Maid of the Mist has been a defining Niagara Falls attraction since its name first appeared in 1846, when it began as a ferry linking travel between New York City and Toronto before shifting to sightseeing after bridge traffic reduced demand. The service evolved from steam-powered wooden boats to steel diesel vessels and, since 2020, to battery-powered electric boats. Closely tied to the Glynn family’s ownership and expansion of the company, it has carried generations of visitors into the gorge for close views of the falls, figured in a dramatic 1960 rescue, and remained a central part of Niagara’s tourism, transportation, and engineering history.