This is a historic site often barely mentioned in passing in guidebooks and brochures for Niagara…read moreFalls, and apparently off the beaten path but not entirely hidden, it's well worth a visit (and free of charge!). Parking is not a concern since the power plant site is adjacent to the Niagara Gorge Discovery Centre/Niagara Gorge Trailhead Building and the parking lot for it. Entering the stone structure, there's a big lift ahead, which will take you right down to the ground level where you're free to explore whatever is left of the once-active power station. Walk a little further down and you'll also get a wide angle view of the Rainbow Bridge and, of course, the grand Niagara River. There are brochures, maps, coupons, and guidebooks for nearby attractions and businesses once you're back up on the upper ground level where you took the lift, and the booklet with black and white pictures about the history of the site and the disaster in 1956 is another treat.

When we first visited this site, we thought it was simply the remains of an old power plant. We…read morewere attracted to it by a call of a peregrine falcon. He was next to the building, past a fenced area, calling to other peregrines. We looked around and left. The next day we returned to look around more, and we saw a group of fishermen disappear inside. Intriguing! We followed them in. Inside was an elevator - with directions - that took us down to a shoreline. The fishermen who rode down with us told us they would walk along it to find a spot to fish. But they weren't going to keep the fish. Said they weren't good for eating. They would release whatever they caught. We saw along the wall of the base of the power plant huge panels of information about it. We also saw part of the American Falls when we walked down to the water. When we went back up, we saw a plaque in front of the building, praising those whose efforts led to hydro-electric power. Glad we stopped both days.

In Buffalo and the entire Western New York region, everyone ought to know Charles E. Burchfield. I…read moream certain that those interested in art have heard of him as well. He's recognized as one of the most distinguished American painters. Charles Rand Penney was a Buffalo native who donated his collection of Western New York Art, including 183 works by Charles E. Burchfield. The Burchfield Penney Art Center is dedicated to works by Burchfield and by regional artists. You'll see those active in the previous and the contemporary century. The Burchfield Penney functions as a gallery and a museum, serving as an institution affiliated with the Buffalo State University. For this reason, many events are related to education and personal development. It is worth checking what is happening and which events align with your individual needs and interests. Either way, it is definitely a place worth visiting. It's New York's first green museum certified by the U.S. Green Building Council's (LEED) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. It's a two-story open and bright space, pretty great to be honest :). On the second Friday of every month, admission is free. "Be ready for special events, music, workshops, happy hours and more!" It's also free for Burchfield Penney members, Buffalo State University Students, Faculty & Staff, United States and Canada Active Military and their families, United States Military Veterans, ASI Arts Access Pass holders, and children and teens under 18 years old.

it was beautiful and nice staff! very clean and cheap for students as well. i loved the portraits…read morethe most

Neat history museum about Youngstown and Porter. Located in the Village Center building, the museum…read moreis on the second floor. There's a few rooms and hallways filled with information, including the history of the Lewiston Youngstown Frontier Railway, notable residents of Lewiston including one who aided freedom seekers, and another who escaped slavery and fought for abolition, history of the Tuscarora Nation, old houses along Main St, a classroom, a room full of machinery and farm tools, and another room dedicated to household items. The museum is free and has many interesting displays.

This is a small museum housed in a former school house. The red school house building is a must…read moresee if you're in Youngstown. The building is home to the Youngstown Police Department and the Library, as well as the museum. The museum is on the second floor with a few different rooms to go through containing artifacts discovered in the town. The history of the Town of Porter includes Old Fort Niagara and a large shipping industry at the turn of the century. The thing I liked best about the museum was the replica of an actual old schoolroom complete with desks, books and other nostalgic items. There are also photo albums of the classes that attended the school. Besides the museum the Town of Porter Historical Society gives presentations and talks with local history themes. They are free to attend and I've found them to always be interesting and enjoyable.

Very nice kept and clean museum free of charge and a very knowledgeable man inside…read more He provided us with very useful information about Lewistons visit.

This small museum has a ton of Lewiston History packed inside the converted old church. Run by the…read morewonderful people of the Historical Society of Lewiston the care taking shows in the details, the displays and the cleanliness. Lewiston history is recalled with video presentations as well as physical items on display in the beautiful showcases of around the room. The HAL members are very knowledgeable and willing to tell the stories of the people and times of Lewiston's past. A nice place to spend a bit of time wandering and looking at unique remnants of days gone by.

