Retirement In Niagara: History of Niagara Area's B&B

History of Niagara Falls’ Tourism

Niagara Falls and various other attractions the region offers has been drawing tourists from around the world since the 1820s.

One of the first tourist attractions in the area was the Burning Spring. The spring was discovered on Dufferin Island, and a building was constructed over this curiosity in the 1820s. A pipe was placed over the spring and a cork was pressed into the top. With a crowd gathered, the cork was removed and the geyser of natural gas was lit on fire resulting in the Burning Spring!

Stunters were another draw to Niagara Falls. The first was Sam Patch who jumped from two raised platforms (one that was 85 feet, and then another that was 130 feet) into Niagara River in October 1829. Another stunter named Jean Francois Gravelet would walk a tightrope across the falls. Not satisfied with this “simple” feat, he also walked across backwards with his leg shackles, on stilts, while in a bag, and with a man on his back!

The decade of 1820 was also when Journey Behind the Falls opened, using a 150 foot natural passageway behind Niagara Falls. In 1846, the first Maid of the Mist was launched as a ferry between the American and Canadian sides of the falls. However, when a suspension bridge was built two years later, the Maid of the Mist rebranded itself as a tourist attraction and began its close trips to the falls. Both of these attractions continue to draw tourists to this day.

During the 1820s, there were only three hotels near Niagara Falls. However, attractions ranging from the first Burning Spring, to current day Clifton Hill, to the majestic waterfall that continues to draw thousands of visitors a year, has resulted in dozens of magnificence accommodations to be built and rebuilt in sight of the falls.

Today, visitors can stay at accommodations ranging from the luxurious Hilton to the Olde Angels Inn, which is considered the oldest accommodation and dates back to the start of tourism in the region.