The Sky Dancer of Niagara: Maria Spelterini, the Only Woman to Cross Niagara on a Tightrope
The Sky Dancer of Niagara: Maria Spelterini’s Daring Walk Into Legend
In the summer of 1876, as America celebrated its 100th birthday, a 23-year-old Italian woman arrived at Niagara Fallswith silk costumes, a parasol, and a spine of steel. Her name was Maria Spelterini—and she wasn’t here to see the Falls.
She was here to walk above them.
Maria Spelterini: Niagara’s Fearless Tightrope Legend
Maria Spelterini (July 7, 1853 – October 19, 1912) was the only woman to ever cross the Niagara Gorge on a tightrope, a feat she accomplished on July 8, 1876, during the U.S. Centennial celebrations. She walked across a two-and-a-quarter-inch wire just north of the lower suspension bridge, with nothing but the gorge below her and the roar of the river surrounding her.
But she didn’t stop there.
On July 12, she crossed again—this time with peach baskets strapped to her feet, simply to prove she could. On July 19, she crossed blindfolded. And on July 22, for good measure, she crossed with her wrists and ankles manacled, defying both gravity and societal expectations. She was famous not just for her daring, but for her outrageous, theatrical costumes that turned the wire into a stage.
An International Star
Before she stunned Niagara, Spelterini had already built a reputation across Europe and beyond. She performed high-wire acts in Moscow, crossing the Moskva River, and in St. Petersburg, where she crossed the Neva River. She also performed on the Island of Jersey (August 1872), in Catalan (August 24, 1873), and later in Rosario, Argentina, where on May 5, 1877, she survived a fall when her velocipede (wire bicycle) malfunctioned mid-performance.
Her shows were equal parts art and adrenaline. She was a symbol of boldness at a time when few women were even allowed on public stages—let alone suspended above rivers.
The Spell of the Unknown
Spelterini’s legacy, oddly, fades after her Niagara triumphs. There are few detailed records of her later life, and she died in 1912 in relative obscurity. But that unknown nature only makes her more spellbinding—a woman suspended between myth and history, like the wire she once walked.
See Where She Walked
Though there are no statues of Maria Spelterini in Niagara Falls (yet), the site of her crossings remains just north of where the old lower suspension bridge once stood. Stand there today, and you might still feel the thrill of her footsteps in the mist.
Start your journey at the Comfort Inn, where our staff can guide you to the historic gorge and other sites that echo with stories like Maria’s.
Quick Facts:
Name: Maria Spelterini
Born: July 7, 1853
Died: October 19, 1912
Famous For: Tightrope crossings of the Niagara Gorge
Crossing Dates: July 8, 12, 19, and 22, 1876
Notable Stunts: Peach baskets on feet, blindfolded, manacled
Previous Performances: Russia, Jersey, Spain, Argentina
Only woman to ever cross Niagara Gorge on a tightrope
