Niagara Falls: Fun Fact Sheet for Curious Kids (and Adults!)
Facts provided by Misty, the Go Niagara Falls Mascot!
Niagara Falls: Fun Fact Sheet for Curious Kids (and Adults!)
Almost everything You Always Wanted to Know About the Falls!
How Old is Niagara Falls?
Niagara Falls is about 12,000 years old!
That’s around the time woolly mammoths still roamed the Earth. It was formed after the last Ice Age, when giant glaciers melted and water carved out the Niagara River.
Where Does All That Water Come From?
The water that goes over Niagara Falls comes from four of the five Great Lakes:
Lake Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie.
The Great Lakes are filled with fresh water that mostly comes from rain, snow, and rivers that flow into them. They also get a little water from underground springs and from each other, because all five lakes are connected. But here’s the cool part: most of the water—over 95%—has been there since the last Ice Age, more than 10,000 years ago, when huge glaciers melted! The lakes hold about 20% of all the fresh water on the surface of the Earth, and only a tiny bit (about 1%) gets replaced each year by new rain and snow.
It flows down the Niagara River and eventually ends up in Lake Ontario. Water generally flows from Lake Superior → Lake Michigan & Lake Huron → Lake Erie → Over Niagara and into Lake Ontario, and then out through the Saint Lawrence River to the Atlantic Ocean.
How Much Water Goes Over the Falls?
Every second, about 6 million cubic feet of water goes over the Falls.
That’s like dumping 1 full Olympic swimming pool EVERY SECOND! 😲
How Much Electricity Does It Make?
Niagara Falls is like a giant power plug for New York and Ontario!
The Falls help produce enough electricity to power about 3.8 million homes.
It’s one of the biggest clean energy sources in North America.
Do People Drink Water From the Falls?
Yes! Around 2.5 million people in the U.S. and Canada get their drinking water from the Niagara River. (Don’t worry—it’s cleaned before it gets to your faucet!)
How Was Niagara Falls Formed?
Long ago, giant glaciers covered this area.
When they melted, the rushing water carved out the Niagara Gorge, creating the Falls we see today. The Falls have actually moved backward over time—about 7 miles from where they started!
Has Anyone Ever Tried to Go Over the Falls?
Yes… and it’s super dangerous!
More than 5,000 people are believed to have gone over the Falls, and many didn’t survive. Some were daredevils in barrels, others were accidents.
🎉 Did You Know?
The first person to go over Niagara Falls and survive was a brave lady named Annie Edson Taylor—and she did it with her cat!
🐾 In 1901, Annie was 63 years old and wanted to do something amazing to become famous and earn money. So she got into a big wooden barrel and went over the giant Horseshoe Falls—one of the biggest waterfalls in the world!
🐱 Before she went over, she sent her cat in the barrel first—to test if it was safe. The cat survived, so Annie got in next. She made it too!
The cat’s name wasn’t written in history books, but now we call her Misty—our brave and furry Go Niagara Tours mascot!
How Popular Is Niagara Falls?
Every year, over 12 million people visit Niagara Falls—making it one of the top natural attractions in the world!
Let’s compare:
Niagara Falls: 12 million visitors a year
Eiffel Tower (France): 6–7 million
Great Wall of China: About 10 million
Pyramids of Giza: About 4-10 million (depending on the report or year)
Not bad, Niagara! 👏
Quick Facts Recap
Age: 12,000 years
Location: Border of New York, USA & Ontario, Canada
Height: About 167 feet (51 meters)
Water Speed: Over 32 feet per second (fast enough to knock over a truck!)
Electricity: Powers millions of homes
Drinking Water: For 2.5 million people
Daredevil Deaths: Over 5,000 attempts
Visitors: 12+ million every year
❤️ Why We Love It
Niagara Falls is more than just a pretty waterfall—it’s a natural wonder, a power plant, a source of fresh water, and a place full of wild stories and big history!