World-class architecture, a thriving arts and cultural scene, rich history and natural wonders are all part of the Buffalo Niagara experience. Bring the whole family for a day at the Buffalo Zoo or Old Fort Niagara, retrace the steps of a famous American president at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site or spend a night on the town with dinner and a touring Broadway show at Shea’s Performing Arts Center, the crown jewel of Buffalo’s Theater District. There’s no shortage of ways to make the most of your time here.
Shea’s Performing Arts Center
Built in the style of a European opera house in 1926, now a National Historic Site, Shea’s Performing Arts Center continues to entertain audiences today with touring Broadway musicals, concerts, dance programs, historic theatre tours, a Free Family Film Series, educational programs and family shows.
646 Main Street
Buffalo NY 14202
716-847-1410, opens in a new tab
Buffalo Philharmonic
As Buffalo’s cultural ambassador, the Grammy Award-winning Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra under the leadership of music director JoAnn Falletta presents more than 120 Classics, Pops and Youth Concerts each year and reaches over 40,000 students (K-12) across all eight counties of Western New York. Since 1940, the orchestra’s permanent home has been Kleinhans Music Hall, a National Historic Site with an international reputation as one of the finest concert halls in the United States.
The BPO has toured widely across the United States and Canada including the Florida Friends Tour with JoAnn Falletta in March 2010, the first multi-city tour since the 1988 European tour. The BPO has been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall as a participant in the prestigious Spring for Music festival in 2013. This will be the orchestra’s 24th appearance at Carnegie Hall and its first since Music Director JoAnn Falletta led the orchestra in a much heralded appearance there in June 2004.
During the tenure of current music director JoAnn Falletta, the BPO has rekindled its distinguished history of NPR broadcasts and recordings, including the release of 21 new CDs of a highly diverse repertoire on the NAXOS and Beau Fleuve labels. The Philharmonic’s Naxos recording of composer John Corigliano’s “Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan,” featuring soprano Hila Plitmann, won Grammys in two categories of the three for which it was nominated: Classical Vocal Performance and Classical Contemporary Composition.
3 Symphony Circle
Kleinhans Music Hall
Buffalo NY 14201
716-885-5000, opens in a new tab
Albright-Knox Art Gallery
An outstanding center of modern and contemporary art, the Albright-Knox collection belongs among the world’s top international surveys of 20th Century painting and sculpture. Exhibitions and installations subject to change. M&T First Fridays is held on the first Friday of each month. Admission to the gallery on M&T First Friday is free, with special programs and events for the whole family, and the gallery extends its hours from 10 AM – 10 PM (only on the first Friday of each month.)
1285 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo NY 14222
716-882-8700, opens in a new tab
Buffalo Zoo
It’s the only place in town to observe a wide variety of exotic and domestic animals year-round in naturalistic habitats, including the Zoo’s M&T Bank Rainforest Falls exhibit, which is especially popular during the winter months! Visitors of all ages will also enjoy the zoo’s newest exhibit, the Delta Sonic Heritage Farm, which replicates a farmstead along Erie Canal during the 1850s.
300 Parkside Avenue
Buffalo NY 14214
716-837-3900, opens in a new tab
Darwin Martin House
One of the crowning achievements of Wright’s Career, this three-building complex (furnished with Wright’s own designs!) is an indispensable look into the architect’s process, aesthetic, and mid-career work.
125 Jewett Parkway
Buffalo, NY 14214
716-856-3858, opens in a new tab
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
Theodore Roosevelt began his presidential journey here. All new state-of-the-art exhibits and a dramatic guided tour offer a museum experience unlike any other. Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and emotions surrounding this pivotal moment in our nation’s history and learn how the enduring legacy of one of America’s greatest presidents affects our lives today.
641 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14202
716-884-0095, opens in a new tab
Canalside
Buffalo’s legacy as one of our nation’s most important transportation and industrial centers rose from our impressive waterfront. No visit to the Queen City would be complete without a trip to our shores.
Canalside is the jewel in our crown. The result of over $300 million in new development, Canalside hosts over 1,000 annual events. Every summer, outdoor yoga, children’s games and Thursday at Canalside concerts take place along the district’s Central Wharf.
