When making a Niagara Falls one day tour from New York you can contemplate one of the majesties of nature and get close to the enormous waterfall to enjoy the landscape and the strong winds. Besides, you can also enter the adventure and walk behind one of its waterfalls or take a boat ride until you reach the base of the waterfall. But, what if this time you dare to see the falls from above?
Actually, the best way to appreciate Niagara Falls is, ultimately, from above, as it is perfect for detailing its magnitude but also appreciating the beautiful landscapes that surround it.
One of our recommendations is to do it from the Skylon Tower, located on the Canadian side, a place where you will be in total comfort and out of risk, in case you are afraid of heights. In fact, Skylon Tower is more of a recreational and leisure space than an observatory, since there you will find a restaurant, recreational areas, stores and more, which will make you forget that you are more than 100 meters high.
Here are some facts about Skylon Tower so you don’t go blind:
- The tower is 160 meters high.
- It has 3 elevators that take you from the 1st floor to the viewpoint in 52 seconds.
- On clear days, you can see up to a distance of almost 130 kilometers. The border in all its splendor.
- The Skylon Tower was inaugurated on October 6, 1965, after a construction that took 17 months.
- It is part of the World Federation of Great Towers, like the Eiffel Tower (Paris), the Burj Khalifa (Dubai), the Empire State Building (New York), among others.
- It has a rotating dining room, which travels 360 ° in 1 hour.
- From there you can see the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls and the Bridal Veil.
Some of the skylon tower history
Let’s begin talking about the history of the Skylon Tower for you to know more about this marvelous place. First of all, we want you to know that the Tower is a tourist attraction, an eatery, an observation tower and an iconic landmark on the Niagara Falls skyline.
Its construction began in May of 1964, costing almost $7 million dollars, and its opening was in Octobre of 1965. The inauguration was in charge of the New York governor Nelson Rockefeller and Ontario Premier John Robarts, and since that day it has played host to heads of state and celebrities.
Fun for all the family
As we mentioned a while ago, the Skylon Tower offers attractions for all ages. You can enjoy the view, have a delicious dinner and have a good time of leisure in the same place; surely it is something that goes beyond a NYC to Niagara Falls tour but as soon as you have the opportunity to visit it and go up to the viewpoint, you should definitely take advantage. Here’s what you can do:
Observatory
This is one of the main attractions of the place and is the one that most attracts the attention of locals and tourists. To access the viewpoint there are 3 elevators available, called Yellow Bug Elevator, due to its striking yellow color; each of these elevators has glass panels so you can enjoy the panoramic view during the short trip, because in just 52 seconds you go up more than 100 meters high.
From the lookout, in addition to Niagara Falls, you’ll be able to see the Great Gorge, Niagara Vineyards, and a bit of Buffalo, Toronto, and New York, if the weather allows.
If you dare to go up to the Skylon Tower viewpoint, we dare to ensure that you will take the best memories, as well as some great photos.
Attractions
One of the main purposes of the Skylon Tower is to provide fun for adults and children, so they have arranged a large number of attractions, among which the following stand out:
- Battle of Titans: Offers a paleontological exhibition, with remains and representations of various dinosaur species. Videos, documentaries, fossils, living dioramas and very realistic sounds are exhibited there. They even have “robot” dinosaurs, on a real scale, that walk, roar and fight with each other. The idea is to take you back to the prehistoric age and feel as if you lived with these giants.
- Angelo Rossi Gallery and Studio: “The king of glass” and one of the greatest molders of it, allows you to enter his studio to see, first-hand, the manufacture of his blown glass works.
- Family Fun Center: It is a leisure space located on the first floor of the tower, here you will find games for all tastes and a large food area with options such as Pizza Pizza, Starbucks, Dairy Queen, among others.
- 3D/4D Falls Movie: With the movie “The Legends of Niagara Falls” you will experience the power of each of the waterfalls, in addition, you will have the opportunity to travel back in time and see the geological evolution of the lakes, the river and the formation of cataracts.
- Shopping plan: Skylon Tower has earned a title as the best place to go shopping in Niagara Falls as it has a wide range of shops of all kinds: fashion, souvenirs, jewelry, handicrafts, boutiques, etc.
Gastronomy
At the top of the Skylon Tower there are 2 restaurants available to the public, one of them is a luxury option, world famous and continental cuisine, the other is a more affordable buffet option for all the public. Both have an excellent view.
The great advantage is that when you dine at any of the 2 options, you can access the viewpoint and the Ride-to-the-top attraction for FREE.
Revolving dining room in skylon tower
This restaurant is an upscale option, perfect for a romantic dinner or other special occasions. It is located at the top of the tower and rotates 360°, very quietly and cautiously, taking 1 hour to complete the turn, to always provide a new but great view for diners. It is only available for lunch and dinner, it requires a dress protocol and its prices exceed $30 dollars per plate.
It remains in operation throughout the year.
Schedule:
- Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Early dinner: 4:30 pm and 5:00 pm
- Dinner: from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- Open for Sunday, lunch only, in the high season.
The summit suite buffet dining room
It is a less expensive and informal option, where a familiar and cozy atmosphere is offered, and an extensive buffet-style menu. The restaurant is available for brunch (on Sundays), lunch and dinner, with a wide variety of dishes, including fresh seafood, meats, salads and desserts.
The Skylon Tower is open year-round, and thanks to its central location, in case you’re not doing a Niagara Falls day trip from New York but are taking your own car, you can make use of its parking lots – with reasonable fees – for easy access to the falls and Victoria Park.
Skylon tower hours
- Summer from 08:00 to 00:00
- Winter fr
Dare to visit one of the wonders of the world in an easy, comfortable and economical way, under the direction of a professional tour guide, 100% in Spanish. Take a Niagara Falls bus Tour from NYC and enjoy a day of fun and laughter for the best memories.
