Learn A Little History On Your Next Trip To Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls has a long, rich and sometimes even bloody history. Anyone who is interested in or considers themselves to be a bit of a history buff would really get a lot out of a trip to the Region and especially in the city itself.

Of course the Falls themselves have quite the past, carving their way up the Niagara Gorge from Lake Ontario and working their way to Lake Erie, the turbulant waters have spent thousands of years doing so. In some cases they have even ripped through as much as a mile in length of stone in as little as a 24 hour period.

Depending on what kind of history you are interested in, whether it be natural like mentioned above or with the turbulant past of the city and even the country with battles in the war of 1812 or famous military men like the Brother of Napoleon Bonaparte who is believed to have started the honeymoon craze in Niagara Falls by bringing his new bride here when they were newlyweds.

Below are some of our suggestions to where anyone interested in history should visit while in Niagara Falls. The history of these places are spread out throughout the region and therefore so are some of the attractions, but if you really like you historic sites than these small adventures will be well worth the small travel.

History Themed Vacation

Battle at Lundy's Lane: Considered by historians to be the Bloodiest battle of the war of 1812, the Battle at Lundy’s Lane location remains today close to many of the new attractions of the falls as a sombre reminder of how brutal war between the two countries had been.

Laura Secord Homestead: Laura Secord is one of Canada’s historic Heroes and played a pivotal role in helping the British soldiers gain the upper hand in one of 1812’s battles.Her home still stands and is open to the public to view and learn of what she had to do and the rout she took warn British and Indian troops about an impending American attack.

Fort George: Another military installation during the war of 1812, Fort George, located in beautiful Niagara on the Lake, stood to defend Canada from the invading American soldiers. This is a great place to see how the soldiers and their families lived during that period.

The Brock Monument: Major-General Isaac Brock is one of Niagara’s most famous soldiers of the war of 1812 and was a favourite of British soldiers, Canadian Common soldiers and Native warriors alike. It was during the Battle at Queenston Heights that General Brock was shot through the heart while he lead a charge against American militia attacking Canada.

In honor of Brock’s ultimate sacrifice on that hilly battleground in October of 1812 that a large monument was erected in his name.

Historic Walking Tours: There are many historic buildings throughout the region that are still standing today. One great way to see them and get a feel for where they are located in respect to the rest of the city is to take the Historic walking tour. The buildings on the tour are all relatively close to each other and since it is a self guided tour along city streets it is free and will give you a chance to see parts of the city that many tourists miss.

Hydro Power Generation: The area is known as the birth place of Hydro electricity in North America and was the first place to use Nikola Tesla’s Alternating Current method of transporting electricity over long distances. A visit to the Falls will bring travelers face to face with the buildings and other structures that started it all for North American Hydro generation.

Where to Stay

The Angel Inn: There are many small boutique hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts in the Niagara Region where the buildings are old and have historic importance for the area.The Angel Inn located in Niagara on the Lake (a 10 minute drive from Niagara Falls) dates back to the early 1800s and played a role in the war of 1812. It is for that reason that many visitors to the area that are interested in history may want to spend a night or two here.

Return from our History, Vacation, Niagara Falls page back to the Themed Vacation Page.

Check Out Other Theme Vacations

Go To The Attractions Page

New! A convenient way to have your say