44 Prime Street
Buffalo, NY 14202
716-574-1537, opens in a new tab
Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park
The Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park is a museum on the shore of Lake Erie in Buffalo, New York. It is home to several decommissioned US Naval vessels, including the Cleveland-class cruiser USS Little Rock, the Fletcher-class destroyer USS The Sullivans, and the submarine USS Croaker. Along with the ships, there are a variety of smaller vehicles, vessels, and aircraft on display at the park.
1 Naval Park Cove
Buffalo NY 14202
716-847-1773, opens in a new tab
Colored Musicians Club & Museum
The club offers live jazz in an intimate setting, and some of the best jazz you can find anywhere. It is open to non-members who want to share a love of jazz, and are seeking a relaxing time in a friendly place.
145 Broadway
Buffalo NY 14203
716-855-9383, opens in a new tab
Whirlpool Jet Boat Tour
You will spend 45 minutes learning about the history and geology of the majestic Niagara River, and experiencing the excitement of playing in class 5 whitewater rapids. We don’t want to give away too much about the trip, but we can assure you that it will be one of the most refreshing and memorable experiences of your visit to Niagara Falls!
Passengers ages six and up will enjoy this 45 minute white water adventure through the Niagara Gorge. Experience history, scenery, excitement and the thrill of a lifetime. Book online for discounts. Open daily May-October. Departure times vary and are subject to change. Reservations required.
Water Street Landing
115 South Water Street
Lewiston NY 14092
888-438-4444, opens in a new tab
Botanical Gardens
The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens is a national historic site, education center and tourist destination full of exotic horticulture treasures. Although there are some plants native to our temperate region, most are native to tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Made up of three glass domes and nine greenhouses, this breathtaking conservatory is situated on 11.4 acres at the entrance to Buffalo’s historic South Park.
2655 South Park Avenue
Buffalo NY 14218
716-827-1584, opens in a new tab
Artpark
Western New York’s premier summer and theater destination, located on 150 acres overlooking the breathtaking Niagara River Gorge in Historic Lewiston. Artpark’s summer season presents Broadway, Big Band and special events in the Mainstage Theater and adjacent seating lawn. Upper park Outdoor Amphitheater is home to weekly free concerts with hands-on children’s activities. The State Park is open year round with scenic picnic areas, hiking trails, and fishing docks.
450 South 4th Street
Lewiston NY 14092
716-754-4375, opens in a new tab
Niagara Falls, NY
DISCOVER NIAGARA!
World-class attractions like the Maid of the Mist and the Cave of the Winds await the visitor who makes the short 20-minute drive from downtown Buffalo to Niagara Falls. You’ll savor the spectacular views, the thundering roar, the delicate mists and shimmering rainbows of this true national treasure.
Take a family photo overlooking the Falls at Terrapin Point in Frederick Law Olmsted’s lush, beautiful and natural Niagara Falls State Park. Amid the distractions and developments of modern life, the Park still provides a glimpse of the original splendor that awaited the first visitors to the region. This is the Falls at its best.
Step aboard the legendary Maid of the Mist and experience the power and majesty of the combined waters of four Great Lakes. You’ll be ferried to the base of the Horseshoe Falls and feel the rush of the water as it pounds the rocks below. From the moment you put on your giant blue poncho you’ll know you’re having a one-of-a-kind experience.
Next, be sure to visit the awe-inspiring Cave of the Winds. As you make your way to the Hurricane Deck, you’ll get an up-close-and-personal view of the roaring waters pouring over the precipice of Bridal Veil Falls. On a hot summer day, this is the ultimate run-through-the-sprinkler.
Nearby, you’ll find all manner of ways to experience this world wonder: helicopter rides, observation decks and towering vantage points that will give you a bird’s eye view of one of nature’s universally-acclaimed masterpieces.
And if you’re looking for non-stop Energy, Fun and Excitement – Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel is located just minutes from the world-famous Niagara Falls. Seneca Niagara Casino is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. Guests can enjoy 147,000 square feet of gaming space with 4,000 slot machines and 100 table games, 10 restaurants, live entertainment and a AAA Four Diamond Award-winning, 26-story hotel with 604 recently-renovated deluxe rooms, a spa and salon, fitness center and indoor pool. Please visit our website for more information.
Bring plenty of film or an extra memory card. You’ll need it.
