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When inventor Nikola Tesla thought of the Niagara Falls, he saw it not just as a stunning display of nature’s might and majesty but as a way to create energy for human endeavors.
In elementary school, Nikola Tesla saw a picture of Niagara Falls and dreamed of using water to generate power. In 1893, he turned that dream into reality by working on the world’s first hydroelectric power station with George Westinghouse.
Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse built the first hydro-electric power plant in Niagara Falls and started the electrification of the world. Adam's Power Station (Power House No. 3), the only remains of the old Niagara Falls Power Plant, may become a science museum.
It was Tesla who presented the vision of a well-lit Niagara Falls, creating an utterly unforgettable and picturesque view for visitors. By converting the hydroelectric power into artificial light, Tesla's groundbreaking use of hydroelectric power set the Falls aglow.
In fact, he was the mastermind behind harnessing the awesome natural power of the Falls to generate electricity. Originally born in Serbia (now Croatia) in 1856, Tesla arrived in America with four cents in his pockets and a recommendation letter to Thomas Edison, who hired Tesla to work for him.
The Niagara Falls Gazette reported that day, "The turning of a switch in the big powerhouse at Niagara completed a circuit which caused the Niagara River to flow uphill."
On July 19, 1896, Tesla visited Niagara Falls hydroelectric plant, the game-changing power system based on nine of Tesla’s patents for generating alternating current (AC) electricity. Its success led to the international creation of hydroelectric stations, now the most widely used form of renewable energy in the world. Read more.
On July 19 Nikola Tesla visited the Niagara Falls Power Company's Power House with George Westinhouse and others. Westinhouse sent his Pullman car to bring Tesla to Pittsburgh plant first.
He designed the first hydroelectric power plant by harnessing the power of the waterfalls. The first power went to homes nearby Niagara Falls, Buffalo precisely, in November 1896. The construction took three years. As a reminder today, a statue of Tesla on Goat Island stands over the falls.
ONTARIO PROVINCIAL CELEBRATION NIKOLA TESLA DAY FESTIVAL July 12, 2025 – Oakes Garden Theatre 5825 River Rd, Niagara Falls, ON L2G 3K9 Niagara Falls, Canada BUY TICKET HERE