I was at a meeting and one guy asked "have any of you done the Buffalo River History Tour?" We all shrugged no and he proceeded to tell us what an enjoyable cruise he went on while discovering facts about Buffalo he didn't know. Since that moment I have been out on the river twice and absolutely enjoyed myself while learning new information on each trip up the river (I am still waiting for my stale donuts Tom ... haha). This is a well done tour whether you are a tourist or someone like me with a lifelong connection to the City of Good Neighbors. The river is beautiful and the history lessons interesting. If you find yourself downtown on a beautiful day with time on your hands take to the river!! read more

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What a fantastic day out on the Buffalo River. The tour was very informative and the ride was lovely. This was a work team event for us and they had another team to sign up as well. I would definitely do the 1.5 hour tour. It was beautiful seeing all the old architecture. The guides were very good. read more

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My life growing up was in and around the Niagara River. We id the NIAGARA RIVER HISTORY TOUR. It took us out into the lake and then turned and made the trip up thr Niagara. Along the way we learned about areas where battles took place and ships were built. It was fascinating to watch the current change from rough to relatively calm. We learned much about sites we passed. We went through the black rock lock and the science behind it. The bridges were different types and interesting. I have done the buffalo river tour several times, this was very different and very worth doing read more

Went with adult kids and we all enjoyed it. The guide talked about so many interesting things and was so engaging Beer available. Tickets can be purchased ahead Lasts an hour and a half. read more

Paid for ten of my closest friends to tour with this company. Everything went smoothly, they have an open bar. Bathrooms are outdated and kinda resemble a porta potty. Don't expect a party boat. This is a tour guide. Limited talking is allowed. Try to go to the back of the boat if ur thinking about having a large group like mine. read more

Just got off the history tour with Kim as the guide. Rich the Captain greeted us enthusiastically which really stands out to us! The weather was perfect-warm and sunny, not too hot. We sat on the top deck. The tour was exactly 90 minutes. We learned a lot about the importance of the lake and River to the canal bringing industry and wealth to Buffalo. Kim was excellent. Even if you're not a big history fan, the boat ride is worth the ticket. read more

Very welcoming to tourist. Nice easy day Great photo opportunities and good for all ages. My daughter and I went it was fun - even for 22 year old. Reminder of what freedom means. read more

Had a wonderful sunset cruise. Great ride, great crew and informative history of the area. Highly recommend. read more

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Howard was our tour guide, I was so impressed how he had so many names and dates stored and dropped for 90 mins. So many times I said to myself. I never knew that! I have lived in Buffalo for 58 years and I learned so much about grain silos and Buffalo river and the environmental issues. Love this tour and can't wait to do others. Thank you Howard! 5 stars! read more

My parents were visiting Buffalo over the weekend and when I decided to give them a little tour of the Canalside area all they really cared about was the signs for the boat tours......needless to say the next day we found ourselves buying tickets and going on a little tour of the Erie Canal. The boat itself was pretty cool and had two layers which featured 2 washrooms and a full bar downstairs. Upstairs (which is where everyone wanted to actually sit) was completely open and allowed us to actually see what the tour guide was actually talking about. I found the tour super interesting and actually learned a ton while on it. Traveling down Lake Erie and learning more about all the great abandon Silo's that line the river and make up Silo City was a super cool experience. I also loved just learning more about the city I currently call home. My parents had an absolute blast here as well and couldn't be happier with the end result Overall, I had an absolute blast on my tour and kind of want to do more in the future. The tour guide we had did an excellent job and the ginger ale down below was a treat as well. If you like learning about the city around you I highly recommend coming to Canalside and giving these guys a chance to take you around. read more

Buffalo River History Tours - I failed to only take videos so here's a photo of my parents and I enjoying this tour. - Historical Tours Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Really enjoyed our time with this 90 min historical tour of the buffalo river and the canal. We also went up to lake Erie across Canada. Beautiful view of Buffalo skyline from the tour. I learned about the silo city, grain elevators, bridges and the history of the place. Definitely recommended. Worth every cent. I wish it was longer. I will have to do the lake Erie tour another time. read more

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This was an excellent, informative Silo City tour. The tour was 2hrs long, one hour on the river (30 min each way) and one hour touring the silos. We received so much information about the history of Buffalo and the silo's. I thought I knew a lot, but our guide (Don?) was awesome. If you want to get a close up view (inside and out) of these beautiful historical giants, this is the tour for you. You can buy drinks (cash) aboard the boat as you cruise along the river. Yes, there is also a bathroom on the boat if you happen to need it during your tour. Well worth the time and cost. read more

