Darwin D. Martin House
125 Jewett Parkway
Buffalo, NY
716-856-3858.
Admission charged includes tour of the Martin house and Graycliff, the Martin family's summer home on Lake Erie.
Master designer and architect Frank Lloyd Wright went to Buffalo to design the headquarters of a soap company, and executives were so impressed by his work that several commissioned him to design homes. The 1904 Darwin D. Martin House in North Buffalo is a classic example of Wright's Prairie style. The house is undergoing renovation but is still open for tours Saturday at 10 am and 1 pm and Sunday at 1 pm. Advance reservations are required.
Graycliff is a summer home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Darwin D. Martin family. Tours are April-October Tuesday-Thursday at 11 am and 2 pm, Friday at 3 pm, Saturday at 11 am and 3 pm, and Sunday at 1 pm and 4 pm
Albright-Knox Art Gallery
1285 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo. Phone 716-882-8700.
Tuesday-Saturday 11 am-5 pm, Sunday noon-5 pm. Admission charged.
Free admission to the permanent collection Saturday 11 am-1 pm.
Often ranked as one of the country's top museums for modern art, with works by Picasso, Matisse, van Gogh, Monet and other masters
Amherst Museum
Restored historic buildings from the 1800s in a 35-acre/14-hectare park. Living-history demonstrations and tours are offered. The park is open April-October Tuesday-Friday 9:30 am-4:30 pm, Saturday and Sunday 12:30-4:30 pm; mid October-March Tuesday-Friday 9:30 am-4:30 pm. The historic buildings are open April-October only. US$5 adults, US$1.50 children. 3755 Tonawanda Creek Road (about 16 mi/26 km northeast of downtown Buffalo), Amherst. Phone 716-689-1440. http://www.amherstmuseum.org.
Burchfield-Penney Arts Center
Buffalo State College, Rockwell Hall
1300 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo.
716-878-6011
Tuesday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm, Sunday 1-5 pm. Admission Charged
Displays the world's largest collection of works by renowned American watercolorist Charles E. Burchfield. Handcrafted items from the Roycroft Arts and Crafts community in nearby East Aurora also are showcased.
African American Cultural Center
350 Masten Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14209
716-884-2013
Hours: Box Office: Mon-Thu, 9am-9pm, Fri - Sat, 10am-6pm. Only open on Sun during productions, 3pm.
Admission Charged
The AACC is home to the Paul Robeson Theatre, a showcase for the talents of African American playwrights, directors and actors, as well as home of the Drum Performance Company.
Michigan Avenue Baptist Church
511 Michigan Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14203
716-854-7976
Hours: Call for additional information
Admission Free
Michigan Avenue Baptist Church is Buffalo's best known underground railroad site. It is believed to be the oldest property continuously owned, operated and occupied by African-Americans in Western New York.
Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens
2655 South Park Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14218
716-827-1584
Hours: 10 am-5 pm Tuesday through Sunday, with additional hours (until 7pm) Thursday. Closed on Monday.
Admission Free
Come take a stroll through the most intact Frederick Law Olmsted landscape and arboretum in the country. Exotic horticultural treasures from different climates can be found in the Victorian Tri-dome glass conservatory. Visit the annual flower shows and see perhaps the largest collection of ivy in the world.
Buffalo Zoological Gardens
300 Parkside Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14214
716- 837-3900
Hours: Jun 1 - Sep 6, 10am-5pm; Sep 7 - Dec 31, 10am-4pm. Grounds remain open one hour after gate closes. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Admission Charged
The Zoo is a wonderful place for family fun, all year long! It's the only place in town to observe a wide variety of exotic and domestic animals in a natural setting.
Broadway Market
999 Broadway
Buffalo, NY 14212
716-893-0705
Hours: Mon - Fri, 8am - 5pm; Sat, 7am - 5pm. Closed Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Easter Sunday.
Admission Free
Established in 1888, the Broadway Market is one of the oldest indoor markets in the United States. The market features old-world butcher shops and bakeries, candy shops and restaurants with an assortment of ethnic food vendors.
Forest Lawn Cemetery and Garden Mausoleums
1411 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14209
716-885-1600
Hours: Winter 7:30am-6pm; Summer 7:30am-5pm. Open holidays.
Admission Free
A breathtaking 269-acre cemetery designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, founded 1849with outstanding examples of funerary art. On the State and National registers of historic places.
Q-R-S Music Technologies
1026 Niagara Street
Buffalo, NY 14213
716-885-4600 or 800-247-6557
Hours: Tours Mon - Fri, 10am & 2pm ONLY. Open year-round except holidays. Reservations preferred.
Admission Charged
Established in 1900, Q-R-S is the world's oldest and largest manufacturer of player piano rolls. Tour the factory to see how piano rolls are made. Historic instruments, as well as the latest compact disc player pianos on display. Rolls, CDs and tapes are available for purchase.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
641 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14202
716-884-0095
Hours: Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm; Sat & Sun, noon - 5pm. Closed holidays.
