Niagara Falls: Once Behind a Paywall – How Jack London Got Arrested Trying to See It!

Believe it or not, Niagara Falls used to be closed to the public.

In the 1800s, private companies controlled access to the land around the Falls. They built high wooden fences, forced visitors to pay just to peek through slats, and hired guards to keep people out. The natural wonder we take for granted today? Back then, it was locked up like a private zoo. There’s a clip in the excelent new exhibit at the Cave of the Winds that tells this story—and it’s worth watching. See the short clip below for a sample.

Even a young Jack London—yes, the author of Call of the Wild—hitchhiked across America to see the Falls. When he arrived in 1894, just 18 years old and traveling as a hobo, he was arrested for vagrancy. All for trying to experience nature without paying. He later wrote about the experience in his memoir The Road (1907).

That moment sparked something. Ordinary people began demanding change. They launched what became known as the Free Niagara Movement—a fight to return this wonder to everyone. And they won. In 1885, the Falls became the first state park in the U.S., thanks to public pressure and the growing idea that nature belongs to the people.

Let’s be clear: You don’t need to buy a tour from us—or anyone else—to walk the park. It’s your park. Free and open to the public, just as it should be.

But if you want to hear the full story—of how Niagara helped shape American ideas about public land, social justice, and even tourism—we’d be proud to guide you. Our tours are about more than photo ops. They’re about context: the hidden history, the voices you haven’t heard, and the fight that made this place free.

Come walk with us.