Niagara Falls Illumination
Enjoy the Niagara Falls Illumination Board's enhanced falls illumination!
The illumination of Niagara Falls was first made permanent in 1925 with 24 carbon arc searchlights. In 1974, a major enhancement replaced the lights with a new Xenon system, which received minor updates in 1997. Now almost 20 years later, the Niagara Falls Illumination Board is excited to showcase the new LED lights. The $4-million revitalization project uses the latest technology to light the Horseshoe and American Falls. This new lighting will provide over twice the current brightness and a wider range of colours, allowing for a full palette of colour combinations that wasn't available in the past. The new, energy-efficient system will also use 82% less power than the previous Xenon lights.
Every evening beginning at dusk, the Falls are lit in the colours of the rainbow - don't miss the unmatched beauty of the Falls at night!
Illumination of the Falls has been financed and operated by The Niagara Falls Illumination Board since 1925.
Niagara Falls Illumination Schedule Calendar
| January 1 – January 31 | 5 PM – 1 AM | ||||||||
| February 1 – March 11 | 5:30 PM – 1 AM | ||||||||
| March 12 – March 31 | 7:30 PM – 2 AM | ||||||||
| April 1 - May 14 | 8:00 PM – 2 AM | ||||||||
| May 15 – July 31 | 8:30 PM – 2 AM | ||||||||
| August 1 - August 15 | 8:00 PM – 2 AM | ||||||||
| August 16 - August 31 | 7:30 PM – 2 AM | ||||||||
| September 1 - 19 | 7:00 PM – 2 AM | ||||||||
| September 20 - 30 | 6:30 PM – 2 AM | ||||||||
| October 1 - 15 | 6:15 PM – 2 AM | ||||||||
| October 16 - October 31 | 6:00 PM – 2 AM | ||||||||
| November 1 - December 31 | 4:30 PM – 2 AM | ||||||||
The Niagara Falls Illumination Board offers special illuminations for charitable and not-for-profit organizations.
Special Illumination Calendar:
| Date | Time | Cause | Colour(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 2 | 10:00 - 10:15 | Prostate Cancer Awareness | Blue |
| February 2 | 10:15 - 10:30 | Feeding Tube Awareness Week | Blue, Purple |
| February 4 | 10:00 - 10:15 | World Cancer Day | Blue, Orange |
| February 7 | 10:00 - 10:15 | Celebrating the 51st Anniversary of Grenada’s Independence | Red, Yellow, Green |
| February 7 | 10:15 - 10:30 | National Wear Red Day/Canada Lit Red | Red |
| February 8 | 10:00 - 10:15 | Celebrating Scouting America | Canadian Falls: Red, White | American Falls: White, Blue |
| February 10 | 10:00 - 10:15 | International Epilepsy Day | Purple |
| February 11 | 10:00 - 10:15 | 211 Day in North America | Red, White |
| February 13 | 10:00 - 10:15 | Lighting the Town Red | Red |
| February 14 | Top of every hour for 15 minutes | Valentine's Day | Pink, Red |
| February 15 | 10:00 - 10:15 | Statehood Day (National Day) | Red, Blue, White |
| February 15 | 10:15 - 10:30 | International Childhood Cancer Day | Yellow |
| February 16 | 10:00 - 10:15 | State Restoration Day of Lithuania | Yellow, Green, Red |
| February 20 | 10:00 - 10:15 | World Cholangiocarcinoma Awareness Day | Green |
| February 21 | 10:00 - 10:15 | World Thinking Day | Blue |
| February 22 | 10:00 - 10:15 | Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day | Red, Teal |
| February 22 | 10:15 - 10:30 | Coldest Night of the Year | Blue, Yellow, Teal |
| February 23 | 10:00 - 10:15 | World Encephalitis Day | Red |
| February 23 | 10:15 - 10:30 | 3rd Anniversary of the Full Scale War in Ukraine by Russia | Blue, Yellow |
| February 24 | 10:00 - 10:15 | Eating Disorder Awareness Week | Blue, Green |
| February 25 | 10:00 - 10:15 | Kuwait's 64th National Day & 34th Liberation Day | Red, White, Green |
| February 27 | 10:00 - 10:15 | National Independence Day of the Dominican Republic | Blue, White, Red |
| February 28 | 10:00 - 10:15 | Rare Disease Day | Pink, Blue, Purple, Green |
NOTE: Illumination times are approximate and subject to change according to light conditions.
History Of The Illumination Of Niagara Falls
Lighting the Falls to allow visitors to enjoy the beauty of the mighty Niagara even at night was first attempted more than 140 years ago. In 1860, a spectacular illumination of the Falls celebrated a visit by the Prince of Wales. About 200 coloured and white calcium, volcanic, and torpedo lights were placed along the banks above and below the American Falls, on the road down the bank of the Canadian side of the gorge, and behind the water of the Horseshoe Falls. The lights were called Bengal lights and were the kind used at sea to signal for help or give warning.
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