Whirlpool Aero Car
A vintage cable car in operation since 1916, suspended over the Niagara Gorge whirlpool and crossing back and forth, with views of the jade-green rapids below.
The Whirlpool Aero Car was designed by a Spanish engineer and began operating in 1916. It still uses an improved version of the original design. Open cabins hang from six steel cables and travel back and forth about 1 km over the giant whirlpool formed where the river bends in the Niagara Gorge. Both ends are in Canadian territory, and the route passes over American waters along the way. The round trip takes about 10 minutes. Below, the river water, after rushing out from the falls, makes a sharp turn in the gorge and forms a huge counterclockwise whirlpool, with water in a jade-green hue. The view is spectacular. Admission is about CAD 20 (check the official website), and the cable car stops in bad weather. It is on the Niagara Parkway about 4.5 km north of the falls. Take the WEGO Green Line bus to reach it, and combine your visit with the Niagara Glen Nature Area and the Whirlpool Rapids Trail downstream.
Opening hours
About Mar–Nov 10:00–17:00 (check the official website)
Nearby sights
- Niagara Glen Nature Reserve
- Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens & Butterfly Conservatory
- Clifton Hill
- Niagara City Cruises (Voyage to the Falls)
- Skylon Tower
- Niagara Falls State Park & Cave of the Winds
- Niagara Falls
- Journey Behind the Falls