Horseshoe Falls illuminated at night in Niagara Falls, Ontario

Niagara's afterparty look. Horseshoe Falls illuminated at night in Niagara Falls, Ontario

People have been coming to Niagara Falls, on the Canada-US border, for centuries to admire the view. A few, however, decided admiring it from a safe distance was overrated. In 1901, Annie Edson Taylor climbed into a barrel and became the first recorded person to survive going over the Falls. Others followed with their own stunts, although such attempts are now illegal. The Falls have also inspired artists, filmmakers and musicians, with Hollywood giving them a starring role in 'Niagara' (1953), featuring Marilyn Monroe and Joseph Cotten.

Horseshoe Falls is the largest of Niagara's three waterfalls, alongside American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. During peak daytime tourist hours, more than 168,000 cubic metres of water flows over the crest every minute. The Falls drop an average of 57 metres into the Lower Niagara River, while the crest stretches about 670 metres wide. After dark, nightly illumination lights all three waterfalls in changing colours, giving Niagara Falls a colourful second act.