagara: in July you are out of the heat, and in November or January you sit in a warm cabin while the wind howls off the gorge. Each gondola holds up to eight people, so families and small groups usually ride together without strangers. The ride is a few slow rotations, long enough to take in the view in every direction without feeling rushed. And the view is the reason to go. From the top you look straight down the gorge toward the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls, across to the Horseshoe Falls and its mist plume, over the Rainbow Bridge to the New York skyline, and back down at the lights and noise of Clifton Hill itself. It is not as high as the Skylon Tower, and the Horseshoe is farther away, but the SkyWheel sits closer to the American Falls and the river, and its lower height gives a more intimate angle on the gorge. It is also cheaper, and it runs late into the evening, which makes it one of the best ways to see the falls lit up during the Winter Festival of Lights season without standing outside. Tickets are often sold in combos with other Clifton Hill attractions; our link goes to the Tiqets venue page, which currently offers a SkyWheel and Adventure Theatre combo. For families on a budget and couples looking for a warm, after-dinner view of the illuminated falls, it is an easy recommendation.

Where it fits in Niagara: Clifton Hill is the Canadian side's entertainment strip, a steep street of haunted houses, wax museums, arcades and fast food running down from the hill toward the river. It is loud, bright and unapologetically commercial, and the SkyWheel is its landmark, visible from much of the town. You do not need to like the rest of the strip to enjoy the wheel; walk up, ride, and walk back down to the river parkway for the falls themselves. It is a few minutes on foot from the Canadian boat dock and the Rainbow Bridge, and about twenty minutes along the river path from Table Rock and the Horseshoe Falls.

How to ride: tickets are sold at the base and through combo passes, and lines are usually short outside summer weekends. Daytime rides give the clearest view of the gorge and the falls; dusk is the most atmospheric, as the illumination comes on and the town lights up below. In winter the gondolas stay warm, but windows can fog on very cold days, so a cloth for the glass helps photographers. On fireworks nights during the festival season, timing a ride around the show is a popular trick, though there is no guarantee you will be at the top when they go off.

Who it suits: families with children of all ages, since the motion is gentle and the cabins private; couples who want a romantic, warm view of the lit falls; and anyone who wants an elevated perspective without the cost of the Skylon Tower or a helicopter. Visitors with a strong fear of heights usually manage it better than a tower, because the climb is gradual. If you only do one viewpoint above the falls, the Skylon Tower gives the more complete picture of the Horseshoe; the SkyWheel wins on price, atmosphere and closeness to the American Falls.