Admission Charged
Historic house museum where Theodore Roosevelt was inaugurated as the 26th President in 1901.
Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society
25 Nottingham Court (at Elmwood Avenue)
Buffalo, NY 14216
716-873-9644
Hours: Mon - Sat, 10am - 5pm; Sun, noon - 5pm. Open year round except major holidays.
Admission Charged
History lives here! The Historical Society offers engaging interpretive activities and exhibits for all ages utilizing its vast artifact, photograph and document collections to tell the stories of both ordinary and extraordinary people of Buffalo and WNY.
Buffalo & Erie County Naval and Military Park
One Naval Park Cove
Buffalo, NY 14202
716-847-1773
Hours: Apr - Oct, daily, 10am - 5pm; Nov, Sat - Sun, 10am - 4:30pm. Open holidays.
Admission Charged
This Buffalo waterfront attraction is purported to be the largest inland park of its kind in the nation. All branches of the Armed Forces are represented in the park's exhibits. Tour the decks and hulls of a guided missile cruiser, destroyer and WWII submarine. Inspect uniforms and memorabilia in the museum and exhibits aboard the ships. See planes, a tank and more!
Buffalo Fire Historical Museum
1850 William Street
Buffalo, NY 14206-1449
716-892-8400
Hours: Sat, 10am - 4pm. Closed holidays.
Admission Free
Dating from the 1850s, exhibits include an 1850 hand-pumper, an 1865 soda/acid cart, a 1907 hose wagon and steamer and a 1919 Arhens-Fox pumper.
Buffalo Museum of Science
1020 Humboldt Parkway
Buffalo, NY 14211
716-896-5200
Hours: Tue - Sat, 10am - 5pm; Sun, noon - 5pm. Museum hours subject to change. Closed Holidays.
Admission Charged
An exciting world of hands-on learning in the Greater Niagara Region. From dinosaurs to exotic insects, explore more than a dozen fun filled exhibit halls tracing natural history and the human experience.
Buffalo Transportation/Pierce Arrow Museum
263 Michigan Avenue at 201 Seneca Street
Buffalo, NY 14202
716-853-0084
Hours: Sat 12pm-5pm; tours by appointment.
Admission Charged
Western New York-made automobiles, cycles, and automobilia focuses on local transportation history. Cars from 1901 to the 1960s, muscle cars, Pierce-Arrow, Thomas Flyers and more. Unique “Women and the Automobile” exhibit presents an in-depth look at the role women played in all phases of the automobile industry throughout the 20th Century.
Cofeld Judaic Museum of Temple Beth Zion
805 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14209
716-836-6565
Hours: Call for additional information
Admission Charged
Collection of more than a thousand Judaic artifacts dating from 10th Century to the present.
Iron Island Museum
998 Lovejoy Street
Buffalo, NY 14206-1123
716-892-3084
Hours: Mon, 2pm - 6pm; Thu, 5pm - 9pm; Fri & Sat, 10am - 1pm, or by appointment. Closed Labor Day, Christmas & New Year's Day.
Admission Charged
Historic 1895 building with three rooms of artifacts including railroad history, military items, Hennepin Park memories, New York Central Terminal gallery and model.
The Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum
453 Porter Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14201
716-885-4139
Hours: Mon - Sat, 10am - 5pm; Sun, 1pm - 5pm. Call for holiday hours.
Admission Free
Buffalo is one of seven U.S. cities to house a Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum. Exhibit highlights include the Wright Brothers, the Louisiana Purchase, the early history of the Bible, and great classical music composers.
Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society Museum
66 Erie Street
Buffalo, NY 14202
716-849-0914
Hours: Tue, Thu & Sat, 10am - 3pm.
Admission Charged
The museum - the former Howard H. Baker Company's ship chandlery built in 1830 - houses an extensive collection of maritime history relating to the creation of the Erie Canal. Photos, newspaper articles, model ships and wartime vessels are included in the displays of the 130-year history of boat building in Buffalo.
Mark Twain Museum of Buffalo
249 North Street
Buffalo, NY 14201
716-881-1454
Hours: Tours by advance reservation only. Sat. 10am, Sun. 1pm, Wed. 1pm.
Admission Charged
Learn about Mark Twain's time in Buffalo and the colorful history of the museum's 1877 mansion home, designed by noted architect Richard Waite.
Mark Twain Room
1 Lafayette Square
Buffalo, NY 14203-1887
716-858-8900
Hours: Sep - May, Mon - Wed, Fri & Sat, 8:30am - 6pm; Thu, 8:30am - 8pm; Sun, 1pm - 5pm. Closed holidays.
