Maid of the Mist opening 2027

When does Maid of the Mist open in 2027?

Not announced yet. Based on the last four seasons, expect a date between early April and early May, most likely in the second half of April.

Opening days move by almost four weeks from year to year. A mild winter in 2024 let the boats out on April 4 (Maid of the Mist), the earliest of recent years. In 2025 heavy ice held things up until May 1 (Maid of the Mist). The 2026 season, the 141st, started on Friday, April 24 at 9 a.m. (Maid of the Mist).

The closing day is steadier: November 3 in 2024, November 2 in 2025 and November 8 in 2026. Watch the schedule page from March. The opening date hangs on the river clearing, so nobody can fix it months ahead.

How does the ice decide when the boat can sail?

Ice from Lake Erie has to flush down the Niagara River and clear the pool below the falls. That cannot start until the ice boom at the lake's outlet is opened, from April 1 at the earliest.

Every winter since 1964 the New York Power Authority and Ontario Power Generation have strung a floating ice boom across the outlet of Lake Erie, near Buffalo. It holds back ice that would otherwise jam the river and block the hydro intakes. Under the International Joint Commission's rules, installation starts when the lake hits 4 degrees Celsius (39 F) or on December 16, whichever comes first, and opening starts on April 1 unless the eastern end of the lake still holds more than 250 square miles of ice.

Once the boom opens, the stored ice runs down the river and over the falls. The boats wait until the Maid of the Mist pool is clear. In 2026 removal began on Monday, April 6 (IJC news releases), and the boat sailed 18 days later. In 2025 the boom came out gradually after April 1 because of heavy ice, and the season slipped to May 1.

The record shows how wide the range can be: boom removal has started as early as February 28 (2012) and as late as May 3 (1971). If you are planning in February, look at how much of Lake Erie is frozen. A white lake in late March means an opening in late April or May.

When does the Canadian boat open?

Niagara City Cruises, the red-poncho boat on the Canadian side, usually opens around May 1. In 2026 it opened on May 1, a week after Maid of the Mist.

The two boats are separate companies. Since spring 2014 the Canadian concession has belonged to Hornblower, now Niagara City Cruises, and Maid of the Mist sails only from Niagara Falls, New York. The Canadian boat tends to open later in spring: May 8 in 2025 and May 1 in 2026, which Clifton Hill put down to unusually heavy ice on Lake Erie.

In practice that means an early-season trip in late April has a better chance on the US side. Toronto day trips such as the Toronto day trip list their boat from May 1, and that boat is the red one, even when a listing calls it "Maid of the Mist".

Can I buy 2027 Maid of the Mist tickets now?

Not until the 2027 schedule is posted. When it is, online tickets work on any day the boat runs that season, so buying early carries no date risk.

The rule on the official page is simple: tickets bought online are valid any day the boat is open during the season, while tickets bought at the ticket office work only on the day of purchase. Boarding is first come, first served either way. There are no time slots to sell out.

Prices for 2027 are not out. Adult tickets were $30.25 in both 2025 and 2026, up from $28.25 in 2023, and children 6 to 12 paid $19.75. A tour is a different purchase: it bundles the boat with pickup, a guide and usually Cave of the Winds, and you choose a date when you book. Our ticket guide compares the two.

When should I book a spring tour?

For travel from mid May, book as soon as your dates are firm. For April and early May, book a tour with free cancellation and a stated replacement, then watch the opening news.

Every tour on this site cancels free up to 24 hours before, which takes most of the gamble out of spring. What you want to avoid is a US-only tour in mid April that lists no plan B. The USA and Canada combo names Journey Behind the Falls as the substitute when the boat is not running, which makes it the safest early-spring pick if you have a passport.

Cave of the Winds is the other moving part. The Hurricane Deck is rebuilt each spring and opens later than the boat: tour listings put it at mid May. If the deck is the point of your trip, aim for late May or June. Memorial Day weekend 2027 (May 29 to 31) is the first busy weekend of the year, and the lines grow from there.

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What else is new for spring 2027?

Journey Behind the Falls on the Canadian side plans a covered, heated viewing platform in spring 2027, and the summer fireworks usually return in mid May.

Niagara Parks is rebuilding Journey Behind the Falls in stages while it stays open: historic tunnel work and a new covered, heated viewing platform are due in spring 2027, and an upgraded Rainbow Platform in spring 2028. That matters for winter and early-spring tours, since it is the standard swap for the boats.

On the US side, expect the usual spring routine: the Hurricane Deck goes back up, the trolley returns, and the nightly 10 p.m. fireworks, which ran from May 15 in 2026 (Niagara Parks), light up the gorge again.

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