Last Updated on: 19th June 2023, 06:42 pm
Wondering what to buy in Niagara Falls? When you visit a place this popular and kitschy, you have some great options to choose from! Here are my top choices for Niagara Falls souvenirs and gifts to pick up while you’re here!
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My Favorite Travel Booking Sites for 2023
These are my favorite companies that I use on my own travels.
Protect Your Trip via Safety Wing
Find the best city tours, day tours, bus tours, & skip-the-line tickets on GetYourGuide and Viator.
Find the best deals on hotels & vacation rentals on Booking.com.
For English-speaking private airport transfers, book through Welcome Pickups.
For road trips and independent travel, rent a car through Discover Cars.
Find information and cruise reviews on Cruise Critic.
For packing and travel essentials order via Amazon.
Book an affordable family or romantic photography session on your trip through Flytographer (Use the code HISTORYFANGIRL for 10% off your first photoshoot).
For travel guidebooks to have with you during your trip, I always pick one or two from Rick Steves and Lonely Planet.
The Best Niagara Falls Souvenirs & Gifts
In no particular order…
Niagara Falls Water
If you’re the type who picks up a bit of sand from the beach as a souvenir, you’ll love getting a bottle of Niagara Falls water!
You can find it for sale at souvenir shops. The water is taken from the river after it’s already gone over the falls. It comes in crystal clear as well as colored varieties.
Icewine
Niagara is one of the most famous wine regions in North America. You can plan a wine tour on the Niagara Wine trail and pick up a few bottles during your tasting. Or you can find bottles for sale in town. Just make sure you get local Niagara wine!
I think the coolest type to get is Ice Wine (pun intended)! Ice wine is made from grapes that are frozen while still on the vine, producing a sweeter dessert wine.
Hershey’s Chocolate
Maybe it’s just because, after four years of living in Europe, I miss Hershey’s chocolate so much, but I think Hershey’s chocolate from Chocolate World makes a great Niagara Falls gift for you to take back to the office. This is a great option if you’re coming to Niagara Falls from overseas where Hershey’s chocolate isn’t available!
Hershey’s isn’t from New York (rather from Pennsylvania), but the dedicated store in Niagara Falls is one of the only ones in the world.
Maple Syrup
I have this on my list of the best Montreal souvenirs too, but when in Canada you must have some maple syrup! You can get a little extra Canadian by picking up one of the souvenir bottles that come in a maple leaf-shaped bottle.
Children’s Toys
If you’re looking for a Niagara Falls gift for kids, there are tons of great toys and kid’s books for sale around town. You can pick from cute stuffed animals to falls-related toys to puzzles and games. There are also educational items and books if you want to inspire as well as teach.
Lavender
Lavender souvenirs are some of my favorite items to get anywhere in the world! Did you know there are lavender farms outside of Niagara Falls?
If you want to tour the farms and get lavender Instagram pictures, then arrange to spend some time on the actual farms. Otherwise, look for locally-grown lavender products for sale in town. You can pick up anything from soap to laundry sachets to lavender essential oil.
Model Maid of the Mist of Hornblower
The American Main in the Mist and the Canadian Hornblower are two Niagara Falls mainstays. You can find miniature versions for sale to take home with you! This is another great option for children’s gifts from Niagara Falls.
Local Jewelry
I love buying locally made jewelry on my travels! One of my favorite souvenirs of all time was a handmade leather bracelet in Montreal.
The key to finding great local jewelry is to skip the mass-produced stuff for sale in the souvenir stores and look for boutique stores and places that specialize in more artistic goods.
Anything Vintage
Niagara Falls has been one of the most popular tourist destinations in North America for over a hundred years. It’s been so popular for so long that Oscar Wilde has some pretty funny quotes about Niagara Falls as a honeymoon destination.
This means that there have been souvenirs produced here as long as people have been traveling. You can find some amazing vintage Niagara Falls souvenirs on eBay, but it’s even more fun to scour second-hand and antique shops when you’re nearby.
If you can’t find any authentic vintage souvenirs, pick up a cool reproduction.
Rain Gear
The image of poncho-clad tourists is one of the most famous sites at the falls. Why not keep the memory of your trip alive by picking up some rain gear as your Niagara Falls memento?
