Things To Do in Welland

At Peaks Indoor Rock Climbing, seasoned instructors introduce bipeds to the world of vertical crawling during lessons on more than 60 textured walls. During each session, tutors impart the basic techniques of climbing and belaying while also covering safety tips and the mental benefits of the sport’s myriad challenges. Membership packages grant access to rental harnesses for use of the facility's rugged walls, cracks, overhands, and climbing caves. In order to ensure everyone’s safety, introductory lessons are mandatory for all beginning climbers, whether or not they were raised by a trip of mountain goats.

Niagara Go-Karts entertains entire families with the leisurely competition of miniature golf and the fast-paced fishtailing of more than 40 racing-style go-karts. Double-seated family karts let children 10 and older play copilot while parents practice high-speed chaperoning. For faster-paced driving, 13-horsepower engines propel realistic Formula 1 karts to high speeds under the control of drivers 14 and older. For the safety of all drivers, each kart features a roll bar, seatbelt, and outside bumper cage.

Outside of the driver's seat, a pastoral collection of wild flowers, safari animals, and indigenous astro turf decorates a mini putt course that's flecked with a barrage of amusing obstacles. All-day pricing allows for unlimited rounds from open until close.

The 12-foot-wide vertical wind tunnel at Niagara Freefall and Interactive Center stretches 20 feet to the ceiling. Inside, it churns with currents of recirculating air—a system that allows its operators to control the wind conditions and temperature regardless of outside weather. Padded walls and floors, as well as trained instructors, keep those inside safe as they're borne aloft by currents of up to 120 miles per hour. Instructors prepare adventurers—who may be as young as 7 years old—for these turbulent conditions during preflight training sessions, during which they divulge flight physics, safety, and communication hand signals. They also encase their visitors in all necessary safety gear, such as helmets, pads, flight suits, and invisible force fields.

The six hard courts at Welland Indoor Tennis Club play host to friendly matches, leagues, and clinics conducted from October to April each year. Committed members and a welcoming staff of enthusiastic instructors run the inviting non-profit facility and readily help beginners, intermediate players, and professionals perfect strokes and secure facial tissue for post-Wimbledon nasal drip. Check out the schedule to plan ahead for court time.

It is estimated that 3,500 snow leopards currently make their home in the wild, where they use their claws and predatory stealth to scale central-Asian cliffsides in search of wild goats and rabbits. These secretive cats rarely let out so much as a purr, preferring solitude to contact with humans and even each other. Nevertheless, humans have helped their dwindling population grow in recent years through conservation efforts at zoos and habitats throughout the world.

Safari Niagara counts itself among the world’s safest havens for these downy cats. In working with the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the animal park provides a home for snow leopards and more than 500 other species of mammals, reptiles, and birds. The park’s conservationists lead educational presentations on threatened species and aim to shape children into the world’s future caretakers through up-close interactions with the park’s most social residents. Alpacas, river otters, grey wolves, and falcons are among the many animals that prowl the 110-acre facility, which also hosts an amphitheater where guests can watch musicians shimmy and shake in their natural habitat.

The outdoor enthusiasts at Play Hard Niagara outfit visitors for romps on the water, beach, and street. Gear rentals ranging from sit-on-top kayaks to bikes equip explorers for adventures throughout the Port Colborne area, including trips along the old canal and Lake Erie shoreline. For a small fee, Play Hard's staff delivers equipment to nearby locations for full-day rentals. Back in Crystal Beach, the shop displays a multitude of recreational equipment, ranging from land-bound scooters to surf gear that stands ready to skim over a cresting wave or through layers of the upper atmosphere.