A final post on Niagara relates to the Power Station and drainage tunnel. Built and placed in service more than 115 years ago, the fully restored power station and the fascinating exhibits show what was done in 1901 with only lanterns, rudimentary dynamite, pickaxes, and shovels. In essence, water was fed through turbines at the top of the falls and expelled through a tunnel back into the Niagara River.
To see this, guests take a glass elevator from the turbine floor down 180 feet (55 m) to the 2,200 feet (670 m) tunnel. The tunnel maintains a temperature of 60 degrees F (15 degrees C), irrespective of snow or a heat wave outside. The tunnel exits at a newly constructed viewing platform literally at the water’s edge of Horseshoe Falls and a beautiful view of the American Falls.
At night, the Parks Board offers a laser show in the turbine hall that showcases the dynamics of water and electricity in daily life. This piece of engineering should be a modern-day marvel!
