While the visual beauty of the powerful falls will always be at the heart of this tourist destination, many people are also drawn by the exciting, dangerous and sometimes sad saga of Niagara's daredevils. The tale of these intrepid, often foolish, men and women is told through artifacts and photography in the Daredevil Museum in Niagara Falls, New York.
Among the items on display at the free museum are barrels and other "vehicles" used by daredevils in recent years. One particularly interesting display shows the barrel in which the first male/female pair went over the falls (1995). Visitors can even get some idea of what the experience must have been like by climbing into one of the specially built devices.
Many visitors are surprised to learn that the first successful attempt to go over the falls in a barrel was made by Annie Taylor, a schoolteacher. Her 1901 trip did not provide the fame and fortune she thought it would. Records indicate that she died in relative poverty.
Niagara Falls has been something of a tourist attraction for nearly 200 years. In those early years, several local businessmen concocted a stunt involving a condemned boat and some apparently unwanted animals. Most of the animals escaped safely. Other trips over the falls included a jet ski trip (unsuccessful) and one by a man with no barrel, jet ski, or any other protection. He survived. The Great Blondin, a native of France, crossed the falls on a tightrope several times, making him one of the most famous and successful of the daredevils challenging Niagara Falls.
