Two new attractions are set to hit the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Welcome Center in Niagara Falls State Park this summer. There was a ribbon-cutting Thursday for a new, fully immersive sensory experience that allows visitors to explore Niagara Falls in virtual reality.
Above The Roar takes you beyond the edge of the Falls and straight into the landmark, combining sound, movement, and visual stimulation.
In the experience, you soar above the Falls while moving with the currents, feeling both wind and water before diving below the surface for an underwater exploration.
Brian Archie, the Niagara Falls City Council chairman, was one of the first to try the new under-10-minute attraction.
“Listen, it was absolutely amazing," he said. "I have never done anything VR [virtual reality] before, but I felt literally as if I was in a living, breathing experience with the Falls; it was crazy. I felt the wind; there was literal wind from the water, and the air that was just like coming through, an amazing experience.
"I thought I was going to be just watching some video, they're going to twist me around a little bit and kick me out, but it actually takes you on a journey from the inception of the Falls into what it means to be [from Niagara Falls], and I think it's amazing. Anybody should just jump on, just come on board, take a trip, four minutes, learn a little bit about our history, and enjoy the water."
Archie called his favorite experience — diving into the water — a spiritual one.
"You're about to be submerged into the Falls, so going over the drop, you feel the movement of the chair actually going over, and you can look around and see the water, and then there's a soft landing into the water, and now you're with nature, seeing the fish, and the transition from thundering rapids to this calm and serene underbelly is an absolutely crazy spiritual experience," he said.
Christopher McKimmie, Niagara County Legislator, boldly compared it to a popular Disney World ride.
"I love Disney, and one of my favorite rides is Soarin', and this ride is a very similar experience," he said. "I'm happy to hear that it's reasonably priced for families, local or tourism families at $18, and with a suggested decrease in price in the shoulder season, when it's not so busy in the state park, but I think any parent who has children should absolutely come down and check this out, it's phenomenal."
The second attraction, set to be completed by the end of July, is the Voices of the Falls, an immersive, educational exhibit at the Welcome Center. It was created using historical artifacts and interactive media, and it explores the deep natural, industrial, and cultural history of the Falls from Indigenous perspectives to the Love Canal.
With the two new attractions, hopes are that tourism will continue to increase on the American side of the Falls.
McKimmie said he doesn't categorize tourism on this side of the Falls as a concern because both sides were uniquely created to offer different experiences.
"I think that both sides of the Falls were designed dramatically differently," he said. "Our side really took a stake in the historic preservation and recreation aspect of Niagara Falls, whereas the Ontario side of the falls was more like the flashing lights, museums, and arcades. I appreciate our side of the state park on the New York side. I love hiking the trails. I actually saw my favorite fishing spot on this ride."
State Assemblymember Angelo Morinello was also on hand and one of the first to try the new VR experience. He agreed there are no concerns about tourism on the New York side.
"I've been around a long time," he said. "My family was in business in this area for over 100 years. It's like a pendulum: We have good summers, we have bad summers. I don't see any problems with tourism.
"I've lived here. I have cousins who live across the bridge; they don't even know what they're talking about with the acrimony. They come all the time, so I have no worries."
As far as the VR experience, Morinello stamped his approval.
"There were times when I thought I had to duck to go under a bridge, and then when they plunged us below the waters to see the fish, you could also see the formations underwater of the sides and the caves and the rocks," he said. "I think it's a great attraction. It gives you a better experience than you would ever have on the outside, because they don't have the visual looking back at the Falls, and the closeness that you are gives you even a better perspective than if you were to go on the Canadian side to look back."
Tickets are $18, and you can purchase them by clicking here.
