Niagara Water Power: Skylon Tower & Tailrace Tunnel Tour

• 3 Hours
• All year round

Discover the fascinating and complex history of Niagara Falls and its story of hydroelectric innovation. Visit the Skylon Tower and Niagara Parks Power Station with pre-reserved access, your guide there to unravel the story of Nikola Tesla and how he used water to change the world. End your tour at Niagara’s newest and most exciting experience, the Tailrace Tunnel, diving 180 ft in a glass elevator for a walk through historic tunnels and a once-in-a-lifetime view.

Your journey into the history of hydropower begins at the Skylon Tower where you’ll meet your expert guide and look out over the Niagara Parks Power Station as well as the International Control Dam. Take a glass elevator to the top, where you’ll have time to enjoy the stunning view before walking on to see the Illumination Tower where the Falls are lit up in a wondrous light show each night. Although man has recognized the power of electricity since Ancient Greece, it wasn’t until the 19th century that things started to really heat up! New discoveries and figures battled for supremacy in what has come to be known as the ‘War of the Currents’. Your guide will introduce you to key figures in this battle including Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. You’ll see Tesla’s memorial statue as you learn about how Niagara Falls was the ultimate decider in this struggle for supremacy.

When you get to Horsehoe Falls – the largest section of the three waterfalls that together form Niagara Falls – you’ll see for yourself exactly why Tesla and others were inspired to harness the power of the rapidly flowing water. Then see how all of this theory plays out in action at the Niagara Parks Power Station. This 115-year-old building was a futuristic wonder when it first opened its doors in 1905. As you go inside, you’ll journey into the past, seeing some of the original machinery that was used in the Station and even get the opportunity to try it out for yourself. Your tour will end by taking a glass elevator for a deep dive to an extra special site. What you see from the top of the power station is just the tip of the iceberg. You’ll descend 180 feet through the inner workings of the power station, then walk the path the water flowed through the Tailrace Tunnel to a one-of-a-kind view from the base of Niagara Falls.

Contact us for the operating schedule and pricing.