The Horseshoe Falls in winter. MIKE DIBATTISTA/QMI AGENCY

10 best winter activities in Niagara Falls

When temperatures drop in tourist destinations that are busiest in summer, prices do too. Take Niagara Falls, where lower hotel rates are available and there are some good deals on major attractions.

The Niagara Falls Parks Commission has cut the price of its Niagara Magic Pass by up to 30%.

It gets you into these:

-- Journey Behind the Falls, in which you take an elevator 45 metres down through bedrock to the foot of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. Tunnels lead to two portals located one-third of the way behind the falls.

-- Niagara's Fury: The Creation of the Falls, billed as kid-friendly 4-D attraction that looks back 10,000 years to the time when the falls were created.

-- Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory, where more than 2,000 butterflies fly free. I first visited this attraction shortly after it opened in 1996. Leaving raw, damp weather for a tropical setting with lush vegetation and a waterfall was tonic enough; having a "flutterby," as kids sometimes call them, land on me was pure magic. (Wear something red or yellow; the colour attracts many species). TripAdvisor contributors rank the conservatory second only to the Falls.

Also included with the pass are coupons for other activities and two consecutive days of bus transportation on WEGO, which moves visitors between attractions in the city and those on Niagara Parks land.

From now through April 14, 2013, the adult pass (ages 13 and up) that normally goes for $43.34 is $29.95. The one for kids 6-12 has had a token reduction -- from $26.98 to $25.95. These can be ordered by at niagaraparks.com/magic-pass.html. For information on accommodations, visit niagarafallstourism.com/hotel-deals/.