Aquarium of Niagara: Great Lakes 360 — Attraction in City of Niagara Falls

The Niagara Aquarium was a wonderful surprise during our visit to the area! It’s smaller than some of the big city aquariums, but it’s packed with charm, engaging exhibits, and a clear passion for marine life. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and truly cared about the animals.

Our kids absolutely loved the sea lion show—it was entertaining and educational. We also enjoyed the penguin exhibit and the touch tank, where they got to feel real sea creatures! The jellyfish display was mesmerizing, and the interactive exhibits kept everyone engaged.

It’s the perfect family-friendly stop, especially on a rainy day or to take a break from the crowds at the falls. We appreciated the focus on conservation and rescue, and it’s great to support an organization doing such important work.

Highly recommend adding this to your Niagara Falls itinerary—great value, great mission, and a great time...

Besides the Discovery Center there is an elevator where great, unique views await at the bottom. Taking the elevator down to the water and looking up at the remains of the old power plants that used to be along the Niagara River ages ago is really cool. The stone walls and intakes are still visible. The maid of the mist boats are stored on the platform at the base of the elevator in winter but in summer you're able to walk in that area and view the river and the Rainbow Bridge from below. There's a small hiking trail that takes you along the Niagara river a short distance. There's another much longer hiking trail from the bottom that takes you along the gorge to the top. Or you can just take the elevator...

Somewhat dated, but the displays were informative, covering the major historical themes of Niagara including power generation and local geology. The depth of information was pretty limited, aimed perhaps at a middle school level. The short (20 min) History Channel produced film was informative regarding development of the area as a tourist attraction over the last few hundred years. Some of the interactive displays were broken when we visited, and the parking lot was completely closed for construction (park at the aquarium and walk over), which also greatly limited the outdoor access around...