Admission Free
The Mark Twain Room features the original handwritten manuscript of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," as well as an extensive collection of unique editions and Twain memorabilia covering 2 city blocks. The Central Library offers a host of resources for researchers, students and visitors, and the general public.
Buffalo City Hall Observation Tower
65 Niagara Square
Buffalo, NY 14202
716-851-5891
Hours: Mon. to Fri. 9am-4pm. Closed holidays and weekends.
Admission Charged
This commanding art-deco building dominates Niagara Square. The 21 exterior friezes represent the city's cultural and economic life. In the lobby, a colorful mosaic ceiling and murals depict Buffalo's history. Take the elevator to the 28th-floor observation deck for spectacular views of Lake Erie and the city.
Miss Buffalo/Niagara Clipper Cruise Boats
79 Marine Drive (business office)
Buffalo, NY 14202
Erie Basin Marina (dock location)
Downtown Buffalo
716-856-6696 or 800-244-8684
Hours: May to October. Public cruises available Tue.-Sun
Admission Charged
Providing narrated tours and dining cruises from the picturesque Erie Basin Marina in downtown Buffalo. Cruise the scenic waters of the Buffalo waterfront while viewing the city's magnificent skyline.
Other Nearby Attractions
Niagara Falls (20 miles NW of Buffalo)
Aquarium of Niagara
701 Whirlpool Street
Niagara Falls, NY 14301
716-285-3575 or 800-500-4609
Hours: Call for days and hours of operation, closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
Admission Charged
Dive into an ocean of discovery at Niagara's other water wonder! There are over 40 aquatic exhibits, including California sea lion demonstrations, harbor seals, and a colony of endangered Peruvian penguins.
Motherland Connextions
471 Hyde Park Boulevard
Niagara Falls, NY 14303
716-282-1028
Hours: Mon - Fri, 9am–5pm; Sat., 9am-2pm year round except Sundays and holidays.
Offering Underground Railroad tours, slideshows and mobile classrooms that make heritage tourism exciting. Understand the Underground Railroad by following the footsteps of those brave and hearty souls who took the secret passageways north to Canada.
Seneca Niagara Casino
310 Fourth Street
Niagara Falls, NY 14303
716-299-1100
Hours: Open 7 days a week, call for additional information
Admission Free
Located in New York, just a few blocks from the majestic falls, the new Seneca Niagara Casino offers favorite table games and the latest coin-operated slots, plus a fabulous buffet restaurant, a pub, and a spectacular raised lounge in the center of the gaming floor.
Niagara Aerospace Museum
345 Third Street
Niagara Office Building
Niagara Falls, NY 14303
716-278-0060
Hours: Call for additional information
Admission Charged
Experience flight in a 140 seat surround sound theater. The Niagara Aerospace Museum's dazzling collection of aircraft, artifacts and space exhibits bring to life the dreams, determination
and courage that characterize the pioneers of aviation history and space exploration. See the restoration of a rare World War I trainer airplane, the Curtiss J-N4D Jenny. Sit under a World War II parachute designed and made in Buffalo NY in 1942.
East Aurora (20 miles SE of Buffalo)
April-June Wednesday-Sunday 1-5 pm; July and August daily 11 am-5 pm; September-December Wednesday-Sunday 1-5 pm.
180 Thompson St.
Tonawanda.
716-693-1885.
Admission includes a ride on a restored 1916 carousel or a 1940s-era children's carousel. Group tours scheduled year-round.
Housed in the original Allan Herschell Co. factory complex, this museum explores the history of hand-carved wooden carousels, as well as the company's role in the development of the U.S. amusement-ride industry
Six Flags Darien Lake
9993 Allegheny Road (about 38 mi/61 km southeast of downtown Buffalo), Darien Center. Phone 585-599-4641
Open May-October; hours vary. Admission charged.
New York State's largest theme park and resort boasts multiple roller coasters (including a suspended looping coaster and a wooden coaster), a water park and a section especially for younger children. Concerts and weekend festivals add to the fun.
Elbert Hubbard – Roycroft Museum
363 Oakwood Avenue
East Aurora, NY 14052
716-652-4735
Hours: Seasonal Jun 1 - Oct 15 Wed., Sat. & Sun. 2pm-4pm or by appointment. Closed holidays.
Admission Charged
A 1910 craftsmen bungalow containing a collection of books, letters, furniture, metal ware, leather crafts and art glass pertaining to Elbert Hubbard and the Roycroft Arts and Crafts Movement.
Explore & More…A Children's Museum
300 Gleed Avenue
East Aurora, NY 14052
716-655-5131
Hours: Wed - Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun, noon-5pm. Mon - Tue by reservation for large groups. Open year-round. Closed holidays except for Martin Luther King Day, President's Day and Columbus Day.
Admission Charged
A fun museum designed for the many ways kids learn, featuring hands-on exhibits for ages 1-10. The museum encourages children to learn more about the world around them as they experiment, discover, play and learn.
