With the price of gas close to or over $4/gallon, many folks are opting to stay closer to home this summer and enjoy a “staycation”. Tomorrow I will be posting a list of links where you might find the staycation activities in your local area.
But today I am going to highlight the Buffalo-Niagara region. There are so many things to do in Western New York that when I was assigned Buffalo, I decided to not go crazy and decided to keep this to Erie and Niagara counties. I knew I had to do Niagara Falls (US side only), because with the millions of visitors that go there every year, and it being under 30 minutes from Buffalo…. weeelllll that is a no-brainer!
At the end of this post I do list some popular area attractions outside these two counties under “other”. If you have anything you would like to see added to this list for Western NY and specifically Erie or Niagara counties, please leave a comment and I will update the list!
Buffalo
• Buffalo Architecture – known worldwide for it’s world class architecture, Buffalo is an architectophile’s dream from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fontana Boathouse to his Darwin Martin House along with the Preservationist Tours offered of Buffalo’s City Hall (with its great observation deck), the Richardson-Olmsted Complex (the old psych center) to Millionaire Row on Delaware Ave, there are hundreds of turn of the 20th century buildings to be viewed in Buffalo in the surrounding areas. Buffalo Architecture is so outstanding, the National Preservation Conference will be held in the city in October. This is an excellent list of those buildings and which give indoor tours.
• The Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society – This is the only non government entity owning a presidential assassin weapon. While it is on permanent display, it is viewed by request only. And to go along with that, there is the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site aka the Wilcox Mansion. This is where Teddy Roosevelt was inaugurated after William McKinley was assassinated during the Pan American Exposition in 1901.
• Albright Knox Art Gallery – This is a world class modern art museum. On the first Friday of the month, from 10-10, courtesy of M&T Bank, there will be free admission
• Buffalo Museum of Science – I used to have a year long pass and brought Sonny-boy frequently when he was a small child.
• Buffalo Naval Park – Watch your head getting in and out of the submarine!
• Burchfield Penny Art Center – Across the street from the Albright Knox, it has really come into its own in recent years.
• Buffalo Zoo – This is the third oldest zoo in the country.
• Central Terminal Tours – This is the old train station on the East Side. If you have never seen it, I urge you to take the opportunity and see what this Art Deco train station built just before the Depression began, looks like.
• The Colored Musicians Club – According to my uncle (who frequents the club), your best night to go is Sunday at 8PM. The other bands listed are practice sessions. You go in the door on the far left. Ring the “door bell” buzzer and wait for the “click” then pull. Plenty of parking in the area.
• Erie Canal Harbor – One note – this lists the Hatch as the nearest restaurant… unless you want to have lunch with the seagulls, make other plans. Click here for Erie Basin marina hours.
• Forest Lawn Cemetery Tours – Notable graves include US President Millard Fillmore, Seneca Indian Chief Red Jacket, as well as Song Writer Rick James. This place is both fascinating and beautiful.
• Forgotten Buffalo Bus Tour – My uncle did this tour last week and said it was a hoot! (and he’s actually in one of the bar pics on the site!)
• Olmsted Park System Golf courses, running tracks, tennis courts, Japanese gardens, swing sets and more. You name it and the Olmsted Park system has it, including free Shakespeare in the Park performances beginning June 11th in Delaware Park (near the Marcy Casino).
• Pierce Arrow Museum My father and grandfather both raved about this place! Apparently it is a showcase for old Pierce Arrows (duh) as well as early automotive inventions.
• Pumping Station Pump House Tour – People come from all over the world for this one!
• Thursday in the Square – Free downtown concerts This also lists the schedule for Buffalo Place Rocks on Fridays (those are not free)
• Ulrich’s Tavern – Open over 50,000 straight days (that is over 140 years folks), it is the oldest continuously open tavern in Buffalo
• Underground Railroad Tours – Trace the route black slaves used to make their way to freedom in Canada (remember if you plan on going into Canada you need a passport or enhanced driver’s license)
Festivals
While there is a festival (or three) every weekend in the city of Buffalo, these three of note are:
• Allentown Art Festival – June 11th and 12th
• Taste of Buffalo – July 9th and 10th
• National Chicken Wing Festival – September 3rd and 4th
Water
• Buffalo Water Taxis are being operated by Buffalo Sailing Adventures
Details and pricing
• Historic Buffalo River Tours
• Kayaking
Erie County
• Eden Corn Festival – August 4th – 7th
• Erie County Fair – August 10th – 21st, this is the third largest county fair in the US
• Kazoo Factory – I’ve been here a few times because my dentist is around the corner. I think it is something to encourage your school to plan a field trip rather than you taking a day with the kids. However, if you are passing by Eden, it is interesting.
