Niagara Falls is one of the most visited destinations in North America — yet just beyond the tourist corridor lies one of Ontario's richest concentrations of abandoned places. A War of 1812 fort whose red brick tower still stands above the Niagara River. An amusement park on Lake Erie whose roller coaster foundations are still visible in the overgrown lakeside landscape. A 19th-century canal system bypassed by modern shipping. Here are 5 of the best abandoned places in Niagara Falls, selected from our Abandoned Places Map Canada — 2,500+ GPS locations across Canada.
Why Niagara Falls Is a Hidden Gem for Urban Exploration
The Niagara Peninsula's urbex landscape spans military fortifications from three wars, the 19th-century canal infrastructure that preceded the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Lake Erie resort culture that flourished and collapsed through the 20th century. The combination of tourism pressure and industrial heritage creates a uniquely layered abandoned landscape within easy reach of both Toronto and Buffalo.
1. Fort Mississauga – Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario — 1814 War of 1812 Fort, Red Brick Tower Built from Ruins of the Burned Town, National Historic Site (Known Location)
Fort Mississauga was built in 1814 from the rubble of Niagara-on-the-Lake after American forces burned the town — the distinctive red brick tower at its centre constructed from the bricks of demolished buildings, giving it a uniquely mournful architectural character. The fort was used for military training during WWI but has had no military purpose since. The earthwork ramparts, the red brick central tower and the Niagara River setting where Lake Ontario meets the river make Fort Mississauga one of the most historically atmospheric and most scenically situated abandoned military sites in Ontario. A National Historic Site accessible within the Niagara-on-the-Lake golf course grounds.
🔗 Learn more: Wikipedia – Fort Mississauga
2. Crystal Beach Amusement Park – Crystal Beach, Ontario — Beloved Lake Erie Resort, Closed 1989, Roller Coaster Foundations Still Visible in the Lakeside Landscape (Known Location)
Crystal Beach Amusement Park on the Lake Erie shore operated from 1888 to 1989 — a beloved summer destination for generations of southwestern Ontario families, featuring the Comet roller coaster, a midway and a lakeside beach. When declining attendance and maintenance costs forced closure, most rides were dismantled but the original foundations, structural remnants and the lakeside landscape of the former park remain. The Comet roller coaster was sold and relocated to New York; its foundations are still visible in the Crystal Beach townsite. One of the most nostalgically charged and most historically evocative abandoned places near Niagara Falls. Exact location available on our Abandoned Places Map Canada.
🔗 Also read: Top 5 Best Abandoned Places in Canada →
3. Abandoned Welland Canal Lock – 1840s-1880s Original Canal Infrastructure, Stone Lock Walls and Sluice Gates Still Standing, Niagara Peninsula (Exclusively on Our Map)
The original Welland Canal connecting Lake Erie to Lake Ontario was built through the Niagara Peninsula in 1829 — a series of wooden and stone locks that allowed ships to bypass Niagara Falls and opened the Great Lakes to commercial navigation. As larger ships required successive canal enlargements in 1845, 1887 and 1932, the original stone lock infrastructure was bypassed and abandoned in place. The 1840s-1880s stone lock walls, original sluice gate hardware and canal prism are still visible at several points along the old Welland Canal route. One of the most historically extraordinary and most accessible abandoned infrastructure sites near Niagara Falls. Exact location available on our Abandoned Places Map Canada.
4. Abandoned Niagara Peninsula Fruit Cannery – 1910s-1940s Processing Plant, Original Canning Equipment and Loading Infrastructure, Niagara Fruit Belt (Exclusively on Our Map)
The Niagara fruit belt — the narrow strip of Ontario south of the escarpment warmed by Lake Ontario's moderating influence — supported a thriving tender fruit industry through the mid-20th century, with dozens of canneries processing peaches, cherries and plums for the Canadian market. A 1910s-1940s fruit cannery in the Niagara region retains the original canning building with period equipment, the orchard-facing loading dock and the company office in advanced decay. One of the most distinctively Niagara Peninsula and most agriculturally specific abandoned places in the region. Exact location available on our Abandoned Places Map Canada.
5. Abandoned Lake Erie Resort Hotel – 1920s-1940s Summer Hotel on the Lake Erie Shore, Grand Veranda Still Standing Above the Beach, Haldimand County (Exclusively on Our Map)
A 1920s-1940s Lake Erie resort hotel in Haldimand County — the original clapboard hotel building with its wide wraparound veranda still facing the lake, the row of guest cottages in various states of decay in the property behind and the original beach access infrastructure. Lake Erie's southern Ontario shore hosted dozens of these summer resort hotels through the 1940s-1960s; when air travel made Florida accessible and the lake's pollution problems discouraged swimming, the resorts emptied within a decade. One of the most nostalgically atmospheric abandoned places accessible from Niagara Falls. Exact location available on our Abandoned Places Map Canada.
Safety Tips
- Niagara River gorge: the Niagara River gorge has extreme current and dangerous edges — never approach the gorge rim and always stay on designated paths near the river
- Old canal sites: original Welland Canal sections may have water-filled sections with unstable banks — always maintain safe distance from canal lock edges
- Never explore alone — always bring at least one other person
The urbex code applies everywhere: "Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints."
❓ FAQ
What is the most famous abandoned place near Niagara Falls?
Fort Mississauga in Niagara-on-the-Lake — a 1814 War of 1812 fort whose distinctive red brick tower was built from the rubble of the burned town. A National Historic Site accessible within the golf course grounds at the mouth of the Niagara River.
What was Crystal Beach Amusement Park?
A beloved Lake Erie resort that operated from 1888 to 1989, featuring the famous Comet roller coaster and attracting generations of southwestern Ontario families. Closed when maintenance costs exceeded revenue; the Comet was sold and moved to New York while the original site foundations remain in Crystal Beach village.
Why does the Niagara Peninsula have so many old canal locks?
The Welland Canal required four successive enlargements — 1829, 1845, 1887 and 1932 — as ships grew larger. Each enlargement bypassed the previous canal alignment, leaving the original stone lock infrastructure in place. The 1840s-1880s stone lock walls are among the oldest surviving canal infrastructure in Canada.
🎯 Summary
The abandoned places near Niagara Falls range from a War of 1812 fort built from the rubble of a burned town to a beloved Lake Erie amusement park closed in 1989 and 19th-century canal locks bypassed by successive enlargements. Each of these 5 abandoned places in Niagara Falls captures a different layer of the peninsula's military, industrial and leisure heritage.
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