Niagara Falls, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, has just added a novelty to its wide range of activities: the tour of a tunnel built a 100 years that offers a unique history of a power plant under the area.
The tunnel of 2,200 feet (670 meters) long was built below the Niagara Falls Power Plant, on the Canadian side of the New York border, and served as an outlet point for the water used in the generation of hydroelectric power for more than a century, says Niagara Parks on its official website.
“This experience unmissable offers the opportunity to be part of an exciting renaissance and the chance to discover the incredible history and heritage of this celebrated building. Dive into the story of the visionaries behind it, as well as the workers who kept it going for 100 years.
Harnessing the powerful energy of Horseshoe Falls, this pioneer of hydroelectric power is brought to life with an entertaining and educational experience that highlights both the remarkable history and unique architectural features of this marvel of engineering of 100 years”.
The tunnel once contained 71,000 gallons of water moving at nine meters per second, detailed CNN.
Unlike the falls, where boat tours are closed during the winter, the tunnel will remain open all day. year. It can even be visited at night, when “Currents” is activated, a light and sound show inside the station. “This immersive, family-friendly experience features incredible 3D projection, interactive lights and images, and an impressive musical score.”
Niagara River Falls ranks among the most visited spots in the world (some 14 million tourists a year) and are the number one destination for honeymoons. It is a shared heritage between the states of Ontario (Canada) and New York (USA), each with its namesake city separated by waterfalls and visitors competing in healthy competition. It is the second largest group of waterfalls in the world, just below Victoria (Mosi-oa-Tunya), in South Africa.
And although there are multiple specialized tours by water, land and air (balloon and helicopter), with their respective fees, Niagara Falls can also be appreciated for free , practically walking next to him. Both Niagara cities are small, but full of services, to 000 and 490 kms from Toronto and NYC.
The power plant, which worked from 1905 to 2006, diverted water from the mighty Niagara River to power giant generators that electrified regional industry and nearby Port Buffalo on the Great Lakes.
Today the Niagara Parks station is the world’s only completely intact hydroelectric power station from its time. Originally operated by the Canadian Niagara Power Company, it used Westinghouse generators to create alternating currents patented by inventor Nikola Tesla, state-of-the-art technology at the time. More information about visits to the tunnel here.
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