Table Rock was a large shelf of rock that jutted out from the Canadian shore of
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls is a city in Ontario, Canada, adjacent to, and named after, Niagara Falls. As of the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census, the city had a population of 94,415. The city is located on the Niagara Peninsula along the western bank of the ...
, just north of the present day observation and commercial complex. Revealed in the mid-18th century as the
Horseshoe Falls receded, Table Rock was the first major vantage point for tourists of the early and mid-19th century.
In 1818, the first part of the rock collapsed, followed by minor rockfalls in 1828 and 1829. The most notable rockfall occurred in July 1850, when roughly one-third of the point collapsed into the
Niagara Gorge
Niagara Gorge is an long canyon carved by the Niagara River along the Canada–United States border, between the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. It begins at the ...
. A driver was washing his carriage on the point when the rock structure gave way. The man escaped, but the carriage was destroyed.
[Seibel, George A.: "Ontario's Niagara Parks", p. 20. Niagara Parks Commission, 1995]
Further rockfalls occurred in 1853, 1876 and 1897. For safety purposes (with the Ontario Powerhouse directly in the gorge below), the remaining rock was blasted in 1935.
Table Rock is a popular stop for tourists. During the winter months, the site's proximity to the mists from
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the Canada–United States border, border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York (s ...
causes the shelf and surrounding areas to be covered by a thin sheath of ice, which has been captured by many photographers.
The
Table Rock Welcome Centre
The Table Rock Welcome Centre (also known as Table Rock Centre and formerly as Table Rock House) is a retail and observation complex located in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada at the brink of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, several hundred feet sout ...
is located on
Niagara Parkway and is linked to the higher
Fallsview Tourist Area by the
Falls Incline Railway
The Falls Incline Railway, originally known as the Horseshoe Falls Incline is a type of funicular railway (an inclined elevator) in the city of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. It is located beside Niagara Falls at the Horseshoe Falls. The line w ...
.
All three present day We Go Tourist bus lines (red, green, and blue) all run through the bus platforms at Table Rock.
References
Table Rock Point
External links
*
Images of Table RockNiagara Falls Public Library (Ont.)
Art works of Table RockNiagara Falls Public Library (Ont.)
{{Niagara Falls
Buildings and structures in Niagara Falls, Ontario
Geography of Niagara Falls, Ontario