Niagara's Whirlpool Aero Car: Take An Unforgettable Ride 3500 Metres Across the Niagara Gorge!
If you’re an adventure junkie, then you can’t miss a ride on the Whirlpool Aero Car, a historic Niagara Parks attraction that continues to impress people all over the planet.
One of the reasons that I go back again and again to Niagara Falls and the surrounding area is that it’s an Ontario region that’s jam-packed with worthwhile attractions. I’ve done everything from visit with the intention of helping couples travel in Niagara Falls to reviewing popular individual attractions that readers have asked about, such as Journey Behind the Falls.
On my most recent trip, my intention was to visit attractions that perhaps I’d overlooked in the past, but that, by all accounts, were very much worth the visit.
That’s what led me to the Whirlpool Aero Car - and the existence of this article probably already tells you that I loved it. In fact, I think it’s an activity that needs to be on more Niagara Falls’ itineraries, and I’d love to take the opportunity to tell you why.
A Brief History of a Historic Niagara Attraction
Fascination With the Niagara Whirlpool
The history of the Whirlpool Aero Car understandably starts with the public’s intrigue with the Niagara Whirlpool itself. It’s also not just the Niagara Whirlpool that you’re setting eyes on, though - you’ve got Class 6 rapids, and, some of the most dramatic and picturesque views in the province.
You might also be wondering what a “whirlpool” is. Well, in this case you’ve got water that’s travelling over Horseshoe Falls with remarkable force and it picks up speed as it’s running through the Niagara Gorge. At the end of the rapids, the river changes directions, and that creates the Niagara Whirlpool, a phenomenon that I swear I could conceivably look at for a day straight and not get bored.
In the late 1800s a local developer created an inclined railway that essentially brought people from the top of the Gorge on down to get a closer look at the Whirlpool. Unfortunately, landslides didn’t like that idea, and damaged the tracks with enough consistency that it soon became evident that the Niagara Whirlpool was going to need to be viewed in a different manner.
An Idea Becomes a Reality
In 1913, Niagara Parks (talk about having a storied history, by the way) was approached by a group of Spanish businessmen who were keen to build a cable car that would offer picturesque and unobstructed views of the Niagara Whirlpool.
Construction began two years later, and was completed a year after that - a remarkable feat considering how much excavation needed to be done to make it both safe and worth the cost of entry.
As you might imagine, there have plenty of upgrades that have been done since then, notably in 1961, 1967 and in 1984.
The Niagara Whirlpool Aero Car Today
Today, you’ve got a car that travels approximately 1 kilometre across the gorge and holds 35 standing passengers. In terms of timing, you’ll spend about ten or so minutes getting across, but to me it felt a whole lot longer.
I can only surmise that was because I was in a constant state of awe. This seems like a good place to drop the video I created on the experience, so you can clearly understand why.
Many people reached out to ask me, based on that video, whether you’re technically on United States territory once you’ve crossed, and the answer is no. It’s technically two points on the Canadian shore of the Niagara River.
It’s open seasonally, and that typically means between the months of April and November. Due to the fact that the last major upgrade occured in the middle of the 1980s, it’s not currently wheelchair accessible.
You can buy tickets individual tickets here. However, I’d strongly recommend that you look at the packages that Niagara Parks offers if you’re looking to do more than just the Whirlpool Aero Car. You can look at the respective packages here.
See the Niagara Gorge in a Whole New Light
If you’ve been a longtime reader, then you’ll know that I’ve always been fascinated with focusing on the attractions that simply cannot be replicated elsewhere. That’s why I tend to avoid writing about things like axe-throwing because, with few exceptions, it’s just the same thing, but in different cities.
The Niagara Whirlpool Aero Car is the epitome of a unique attraction. For one, it’s a part of the region’s history, but I also feel as if taking a ride on this gives you the context and understanding to recognize why people have travelled from far and wide for hundreds of years to come see the Niagara Region.
In some ways, I found this even more enticing than putting eyes on the Falls themselves! To each their own, of course but, to me, this is an experience that needs to be strongly considered for any Niagara itinerary. If you’ve got any questions, as always, just add a comment below.
Safe travels!
I want to humbly thank Niagara Parks for hosting me as media. All opinions are completely my own.
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