So, you’ve decided to have a romantic night in the Honeymoon Capitol of the World: Niagara Falls.

Now, before your wallet panics at the idea of spending all of your money wooing your love at an overpriced tourist trap, I’m here to tell you that you can absolutely have an incredible date night in Niagara for dirt cheap. Believe me: I’ve lived here in the Cataract City my entire life, and I’ve also worked in the tourism business for nearly a decade now. I know where the steals and deals are, and more importantly, I know that there’s a lot of FREE things here in Niagara.

So, let’s take a look at some great options for your ultimate romantic night!

Start on the US side

Let’s start off with Niagara’s best kept secret: the American side is an absolute gem.

The Canadian side of Niagara Falls is built for tourism. While this adds convenience to your average vacation, this also means that many of the famous features of that side are there to make you spend.

By comparison, Niagara Falls State Park is free (although parking is a modest $10-$15 for an all-day pass). The natural beauty of the State Park is simply stunning. In addition, much of Niagara Falls USA is local: as long as you’re avoiding an obvious tourist trap you’re going to get great deals.

As a bonus, Niagara County has a flat 8% tax rate, which avoids the compound taxes and “tourism fees” found over in Canada.

Now, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go to Canada. In fact, we’ll be visiting the Great White North later in this post. It’s just a fact that you can get a lot more for your dollar here on the US side, especially if you know what you’re doing.

Eat Like a Local ($10-$20/person

If you want the best dinner deals in Niagara, stay away from the tourist hubs.

Of course, the food at places like the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino is delicious, but if you’re on a budget, you’ll get far more bang for your buck going farther away from downtown.

The restaurants along Pine Avenue and Niagara Falls Boulevard are true local staples. Places like Michael’s or Pho Golden give you incredible portions of award-winning food at shockingly low prices.

If you’re an all-you-can-eat junkie, Niagara Falls Buffet on the Boulevard is a wide variety of unlimited Chinese food for ~$15-$19 depending on the day of the week.

If you’re adamant that you don’t want to leave downtown, Street Cafe’s entire menu is under $15. If you really want quality ambiance on a budget, the Red Coach Inn’s lunch menu is very fairly priced. I’d just suggest avoiding dinner, as the price is significantly higher for that menu.

Local Sweets for your Sweet (~$5/person)

You can’t have a nice date without a dessert. Luckily, the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute has you covered.

NFCI is famous for Savor: an upscale restaurant that is surprisingly affordable. That being said, if you’re looking to keep it really affordable, stop into La Patisserie. The institute’s bakery has the best cupcakes, tarts and pastries in Niagara Falls, and pretty much everything is under $5. You could split an entremet, or splurge and buy two exceptionally delicious cupcakes that will leave your partner with those cartoon hearts floating around their head.

Head to Canada for the fireworks ($1 toll/person)

Just a heads up: this option is *seasonal*, and there won’t be fireworks at Niagara Falls on Valentines Day (although I’m sure you can create your own sparks after having this awesome date night).

Fireworks at Niagara Falls happen nightly from Victoria Day/Memorial Day to around mid-October. The fireworks are usually at 10pm on those summer nights, but I would recommend checking Canada for updates.

Pro tip: walking across the border is significantly faster (and cheaper) than driving. If you parked in Niagara Falls State Park 1, the pedestrian access to the Rainbow Bridge is right in the lot. You will need $1 in quarters to return to the US, and the change machine is often out of coins, so make sure you plan accordingly. If you visit Canada looking like an old arcade junkie, you’ll be a national hero to the tourists.

Once you’ve made it across, the best spot to view the fireworks is the overlook facing the American Falls. Table Rock and the Horseshoe is too far away, since the fireworks are shot from the Niagara City Cruises boat dock area.

The fireworks show lasts about 5 minutes on average, after which there is usually a mad dash of traffic. I’d recommend hanging around the falls longer to avoid these backups (especially the delay at Customs from everyone else who read this post). This would be a good time for a nighttime stroll at the park.

Be Creative

The best part of being surrounded by natural beauty is that enjoying the vibes is absolutely free. If you enjoy hiking or birding, we have over 15 miles of trails for you and your partner to explore our Important Bird Area, beautiful flora, and powerful natural landscapes.

There are even free destinations like the Castellani Art Museum that would make the perfect cute date spot…or if you’re a huge nerd like me you might prefer the NYPA Power Vista.

No matter how you decide to spend your day, I’m sure that you’ll have a day to remember here in Niagara no matter your budget. Whether you’re coming from Buffalo or Boise, there’s something for everyone right here at the Falls!

Having the date of your dreams? Found something I missed? Leave a comment! Don’t forget to follow the blog for everything Niagara Falls.

-Sheepie ❤