• Made in the USA Store – This is the only brick and mortar general merchandise store in the U.S. that sells exclusively 100% American made products. The story is interesting – the manufacturers need to send along certificates that all ingredients, components, the packaging, the glue for the boxes – everything to do with the product needs to be made in the USA. The store now boasts over 3,000 items.
• Martin’s Fantasy Island – Amusement Park
• Vidler’s 5 and 10 – yeah I know it is a store but it is super cool… and besides East Aurora works really hard at quaint, and succeeds!
Beaches
Niagara Falls
• The Falls – Ok raise your hand if the only time you go is when out of town company arrives! Take a day trip and see how truly majestic The Falls are, and stay for the night-time lighting.
• If you have a passport or enhanced driver’s license something fun to do is walk across the Rainbow Bridge to Canada. I believe the cost is still $2. When you do, the flag denotes the border. Take your picture with one foot in the US, and the other foot in Canada. Sure it is touristy, but it is also kinda neat!
• Cave of Winds – Prepare to be soaked!
• Goat Island – Take the walk to see the Bridal Veil up close, as well as the American and Canadian Falls. Goat Island is the oldest state park in the US.
• Maid of the Mist – You must go at least once in your life!
• Click here for more Niagara Falls attractions.
Niagara County
• Art Park note that this is the Free Wednesday Concert Selection
• Basilica of the National Shrine of our Lady of Fatima – My grandparents would go monthly. They thought the Basilica was beautiful.
• Bedford Beach, Somerset, New York
• Devil’s Hole – a NYS Park pretty much next door to the Falls. Great for an easy hike and to see the whirlpools that result downstream of the Falls.
• Lewiston Art Festival – August 13th and 14th – I honestly prefer this one to Allentown; much smaller and no where near as pricey.
• Lockport & Erie Canal Tours -Warning, this really is a slow boat!
• Niagara Country Fair – August 3rd – 7th
• Olcott Beach – Cute shops, a beach and an adjacent park to picnic. I honestly can’t imagine swimming there as Lake Ontario is never warm! Krull Park
• Old Fort Niagara – I’ve gone during the spring, summer and for the haunting in late October.
Other
• Arcade & Attica Railroad – We went yearly when Sonny-boy was young – he absolutely loved it!
• Brown’s Berry Patch – Ice cream, U-pick, food, this place is a mob scene on the weekends.
• Busti Apple Festival – September 25th
• Chautauqua Institute Thanks Marissa!
• Here is a link to the Chautauqua Wine trail Thanks Kim!
• Darien Lake – There is an amusement park, concerts and camping.
• Genesse County Village and Museum – Ok, I gotta be honest, once was enough for me. The second time I was thinking “Why?” However, my aunt and SIL go at least once a year because they loooooove this place.
• Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge (Alabama Swamps)
• Letchworth State Park – Absolutely beautiful.
• Lily Dale – The guys from Ghost Hunters will be there on July 16th
• Lucy- Desi Museum – I’ve never been, but my sister is a HUGE Lucille Ball fan and thought this was well worth the trip. From the sounds of it, if you Love Lucy, it is a must-see.
• Seaway Trail – Here’s a map of how little or how much you can travel it.
• Zoar Valley – If you are into hiking, this is a great place.
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
What a wonderful list you put together. The only other one I would add in ‘other’ is Chautauqua Institute. I grew up in Bemus Point so any thing on Chautauqua Lake I will vote for!
Oops! I will add it Marissa.
Ann
Wow, great list. We did a staycation twice in the past five years. There is so much to do in and around the Pittsburgh area. And although Niagara Falls is alittle ways from us, we included that in our staycation one year since we got free accomadations using my husband’s Marriott points. LOVE Niagara Falls and yes, we did the Maid of the MIst. The girls loved it. We went across to the Canadian side and visited the Butterfly museum. We enjoyed that trip.
Thanks for the list, this will be great for when family comes and visits. I would like to check out Buffalo there is so much to do there, the only places in Buffalo that I have been since I moved here are the airport and the train station. I guess I am missing a lot. We were thinking of camping at Darien Lake this summer, think it would be a good trip for the older kids as well as the younger ones.
