Niagara Falls Facts for Kids

At 167 ft, Niagara Falls is definitely not the tallest waterfall in the world as more than 500 waterfalls surpass the 167 ft mark with ease. In fact, the largest among them - the Angel Falls in Venezuela, boasts of an enormous height of 3,212 ft tall, which makes it roughly 20 times taller than Niagara. So what's so special about this waterfall that has made it so popular in all corners of the world?

Among the various other factors, it's the beauty of this biodiversity rich region which has made the Niagara Falls so popular. It is the volume of water that comes down the Falls that has made it so popular. It's the excerpts of history which speak volumes about the death-defying feats of daredevils that makes it so popular.

Interesting Facts about Niagara Falls

Approximately 28 million tourists visit this Falls every year thus making it one of the most visited natural wonders of the world. Adding to the beauty of the region is the Niagara Falls State Park which was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead who also happens to be the designer of the Central Park in New York City.

• The Niagara Falls span across the New York state of the United States of America and the Ontario Province of Canada.
• The waterfall came into existence when the Wisconsin glacier began retreating somewhere around 10,000-12,000 years ago.
• The Falls basically includes three waterfalls - the American Falls, the Horseshoe Falls and the relatively smaller Bridal Veil Falls.
• Although there is some confusion about the same, it is believed that the waterfall derives its name from Iroquois word "Onguiaahra" which means the 'thundering noise of water'.
• The Horseshoe Falls - aka Canadian Falls, is the largest of the three falls with a height of 167 ft. Even though the Horseshoe Falls is also known as the Canadian Falls, one-thirds of this waterfall lies in the US territory.
• The American Falls - on the other hand, has a maximum height of 110 feet and lies entirely in the US territory.
• In terms of water flow, 90 percent of the water from river Niagara flows through Horseshoe Falls, while the remaining 10 percent flows through the American Falls.
• The smallest among the three is the Bridal Veil Falls with a vertical drop of 78 ft.
• In terms of width, all the three falls span across a distance of 2,600 feet which makes it the second largest waterfall in the world.
• During the peak season, water flows through the Niagara Falls at the rate of 202,000 cubic feet per second.
• The copious amount of water from river Niagara comes down these falls at an amazing speed of 32 ft per second.
• At 52 meters, the deepest point of river Niagara - which is as deep as the height of the waterfall, is located right at the base of the waterfall.
• As a result of erosion by water, the falls are retreating at the rate of 1 ft a year. In fact, geological evidence suggests that the Horseshoe Falls has retreated by 7 miles as of today.
• The American Falls was completely dammed, and its water was diverted to the Horseshoe Falls for a period of six months in 1969 to clear the buildup of rock at the bottom.
• The Niagara Falls came to a complete standstill as a result of an ice jam in the upper course of the river on 29th March, 1848.
• In October 1829, America's own daredevil - Sam Patch also known as 'The Yankee Leaper', pulled off an amazing stunt and jumped into the base of the waterfall from a raised platform to become the first person to survive a daredevil stunt at Niagara Falls.
• Renowned tight-rope walker, Jean François "Blondin" Gravelet aka Blondin walked across the falls for the first time in 1859. Blondin also pulled off an amazing stunt of walking across the falls on a tight rope with his manager on his back.
• Captain Matthew Webb, who was the first person to cross the English Channel, lost his life attempting to cross the rapids of Niagara in 1889.
• On 24th October, 1901, a school teacher hailing from Michigan - Annie Edson Taylor, performed a unique publicity stunt and went over the Niagara Falls in a barrel. Taylor was 63 year old when she pulled off this feat.

Some of the most amazing tourist attractions of this region include the Maid of the Mist Tour, Cave of the Winds Tour, Rainbow Bridge, Journey Behind the Falls, etc. Even though the Falls are open all throughout the year, the best time to visit the Niagara Falls is believed to be somewhere between the months of May and September wherein the weather is most pleasant in this region. With all these tourist attractions, rest assured - a visit to Niagara is bound to go down your memory lane as one of those unforgettable trips of your life.