The Maid of the Mist is located at 1 Prospect Street in Niagara Falls NY USA.
Phone: +1 716-284-8897.
2025 Ticket price: Adult $30.25 USD, Child 6-12 $19.75 USD – 5 < no charge.
Now open for the 2025 season. Open daily at 9:00am. Closing times vary from 6:00pm-8:00pm. Hours
Open seven days a week during the months of May through October.
Visitors average 40-60 minutes here.
Restrooms and gift shop available.
The Niagara Scenic Trolley stops at Prospect Point.
The iconic Maid of the Mist is every bit exciting as you could possibly imagine! Water rushes all around as you “soak” in the excitement and explore the roar of the Falls. A historical ride aboard the world-famous Maid of the Mist is a half hour thrill of a lifetime! North America’s oldest tourist attraction, millions of visitors have enjoyed the boat tours since 1846. Maid of the Mist boats will take you from the docks past the base of the American Falls, then into the basin of the magnificent Canadian Horseshoe Falls.
Open from April or May to November. Maid of the Mist boats depart every 15 minutes. A recyclable souvenir raincoat is provided free with admission to help keep you dry from the mist and spray. At the end of your boat tour you can visit the Maid of the Mist gift shop.
Reservations are not necessary and tickets can be purchased at the entrance to the NY State Observation Tower within Niagara Falls State Park. After purchasing your ticket you will then take an elevator ride to our boarding docks at the river. The Maid of the Mist is accessible for physically challenged persons.
Automobile parking is available nearby. For navigation use: Niagara Falls Visitor Center Parking Lot 1 Niagara Falls NY USA. The parking area is a 4 minute walk to the ticket window (.2 mile /300 meters).
Method of payment — Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
Rates and schedule are subject to change without notice.
2025 Schedule
May 1st – 10:00am – 5:00pm Weekdays and 9:00am – 6:00pm Weekends
May 19 – May 23 – 9:00am – 6:00pm Daily
May 24 – May 25 – Memorial Day Weekend 9:00am – 8:00pm Daily
May 26- Memorial Day – 9:00am – 6:00pm
May 27 – June 13 – 9:00am – 6:00pm Sunday – Friday & 9:00am – 8:00pm Saturday
June 14 – August 5 – 9:00am – 8:00pm Daily
August 6 – August 25 – 9:00am – 7:30pm Daily
August 26 – August 31 – 9:00am – 7:15pm Daily
September 1 – Labor Day – 9:00am – 5:00pm
September 2 – September 28 – 9:00am – 5:00pm Weekdays & 9:00am – 6:00pm Weekends
September 29 – October 26 – 9:00am – 5:00pm Daily
October 27 – November 2 – 10:00am – 4:00pm Daily
This is a must do experience if visiting the Niagara Falls state park. How else can you get so close to the majestic waterfalls? I mean there's also Cave of the Winds but that's a more intense experience.
I decided to visit during late afternoon so there wasn't much of a crowd. They load the ships every 20 minutes or so as each trip takes about 20 minutes. Definitely wear waterproof clothing or clothing that easily dries if you can because from the knees down, it will get soaked and maybe the sleeves too. I put my phone into a waterproof bag to capture the ride and a good thing I did because otherwise it would've gotten drenched.
Tickets can be pre-purchased online or day of. Check the hours before visiting as they change depending on the season. An elevator took me down to the bottom where I got my poncho and lined up to board the ship. Apparently these ponchos are thicker than the ones at Cave of the Winds (so the rumors say). I made sure to pull the hood on tight and secured it with the plastic strings and it definitely held up against the waterfall winds! I got a blue one when I visited but noticed the next day, they were handing out red ones (twinsies with the Canadian Hornblower).
Top deck is the spot to be to get the best experience. The ship brings us by one of the falls that has a light mist blowing towards us with a gentle wind. Then as we got closer to Horseshoe Falls, boy could I feel the wind and mist blowing my poncho around. My sleeves, pants and shoes were drenched and the water was blowing so fast at me that I could barely see! It was actually so much fun to experience! How else can I get this close to the falls? Wearing sunglasses also helped to keep some of the water out of my eyes. The ship stayed there for quite a while before making a U turn to head back to land. It really felt like I was in the middle of a torrential downpour.
Afterwards, take another elevator up to the observation deck to get another great view of the Niagara Falls.
Honestly this was so much fun, I definitely want to try the Canadian version too next time! And maybe Cave of the Winds (on Goat Island).
I went on this trip by myself and wasn't sure what getting on the boat with a bunch of other people who were all with other people would be like, but I can say that I had a great time regardless. The boat ride was crowded, but safe and fun, and the views were phenomenal. I wasn't expecting the wind that came off the falls to be so strong!
All that to say, I will definitely be going back to Niagara Falls and would definitely spend the money to go on Maid of the Mist again! Some activities are a one-and-done kind of situation, but I think that anyone would enjoy doing this more than once. Since returning home, I have recommended that others I know also drive to Niagara Falls and specifically cross over to Canada to ride Maid of the Mist instead of waiting in line and doing it from the American side of the Falls.
