New York State officials announced on Tuesday, August 27th a new project that aims to enhance the visitor experience at Niagara Falls. The $9 million endeavor will extend a walkway from the Niagara Gorge to Prospect Point and include the construction of an overlook platform for prime viewing of the American Falls - just feet away from the rushing cascades.
This initiative is part of the ongoing efforts by the state to upgrade the park and entice tourists to spend more time and money on the New York side of the falls. Mark Mistretta, the Niagara regional director for New York State Parks, emphasized the importance of creating venues that encourage visitors to stay longer and explore the area beyond the park itself.
"We feel we're going to go a long way towards it," Mistretta stated. The expansion project, which broke ground on Tuesday, will focus on the "Crow's Nest," a set of stairs situated alongside the American Falls that allows visitors to climb halfway up the side of the falls. The upcoming enhancements will add new stairs and an overlook, connecting the Crow's Nest to Prospect Park and offering a new up-close view of the falls.
Currently, visitors have to turn around at the end of the stairs, descend into the gorge, and return to the top using the Maid of the Mist elevators. However, the expansion project will allow visitors to ascend back to the top using the stairs and eliminate the need for the detour (if tourists so desire). The goal is that the project will enhance tourists' overall experience at the Niagara Falls State Park.
During the busy tourist season, the extended staircase will serve as a one-way exit from the lower gorge. In the off-season, it will provide two-way access to the new overlook.
State officials emphasized that this overlook platform is going to offer a view of the falls that nobody has ever had. In fact, visitors will be so close to the edge of the American Falls you will feel as if you could reach out and touch the cascading waters. "You can't, of course, but it's going to be that close, and it's going to be spectacular," said Mistretta.
Construction is scheduled to commence after Labor Day and is expected to be completed in time for the 2026 season. The project is funded by State Parks capital funding, the Maid of the Mist Corp., the Niagara River Greenway, and the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Niagara Falls to Extend Staircase, Add Overlook Platform for Prime View of American Falls