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This was a great ride and a wonderful way to kill a couple hours. I am someone that knows a fair amount of history about the area and I was surprised at how much I learned. There is an upper and lower deck so you can decided how much sun you want to get. If you stay up top they will provide you with some sunscreen if you need or want it. There are also snacks and drink available on the boat. All in all an A+ experience on our visit. read more

Buffalo River History Tours - Historical Tours Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Great way to learn more about Buffalo, for both visitors and locals alike! I went on the Buffalo River Tour which is 90 minutes long and accompanied by a narrator. This tour is entirely on the boat (unlike the silo tour where you actually get off the boat and get to go in the silos). Our narrator covered everything we passed along the river (mostly bridges and silos- lots of them!) and kept it interesting too! I've lived in Buffalo almost my whole life and hadn't known or seen 75% of what she covered. The tour goes down past River Works, past the 1st Ward, and passes Silo City. Beside explaining the structures, the tour is also full of stories, scenic views, some wildlife, and lots of rowers and friendly boaters. There is also a cash bar with beer, wine, and mixed drinks on board, as well as a bathroom in the back of the boat. They also have throw blankets, as it gets a little chilly with the wind. read more

Buffalo River History Tours - Historical Tours Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Beautiful way to spend a Sunday fall afternoon. Small crowd, I'm sure due to the Covid restrictions and now being off season. We were put on the small "party boat" the Big Kahuna instead of the large double deck boat normally used. The vessel didn't matter. It was still comfortable. Drinks were available for purchase. The owner/guide was personable and informative. Loved being up close to the grain elevators. Traveling to where the Buffalo River winds around the elevators was amazing. Some of the large water birds made an appearance. The price was more than reasonable. Would do it again just for the relaxation of being on the water. read more

The team did an absolutely great job and we learned so much about the history of Buffalo. Would highly recommend to anyone

Such a beautiful boat ride! I went on the "Caribbean Cruise" last night and it was so much fun! The live music was really enjoyable. The boat is 2 stories, and we decided to stay on the top level, and the views were amazing. The cruise was from 7-9 so we were able to enjoy the beautiful sunset. The cruise takes you all along the buffalo river, many other boats were out so it was fun to wave to one another as you passed. The boat has a cash bar, plenty of seating and a bathroom on board. We went for a girls night, and I would definitely recommend it! read more

The Buffalo River History Tour was so much fun. We learned so much about the river and the city when the silos were hard at work. Our docent was so patient the day we took our cruise as the Blue Angels were practicing, loudly zooming over our heads. He shared the attention humbly and patiently with the pilots. We had so much fun and would highly recommend! read more

Recently took this tour as part of a work outing. Very enjoyable. The docent is extremely knowledgeable. Highly recommended. I learned a lot of things I didn't know. Oh, and there's a bar onboard read more

I can't recommend this any more highly to locals or out of town visitors! Three of us (ladies over 60) went on the cruise today and what a pleasure! We had been on this trip about 6 years ago so to see the changes along the riverway was very encouraging. Although the day was warm and muggy, the breezes in the open air boat made it very comfortable. The captain gave safety instruction in a clear but light hearted manner. Last time (cool and drizzly) we had a wonderful young lady explain the history and sites. This time we had Chris and he too was terrific. He pointed out some of the newer changes to the natural habitats, entertainment venues and commercial projects, as well as telling the history is such an engaging way. History in school should be taught like this! The views of Buffalo's skyline are wonderful, especially as they shift along the curving river. read more

Had a fantastic time on this boat tour! Went up to Buffalo to visit friends for the weekend and figured this would be a fun activity to do while there. We accidentally were a bit late getting there and the staff was so nice, nice enough to call us to make sure we got there to catch the boat! (NYC would never, they would just take your $ and run), on top of the staff being great the boat was filled with a great bar, the drink menu was fun and had a variety of drinks at nice prices! We got a mojito & vodka pink lemonade to start, and a lime white claw and cran vodka which were all so great! We also were the last on the boat but somehow got the best seats, on the engine in the back haha, pro tip! You get the best views from the back and plenty of sun on a nice day. We had such a fantastic time! The views were incredible and it was fun waving to kayakers passing nearby. 100% recommend for your trip to Buffalo! Whether you're into the history aspect of it, or just want a nice way to spend the day with beautiful weather you cannot go wrong read more

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It was a great tour! Learned so much about Buffalo's history and the silos. It was better than I had expected! Would highly recommend!! read more

