If you do one thing while you are in Niagara Falls, it should be the Maid of the Mist. After a nice, leisurely ride on this boat, you will experience the falls up close and personal. And, yes this is perfect for families, even those with small children.
Boats depart every 15 minutes from Prospect Point located at Niagara Falls State Park in Niagara Falls, New York.
The ride on the Maid of the Mist is an unforgettable experience!
Getting Tickets
Tickets for the Maid of the Mist are available at these green ticket booths, and there is almost always a line. You can also buy your tickets online or as part of a tour package (check online for availability and options).
After purchasing your tickets, you will have access to the Observation Deck and the elevators that will take you down to the Maid of the Mist.
Observation Tower & Deck
I highly recommend spending some time on the Observation Deck. The views here are phenomenal and it is a great place to take photos. From this vantage point, you can see the American Falls, the Canadian side of the falls, and the Niagara River.
You can visit the Observation Deck before your ride on the Maid of the Mist or after (or both). The elevators will bring you right back to the deck after your boat ride.
Maid of the Mist
After a short elevator ride from the Observation Deck, we handed over our tickets and grabbed our blue ponchos. The souvenir ponchos are yours to keep or you can throw them away after the ride.
The ponchos do a great job of keeping your clothes dry, so we didn’t bother bringing a change of clothes. Now your hair…that’s a whole other story. There are hoods on the ponchos, but we still seem to get wet hair. It’s okay because it seems everyone walking around this area has “Niagara Falls hair”.
If you still want to bring a change of clothes, a towel, etc, a small backpack will fit under your blue poncho.
The Ride
The Maid of the Mist departs and returns on the American side of the falls, but it briefly crosses over into Canadian waters. The ride itself lasts about 20 minutes, but you can spend as much time as you want at the Observation Deck before and/or after your ride.
The boat takes you on a leisurely ride past Bridal Falls and Cave of the Winds. Then the trip gets more and more exciting as you get closer to Horseshoe Falls.
I love how close the Maid of the Mist gets to the falls. The boat takes you right up to the base of the falls where you can feel the mist and spray from the cascading waters.
I’ve ridden on this boat at least 5 times and it is always exciting. Just the raw power and energy from the rushing waters of the falls is amazing. It seems each person has their own response to these mighty falls. Some people scream (like they’re on a roller coaster) and some people laugh hysterically. It is definitely an exhilarating experience!
Getting Back
After you exit the Maid of the Mist, you can either take the elevator back up to the Observation Deck or you can climb a steep path. It is a beautiful walk with close-up views of the falls, but it is a tough climb (especially for little ones).
The Maid of the Mist boat rides operates daily from 9:00 am. In the summer, the rides can run until 8:00 p.m. Trips will run daily from May 24 until November 3, 2019.
As of 06/2019, Adult Tickets were $19.25 and Kid Tickets (ages 6-12) were $11.20. Children under 5 years old can ride free with an adult. These prices include access to the Observation Deck, the Elevator ride, and your ride on the Maid of the Mist.
Since you depart and return to the dock in the USA, you will NOT need a passport.
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Have you been on the Maid of the Mist? What was your favorite part of the experience?
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I cannot believe I have never been to N.F. before – I lived on the East Coast for so long too! I guess I will just have to go one day and bring my son!! When he appreciates travel that is!
You and your son will love it! It’s a wonderful place with lots of family-friendly activities.
This is an amazing place to visit with family. It is such a different experience to feel. The view looks marvelous.
It was a great experience, Ruth! And, the views were unbelievable.
We definitely plan on visiting Niagara Falls when we get a chance. It sounds like it was a blast and I hope I get soaked from it too! ha!
You’ll love it, Alexandra! And, you will get soaked! It’s totally worth it and honestly it feels good to get wet on those hot summer days.
Wow, what a great experience to be able to get up and close to Niagara Falls. I never been to this place but I would love to try the Maid of the Mist!
I highly recommend riding the Maid of the Mist if you are ever in Niagara Falls! It is so much fun!
I was in Niagara last year and did the same thing but in the Canadian side. Niagara is a beauty to behold and I will always be in awe.
I agree, Waren! It’s a fascinating place!
Wow! I would love to do this, what an experience, I can’t believe how close you got to the falls.
Yes, it’s amazing how close we got to the base of the falls! The power coming from the water is unbelievable!
I’m just thinking how lucky you are 🙂
Thank you for sharing your journey with us. I’m sure you enjoyed 🙂
Those coats looks like shark suits 🙂 <3 cool
Happy blogging.
Thank you!
I love visiting Niagara Falls. I visited so many times when I was growing up. Thse falls are just so impressive.
I agree, Myrah! It’s a fascinating place!
Although Niagra Falls is not nearly as large as it used to be, it is still impressive. I don’t think I’d have the guts to do the Maid of the Mist tour though. LOL!
It wasn’t scary at all – I promise, Ola!
For some reason I’ve never had a want to go to Niagra Falls but it does look absolutely amazing. I kind of think you’ve changed my mind!
I think you’ll love it, Krysten!
I loved reading your post. We have always wanted to go to Niagara Falls. It looks so beautiful. We are thinking we might go sometime this summer so your post was pretty helpful!
I’m so glad you found this helpful. I hope you and your family have a great vacation!
This needs to be added to my bucket list. I need to travel to see the falls as they look amazing.
The State Park and the whole Niagara Falls area is a beautiful and fascinating place! You’ll really love it there,Tara!
So gorgeous! I’ve always wanted to go here. It would be so neat to see in person.
It is beautiful in person, Amber! I love how green the waters are (the color is from the limestone).
It’s always been my dream to see the Niagara Falls! It looks so spectacular, would be a great adventure for me, especially because of the fact that I live in Poland. 🙂
Whoa! That would be quite a trip! Believe me, it will be worth it. My mom traveled to Poland a few years ago and she loved it there. I would love to see Poland myself one day!
I lived in Ontario for 10 years before moving to Montreal this past year and I never made it to Niagra Falls! I really want to go, especially now after reading this! Looks so much fun.
I hope you do, Rachel! You will have a great time!
It’s crazy to think that I used to live close to N.F. yet I have NEVER been before!
I think you’ll love it there, GiGi!
Looks so beautiful and breathtaking, definitely in my bucket list.
You’ll love it, Joan!