Since its maiden voyage in 1846, the Maid of the Mist has ferried passengers across the Niagara River below Niagara Falls. It is one of the oldest tourist attractions in North America.
The first Maid of the Mist boat was a side-wheel, steamboat ferry with two smokestacks that operated from 1846 to 1854. The second, a single-stack, paddle-wheel steamer, operated through 1860, while the third carried passengers from 1885 to 1955. The modern fleet was launched in 1955, and its boats operated through the 1980s and 1990s until the launch of the line's newest boats in 1990 and 1997, respectively.
As of 2010, two, 600-passenger Maid of the Mist boats conduct daily tours. The Maid of the Mist VI and the Maid of the Mist VII measure 80 feet in length and use two, 350-horsepower engines to handle the rigors of the falls' powerful current.
Tours run daily from April through October. Boats depart every 15 minutes from either Niagara Reservation State Park at Prospect Point on the American side or Queen Victoria Park at the Maid of the Mist Plaza on the Canadian side. Rides last about 30 minutes.
As of 2010, a U.S. ticket costs $7.85 for a child and $13.50 for an adult. Children under five are admitted free of charge. Group and educational ticket rates are also available depending on the number of passengers.
The Maid of the Mist tour has welcomed a variety of esteemed passengers including then-Prince of Wales, Edward VIII in 1860, former U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt in 1901 and Marylin Monroe in 1952, as well as a string of international dignitaries, princes and kings.