This tour exceeded my expectations. The guide and everyone involved were really friendly. I was expecting to half-listen to the tour while enjoying the scenery and an end-of-the-day boat ride, the guide was really engaging and kept my full attention the whole time. I can't recommend this highly enough as part of a Buffalo, Niagara Falls trip. read more

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I've always been fascinated by those humongous old grain silos along the Buffalo River, but you can't really get close to the two largest of them without trespassing on railroads. This is the best way to see them up close. The boat was clean and spacious, and there was seating on an open upper deck so you could view everything unobstructed. We chose the 90 minute narrated tour this time which is very informative for those with little knowledge of the history behind these amazing and somewhat mysterious structures. The price for the narrated tour was $21 which is very reasonable. Everyone was offered sunscreen as well. There is even a cash bar. We greatly enjoyed this relaxing way to spend a sunny afternoon. read more

This was GREAT! Friendly captain and capable tour guide. As a party of both visitors and Buffalonians, we all very much enjoyed this interesting way to explore a potions of Buffalo's history and waterways. This 90-minute tour focuses on Buffalo's maritime-based grain industry along the Buffalo River, which was vibrant 1850-1950. You glide past several massive silos and distribution sites, some in active use by General Mills and ADM, some long-shuttered. The toasty sweet scent of Cheerios was along several bends. The Buffalo River is an industrial waterway whose commercial demise has presented rehab opportunities and shoreline restoration efforts, bringing back wildlife and hopefully a more balanced approach to development. We saw several blue heron, swifts and other small birds, and small mammals (beaver? muskrat?) The later part of the tour takes you past CanalSide and briefly into the Erie, then back to the dock. The boat itself was a covered pontoon with open sides, cushioned benches, clean, and also has a head. They sell bottled water, sodas, and chips- but you can also bring your own on board. Well-organized process, friendly staff, and easy to buy tickets online (DEFINITELY do this. Tours sell out). The company recently acquired a new, larger, double-decker boat that will also offer cocktail cruises! Sign me up :) read more

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What a fabulous experience. Thank you Kelly, Mike, and Rick for the best tour ever. It was a great way to experience Canalside!

A great experience with a crew that loves to tell the story of the grain elevators, the Erie Canal and the city of Buffalo. Well worth the time and price of admission. Crew was helpful and very knowledgeable, making the 2 hours go by in a flash. read more

Excellent!!! My husband and I enjoyed this river tour!! Our tour guide Mike was amazing and knowledgeable. Relaxing tour. So much info and a bar and snacks too. Highly recommend. read more

Buffalo River History Tours - Historical Tours Near Me - Buffalo, New York

For $19 you get an hour and a half tour of the buffalo river with a lot of interesting information about Buffalos History. Cash bar on the boat serves reasonably priced drinks. Very friendly - knowledgeable staff. A lot of fun and well worth the money. read more

Great tour on a beautiful day. The tour guide was amazing. Wonderful experience. Parking is a little tricky but we'll worth the trip.

We did the Buffalo River History Tour on the Harbor Queen, today while Mama Duck was at Canalside. It was a great ride, very well put together tour and a real bang for the buck. Never have I done a boat tour, but this was great. A tour of the Buffalo River like you can never see from land. I Really Recommend It. The boat is new, but very sea worthy. read more

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This was really enjoyable and I learned a lot about the early history of the city. Did it with a group from work and everyone had a great time. Really nice boat with a bar and open roof deck for enjoying the nice weather. The captain and docent were great hosts. read more

This was a nice tour. You got to see some of the backstage and great history of the grain silos. Very informative and interesting of the history and new revitalization of the Buffalo River and Erie Canal. read more

Very nice tour of the Buffalo River & Silo City! Very knowledgeable staff kept the afternoon interesting and were well informed. My group consisted of age 11 thru 83 and the afternoon was thoroughly enjoyed by all! Well worth the price of a ticket. Try lunch at the Swannie House afterward - another historic venue! read more

As others have said already, the staff was very nice, friendly and knowledgeable. The boat is so new it still has the new boat smell. The 90 minute tour is almost non stop facts and history of the Buffalo river and Buffalo itself presented in a wonderful way. We never felt like the tour guide was just spitting out facts. I recommend this tour to anyone wanting to see Buffalo from a different perspective. read more

Went on the 2 hour Silo City tour & enjoyed every minute of it! The captain & tour guide were terrific & very knowledgeable. Even though I've lived in the area my entire life, I never knew how many silos there actually are & how they work & impacted Buffalo. Not being a history buff I wasn't too sure about this tour. It turned out to be very interesting & enjoyable! I would highly recommend it! read more