While visiting my family in New York, we toyed with the idea of taking a day trip to Niagara Falls. We wanted the kids to get a glimpse of this majestic wonder. We were unsure whether the visit would be worth it since my parents live a good two hours from Canada. We decided to go for it, hence giving us the right to label our summer voyages with the hashtag #CanadatoMexico! Why not? When else will we have the opportunity to be in Canada and Mexico in the same summer? So we went. Knowing that parking can be a bear in Niagara Falls we chose to park on the American side and then walk over.
Yes, I said walk.
With five kids.
While walking across the bridge, you will notice on your right, Bird Kingdom. This place is a must see. Whether you are walking or driving to Niagara Falls, it is easily accessible. Once we got over the bridge and through customs, it was right there. After the walk we decided to visit there first before getting a closer look at the falls.
If you order your tickets online the cost is discounted to $15 for adults (16 and older) and $11 for kids (ages 3-15). Children two and under are FREE! When you arrive, you are led to a staircase which will lead you to the different exhibits of Bird Kingdom. The first one took you through the history of Niagara Falls complete with daredevil stories of those who survived going over the falls in a barrel or tightrope walked across the falls. You can even get your photo taken in a barrel which is one of my favorite memories of visiting the falls when I was a kid!
There is also an exhibit with nocturnal animals in a dark and mysterious room. My daughter was so excited that she got to see a skunk up for the first time and of course my boys were into the snakes. My favorite in that section was probably the sugar gliders!
The main reason we chose Bird Kingdom was because my middle son is a huge fan of parrots, well, any tropical bird, really. When we walked into the room that had parrots, he was beside himself. They are gorgeous and non-intimidating. There is a worker there who will even let you hold one, for a small fee.
Within Bird Kingdom there were two aviaries where you can explore a wide variety of birds. The smaller one had most of the birds in a large enclosed area but the larger one was quite majestic with birds flying overhead and even a few resting on the railings for up close and personal encounters.
The view behind the waterfall in the main aviary reveals that there are two floors where you can explore different varieties of birds. You could easily spend a couple of hours at Bird Kingdom, we were there for a little under two hours. The gift shop, on the way out, has a wide variety of interesting items for sale, including these quality crafted tiles, they are gorgeous.
Once you leave Bird Kingdom, the falls are just a short walk down the road. We took the road in front of the building which led us to this grand view of the falls.
If you choose to walk to the falls, don't feel like you would be missing out on any of the attractions near the falls. That couldn't be further from the truth! Bird Kingdom is the perfect choice for families visiting the area especially when you are unsure if the weather is going to be decent. It is completely indoors so weather does not matter. Be sure to check it out next time you visit the Canadian side of the falls!
Disclaimer: I received admission to the above location in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and I did not receive monetary compensation.