Of course, if you plan on visiting Niagara Falls in winter, you won’t be able to get up close to the falls, but you will want to bring your winter weather gear since it’s cold!
Books about Niagara Falls
One secret that a lot of people don’t know is that while, yes, you can get almost every book on Amazon, there are a ton of locally-produced books that never make it to the global marketplace.
Books that are only of interest to people in a particular place tend to get printed and sold there, and nowhere else. So if you see a cool book about Niagara Falls, whether it’s a novel or a history, you might want to snap it up (or at least confirm that it isn’t on Amazon). That way you don’t find out later that you can’t get it anywhere else on Earth.
This is especially true for any book you see for sale in a museum or a gift shop!
A Niagara Falls Penny
No, I don’t typically think stretched pennies make great souvenirs, but in Niagara Falls I’ll make an exception. This kitschy throwback souvenir is the perfect fit for something a small and cheap Niagara Falls souvenir.
Something Barrel-Inspired
The Daredevils that spent their time trying to perfect how to go over the falls in all kinds of contraptions left their mark on the city. It’s not just a pretty waterfall – it’s got a certain vintage charm that’s a credit to these stuntmen and stuntwomen.
If you see any barrel-themed items like small charms or even models, pick one up! These are the kinds of gifts from Niagara Falls that wouldn’t make sense to get anywhere else.
Canadian Flag Souvenirs
If you’re an American and you’re planning your first trip to Canada, then pick up something a little extra Canadian! Sure, you’re just over the border, but you are 100% in Canada.
I like small flag souvenirs like keychains and patches, but there are larger items as well.
American Flag Souvenirs
This is the reverse of my advice above. If you’re Canadian and this is your first trip to the USA, definitely check out the red, white, and blue souvenirs available on the American side!
Something Fancy from Duty-Free
If you’ll be crossing the border during your trip, take advantage of the opportunity to hit up the Duty-Free store! Keep in mind that things aren’t that much cheaper than back home, but it’s great to get a small discount on something nice like name brand sunglasses or fancy candies.
Niagara Falls Kitsch
If you have a typical kitschy souvenir that you buy wherever you go – think spoons, t-shirts, magnets, bells, etc – rest assured that you will easily find these when you’re shopping in Niagara Falls.
The “Honeymoon Capital of the Wolrd” is full of souvenir stores that have every kind of typical souvenir you can think of!
5 Things to Pack for Your Trip to Niagara Falls
The Lonely Planet New York or Lonely Planet Canada guidebook (depending on your plans). It can be kind of a pain to find the major guidebooks once you land, or you’ll find them overpriced. I always like to pick mine up ahead of time.
An Unlocked Cell Phone so that you can use a local sim card while here to help navigate public transportation and when you’re on the road. (For people without local cell phone plans).
Backup Charging Bank for your cell phone since you’ll be using it as a camera, GPS, and general travel genie.
A Camera since Niagara Falls is super photogenic. I use a mix of my Nikon D810 and my Samsung8 smartphone these days.
A Great Day Bag so you can carry what you need with you (like your camera, snacks, water, sunscreen, cash, etc). My current favorite is the Pacsafe Citysafe, which is especially great for Niagara Falls because it has many anti-theft features designed to deter pickpockets. It also transitions to a night bag more easily and won’t embarrass you if you go to dinner directly after sightseeing all day.
More Niagara Falls Travel Resources
If you are still in the process of planning your trip, check out my Niagara Falls itinerary. Once you’re there, you can use these great Niagara Falls quotes and Niagara Falls puns for photo captions and statuses.
Don’t Forget About Travel Insurance!
Before you leave for Niagara Falls make sure you have a valid Travel Insurance Policy because accidents happen on the road. I pay for World Nomads, and I happily recommend them. It’s especially important to get travel insurance if you’ll be hanging out in popular tourist spots like Niagara Falls.
I have been a paying customer of World Nomads for travel insurance for three years, and I happily recommend them. If you get sick, injured, or have your stuff stolen, you’ll be happy to have the ability to pay for your medical bills or replace what’s stolen or broken.
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