Bird Kingdom (Niagara Falls)

My son loves animals - he so far has no dislikes in the Animal Kingdom. Cockroaches? Bring them on! Tarantulas? No biggie, mommy, can we have a pet tarantula? Snakes? Oh, his #1 lately (since the spring, when he had a chance to hold a garden snake). Turtles? Always been in love with them. Dogs? It's a good thing there is a city limit on the # of dogs a household can have. Cats? They're soooo cute, mommy, can we get one?

You name it - and he'll be willing to have it as a pet.

We (the parents) are still debating if we need one more pet in this house. Grandma is trying to convince us we don't :) Until then - we visit all sort of museums, zoos, exhibitions - and every time we leave the place with the same thought in the child's mind: we need a new pet.

Sunday we discovered one more animal place in the neighbourhood: the Bird Kingdom, the largest free-flying indoor aviary in the world, located in Niagara Falls. I am not sure when they open, first time I saw the building was in the summer (and we go to Niagara quite often), so maybe it's a new one.

All I know is that I was charmed (forget about the child, he was mesmerized) - so much so that we went through the whole thing twice! I have never seen so many beautiful birds all in one place. And they were completely free to roam around... I felt I was in a colourful tweeting jungle! Oh... and the chirping and singing!

The birds living in their natural habitat is not the only exhibit. There are also a collection of saltwater fish, spiders, bats, snakes, skinks, and reptiles too, all of which make their home in the same tropical environment the birds flourish in.

If you need about 90 minutes (that's how long one tour takes :)) of peace and beauty: make a visit to Bird Kingdom in Niagara Falls. You won't regret the money spent. The children will have lots and lots of fun: they can pet Lola - a huge albino Python - and Fernando - an iguana. They can feed the colourful and noisy Rainbow Lorikeets. And nothing compares to the flutter of a bird's wings when they pass you... maybe the flutter of a butterfly wings - and for that you can just visit another of our beloved places (just minutes away): the Niagara Falls Butterfly Conservatory.

Enjoy your aviary visit!

Note: I am in no way affiliated to the Bird Kingdom, and I get no monetary rewards from this article. We have simply enjoyed an afternoon of fun and I wanted to share the experience :)

P.S. Tip: if you order your tickets online you save about $3 per ticket.