Toy Town Museum
636 Girard Avenue
East Aurora, NY 14052
716-687-5151
Hours: Mon. - Sat. 10am-4pm
Admission Charged
Younger visitors will delight in ToyWorks, a hands-on area where kids can try a number of different learning activities. Adults will enjoy an extensive collection of "Toys Through the 20th Century," "Toys from Around the World", and a host of regularly changing exhibits.
Millard Fillmore House
24 Shearer Avenue
East Aurora, NY 14052
716-652-8875
Hours: Jun - Oct, Wed, Sat, Sun, 2pm - 4pm. Special tours call 655-3567. Closed holidays.
Admission Charged
The Millard Fillmore House is a National Historic Landmark which President Millard Fillmore helped build and lived in from 1826-1830. It contains furnishings and artifacts connected with Millard Fillmore's life. There is a beautiful rose and herb garden.
Vidler's Five and Dime Store
676-694 Main Street
East Aurora, NY 14052
716-652-0481 or 877-VIDLERS
Hours: Mon - Thu & Sat, 9am - 5:30pm; Fri, 9am - 9pm; Sun, noon - 4pm. Closed holidays.
Admission Free
Take a step back in time as you visit this old five and dime! Four connected vintage Main Street buildings offer shopping fun for the whole family.
Aurora Historical Museum
5 South Grove Street
East Aurora, NY 14052
716-652-3280
Hours: Mon - Fri, 9am - 4pm. Closed holidays.
Admission Charged
Museum contains the complete history of the town. Presented in sequence through Rex Jennings' murals and Aurora Historical Society collections.
Grand Island (13 miles N of Buffalo)
Grand Island Sportsman's Niagara River Tour
3407 Wallace Drive
Grand Island, NY 14072
716-773-9067
Hours: Seasonal May through October, call for reservations
Admission Charged
Select from a variety of charters aboard "Puppy Love," a 24' Bayliner Cruiser on the Upper Niagara River, Lake Erie or the Historic Erie Canal. Take a sightseeing cruise around Grand Island and see Niagara Falls from a unique vantage point. Visit the terminus of the Erie Canal where Governor DeWitt Clinton dedicated the opening of the canal in 1823. See the WWII warships and the Buffalo waterfront including its grain mills. Fish for walleye, bass or muskys, all tackle and bait are supplied. Scuba dive the crystal clear waters or visit one of the area's beautiful beaches. Try your hand at water skiing or tubing. Stop at a riverside cafe for a famous Buffalo roast beef on weck sandwich, in which slices of juicy, rare roast beef and freshly grated horseradish are piled high on "kummelweck," an unusual hard roll crusted with pretzel salt and caraway.
Martin's Fantasy Island
2400 Grand Island Boulevard
Grand Island, NY 14072
716-773-7591
Hours: Seasonal, mid-May - mid-Sep, Sun - Fri, 11:30am - 8:30pm.
July & Aug, Sun-Fri, 11:30am-8:30pm; Sat, 11:30am-9pm.
Admission Charged
Martin's Fantasy Island offers quality, safe and fun entertainment in a wholesome family environment. Experience over 100 rides, shows and attractions in a clean, park-like setting. Live shows throughout the park include the Wild West Shoot-Out, an old-fashioned Western musical extravaganza, a children's puppet show and a '60s and '70s musical tribute show.
Skiing
Holiday Valley
Holiday Valley Road (50 mi/80 km south of downtown Buffalo), Ellicottville. Phone 716-699-2345. Toll-free 800-323-0020.
Charge for adults for an 8 hour ski pass. Passes available for cross-country skiing and tubing.
Downhill skiing on 52 slopes, with 12 lifts. Cross-country skiing and tubing, too. Thirty-six trails are open for night skiing. For recreation in warmer months, the resort includes an 18-hole golf course. Depending on snow, slopes are open Monday-Friday 9 am-10 pm, Saturday and Sunday 8:30 am-10:30 pm
HoliMont
6921 Highway 242 (50 mi/80 km south of downtown Buffalo), Ellicottville.
716-699-2320.
Downhill skiing on 50 slopes and trails, with eight lifts. Depending on snow, open Monday-Friday 9:30 am-4:20 pm, Saturday and Sunday 9 am-4:20 pm. (Weekend skiing available only to members and guests.) US$30 adults weekdays. Rates also available for half-days.
Kissing Bridge
Route 240 (about a 30-minute drive south of Buffalo), Glenwood.
716-592-4963.
Downhill skiing on 36 slopes, with nine lifts. Tubing is offered through the Colden Tubing Co. Depending on snow, slopes are open Monday-Saturday 9 am-10:30 pm, Sunday 9 am-8 pm. Charge for adults for an eight-hour pass. Other passes available.
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