Great line up! I do take company to Niagra Falls.. Its about 3 hours from me but what the heck.. thats so close its not funny and it’d be a shame to not go.
I also frequent Lily Dale during the summer. The weekend The Ghost Hunters Jason & Grant are there, its pure bedlam.. And Im usually NOT there. Lisa Williams will be there this year as will John Holland, Darren Weisman & Sandy Taylor if anyone if familiar with these Hay House authors & lecturers. Loads of great lectures & classes for the summer.
Thanks do much for doing this. i am from Buffalo and some of these I never think of. Will you do one for the Rochester area?
No Andrea, I am not familiar enough with Rochester to do it justice. Now if the folks in the Rochester area sent me lists (with links) I could put that together, but that is all.
Ann
D&I were gonna go to Rochester to You Know Who’s party and I asked her what was to do around there.. she said absolutely NOTHING!
Still would love to get there one of these days.
The Eastman Kodak Company was founded there and there is a house,& gardens & museum towards that bent that we would love to explore.. RIT is there as well.. SURELY there is SOMETHING to be seen in Rochester.
ROTF
Yeah people will say there is “nothing to do” in Buffalo either. Or the only thing they can think of is: Niagara Falls. I had to stop the list at just over 70 items because it honestly could have been several hundred long and people would have been reading forever.
Ann
And thats a bad thing?
This is a great list. I hope we can go to some of these places this summer.
This post is AMAZING!!!!! I live in Buffalo and was talking to my husband about what the heck we are going to do this summer with the kids. This was PERFECT! I cannot wait to show him this tonight. Thanks so much for putting this together I really appreciate it.
Thank you so much for this list! We live 2-3 hours away and have lived here for 10 years and haven’t done any of those things….you just made my planning easier!
There are so many things to do in Western New York that when I was assigned Buffalo, I decided to not go crazy and decided to keep this to Erie and Niagara counties.
Is this in conjunction with others or what? Or did you assign yourself?
I could do justice to Buffalo or Manhattan, and asked for either or. I was assigned Buffalo.
Well, when people say “Buffalo” they frequently mean Western NY. That is 8 counties. I could have done all 8 counties, but the concentration of attractions are in Erie and Niagara county, and wellllll I am not exactly rolling in extra time. And it did take several days to get this list together (probably 10 hours total). Hubby and I love to travel throughout WNY though, so I did add several under “other”.
Ann
Here is a link to the Chautauqua Wine trail .. Did I miss it above? (wouldnt be surprised) I’ve visted some of these wineries on my trips to WNY.. Someone was telling me its not too expensive to get a limo and they’ll drive you around to them all.. I guess this is a pretty common tour.
Sounds like a lot of fun to me!
What a huge list of things to visit in Buffalo!! I was there many years ago with a college friend, but we didn’t do any of those things.
Just Niagara. Which was fun, but now I think we need to make a family trip!! (yes, I realize the Staycation idea was to save money by not traveling… but so many great posts about so many great places!!) I’m loving it!!
Love it! I would have added the kiddie park in Olcott. All rides are 25 cents each. The rides are all older, restored rides. It is outside, but each ride is covered. It is a great place to take little kids for their first rides. They do have a little food stand with typical hot dogs, burgers and ice cream. I forget the actual name though.
Did you see yesterday’s Groupon for the “Open Air Auto-bus” architecture tour? Any thoughts or comments on if this is a good tour or not? We’ve lived here for about 5 yrs now and I feel like there are still so many things to do and see in Buffalo that we haven’t even scratched the surface!
If I may also suggest my local website: fun4kidsinbuffalo.com
For a great list of what’s free and fun for kids in WNY not only this summer but year round!
Thank you for this. I just found it. I live in Buffalo and it is great to see it put in the spotlight in a positive way. So many think there is nothing to do here cause of all the snow we get. I love the snow! Thank you for all the links. I am passing the info along!
Love the fabulous local ideas! Now that my boys are getting older, there’s so many fun things to do with them just a short drive away!
We went to the power vista last week for a brief visit with my 7th and 8th graders, I wish we had had more time there- it was so interesting, lots of great activities for kids too.
One thing I didn’t see (but I could have just missed it) is Buffalo Bison’s games at Coca-Cola field. Very inexpensive and fun for the family! My 4 year old would go every day if I let him!
I highly recommend Seabreeze Amusement Park in Rochester. It’s great!
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