Why Is It Called Cave of the Winds If There’s No Cave? The Hidden History of Niagara Falls

Why “Cave of the Winds” Made Sense—But Might Confuse Visitors Today

Niagara Falls’ Lost Cave and the Thunderous Experience That Remains

The Cave of the Winds once lived up to its name—literally. But today, many visitors leave wondering: Where’s the cave?

Even national travel podcasts have commented on the confusion. With a name that conjures images of secret grottos and echoing rock halls, it’s no surprise tourists expect something more cavernous than a wooden boardwalk. But once, it was exactly what it claimed to be—a cave.

Discovered in 1834 and originally called Aeolus’s Cave, after the Greek god of winds, it was a natural rock chamber behind the Bridal Veil Falls, on the American side of Niagara. The cavern—130 feet high, 100 feet wide, and 30 feet deep—formed when an overhanging rock ledge created space behind the curtain of water. Accessible by the Biddle Stairs from Goat Island (opened in 1829), the site became one of the earliest and most spectacular tourist attractions in North America.

The name was more than poetic. Inside the cave, wind gusts reached up to 68 mph (109 km/h), strong enough to create tropical storm-like conditions—and the experience was unforgettable. An 1860 handbill called it the only place on Earth where visitors could pass through full-circle rainbows, sometimes three at once.

But nature, as always, had the final say.

• In 1857, a rockfall injured several tourists.

• In 1920, falling rocks killed three and injured more.

• And in 1955, after engineers warned of a pending collapse, the U.S. government obliterated the cave with controlled dynamite blasts.

The current attraction, reopened in 1924 and expanded over time, brings visitors to the front of the Bridal Veil Falls, not behind it. Today’s “Cave of the Winds” is a series of wooden walkways, platforms, and decks at the base of the falls.It’s thrilling—wet, windy, and loud—but it is no longer a cave.

Still, the poetry lingers. Mary S. Pond’s 1860 verse captured the grandeur:

O home of the tempest, dread Cave of the Wind,

We enter thy portals and wondering find

Old Chaos and Order in harmony meet,

Who lay, as their offering, the Bow at our feet.

Should We Rename It?

If the original cave is gone, maybe it’s time to reimagine the name—“Thunder Steps”? “The Rainbow Deck”? But maybe keeping the name reminds us that Niagara Falls wasn’t always paved and polished. It was once wilder, more dangerous, and a lot more mysterious.