FAQ
The short version of everything in the guides — what people actually ask before they go.
Yes. Niagara Falls State Park on the New York side is open 365 days a year and always free to walk into. You pay for parking (lots 1 and 2 cost $10 a day, $15 on summer weekends) and for attractions such as the Maid of the Mist and Cave of the Winds; our tickets and prices guide lists every price.
For 2026 an adult ticket costs $30.25 and a child (6-12) $19.75; children 5 and under ride free with a paid adult. Prices are in US dollars and include the elevator to the landing and the observation deck. The tour lasts 20 minutes; our boat tours guide compares it with the other boats.
Most visitors fly into Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF), about 30 miles from the park, or drive in on the New York State Thruway (I-90). Without a car, a day tour from Manhattan handles the transport, with the boat ticket as an option on some tours; our guide to getting there compares the options.
GO Transit runs to Niagara Falls all year from Union Station, and a weekend package with the round-trip train and a day of WEGO buses costs $22 CAD on Niagara Parks' price list. By car it is the Gardiner Expressway and the QEW. Our guide to getting there covers both.
Not for the New York side: the state park, Cave of the Winds and the Maid of the Mist need no passport. To cross the Rainbow Bridge to Canada, US citizens must carry a valid passport, and coming back you need a passport, enhanced driver's license or trusted traveler card.
In 2026 it ran from April 24 and closes for the season on Sunday, November 8; from January 1 to April 23 it does not run, and the spring opening depends on ice in Lake Erie. Summer hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. from June 22 to August 9. Cave of the Winds is open year-round.
The park itself advises at least a day to see everything. The Maid of the Mist takes 20 minutes on the water; Cave of the Winds uses timed tickets, so reserve it first. Add an evening if you want the illumination and, from May 15 to October 12 in 2026, the 10 p.m. fireworks.
On your own you pay for parking and buy the Maid of the Mist and Cave of the Winds tickets at the park; Cave of the Winds tickets are not sold online. A guided tour does the lines and the walking for you, and a day trip from New York City or Toronto adds the transport. The tours page compares them.