The Hull Family Home is truly a gem, and is the only fully restored stone dwelling of the early…read more1800's in Erie county. When's the last time you visited a 200-year-old home? The home and farmstead were built by Warren Hull, a Revolutionary War veteran who moved to Lancaster, NY from New England with his wife Polly and their children. Their home was also used as hotel for people traveling from Batavia to Buffalo, as well as a meeting place. The home has a total of 4 floors, 3 of which were open to the public when we were there. There's also 7 functional fireplaces. It's evident how passionate and knowledgeable the volunteers are. The house was fully restored and is beautiful. The medicinal herb garden was thoughtfully planned and is carefully maintained by their volunteer gardener. The family cemetery is maintained by volunteers from the local chapter of DAR. They have ambitious goals to make this the premier historic destination of Erie County, and have made a lot of progress towards it. They normally host a variety of events, which have been cancelled due to COVID. However they are currently open Sundays in August 2020 from 12-3PM. Admission is free, but there's a recommended donation of $5. The volunteers dress in period clothes and will walk you through the home. I encourage you to checkout their website, which has a virtual tour of the home, as well as their Facebook page, which they've been actively keeping up to date. A note on parking and accessibility. There's a gravel/grass/bumpy parking lot available on the east side of the home. The back entrance into the Lowe level is relatively flat stone, and doesn't have any stairs. There's a wheel chair lift on the outside of the home which goes to the 1st floor in the home. Within the home, there are only stairs between each floor.

Please do yourself a favor whether you're staying on the U.S. side of the falls of the Canadian…read moreside, book a tour with Motherland Connextions! I found this company on Viator. I found the Underground Railroad tour in Buffalo and immediately booked. Why did I book? For starts, it's a 3 hour tour learning about one of the most historic and unknown aspects of American history. It is extremely well priced for the convenience and intimacy of the tour. You're picked up at the Underground Railroad Historic Museum (free parking is a bonus) and you're met by Kevin (dressed in period clothing including a dope top hat). He drives you to the key areas of Buffalo that were critical to the Underground Railroad. We had a very diverse tour group and Kevin made us feel comfortable to ask questions and to interact with our group. One of the best parts of the tour was going to an actual "station" on the Underground Railroad. It's a 300 year-old barn organically owned by McClew family who were "conductors" on the Underground Railroad. You get to experience the barn where many people were housed, fed, and clothed on their journey to Canada. After this experience 've become a Motherland C groupie! Kevin (the owner) could be a history professor (watch out, Dr. Gates!) with his knowledge and passion of American history and the history of Western New York (he's a Buffalo native). Kevin even gave great recommendations for shops, food and hotels for the Toronto leg of our trip. They offer a variety of tours so make sure to check out their website to get their schedule.

We booked a guided tour of the history of the Underground Railroad here in Niagara Falls for this…read moreafternoon. Turns out we were the only ones on the tour today, so it was a wonderful, personal experience with an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide named Kevin Cottrell. He was a great storyteller and a beautiful human being. We visited many historic places and heard many disturbing and heartbreaking stories. This was definitely one of the best guided tours of its kind I have ever been on. Highly recommend.

Wow! This house is a hidden gem. Built in the 1850s, the house features three floors of exhibits…read moreand a cupola. The furniture and decor was intentionally acquired to only feature pieces from the late nineteenth century, including East Lake furniture and a few other pieces original to the home. The volunteers were friendly and knowledgeable, and led guided tours throughout the house. The tour is 1 hour and costs $8/adult. I highly recommend visiting the house!

I love octagon houses and this is a rare opportunity-- Newstead Historical Society, 1870 Octagon…read moreHouse, leave message 716-542-7022. Gift Shop. Trolley car ride available between the Octagon and Knight-Sutton Historic House Museum. Director_RTOH@newsteadhistoricalsociety.org $12 a person - group of one to five people $10 a person - group of 6 or more people. In depth tours available. membership@newsteadhistoricalsociety.org * collections@newsteadhistoricalsociety.org * https://newsteadhistoricalsociety.org/rich-twinn-octagon-house/ Another is the 1856, Camillus Octagon House (5420 West Genesee Street, 13031, near Syracuse, Rte 5, 315-488-7800, https://octagonhouseofcamillus.org/special-events/ https://octagonhouseofcamillus.org; octagonhouseofcamillus@gmx.com), FREE! donations welcome! 5 floors, great views from cupola, open FREE on Sundays 1-5 PM (OR by app't) for guided tours in Spring-Fall or, rent for your family functions! rest room off 1st floor kitchen, informative website (floor plans, info on Fowlers, phrenology, listing of FREE events (special FREE event in Nov--inc great chances on specially, often themed, decorated, lighted, 3 ft trees, 2nd weekend of Nov; home made food available (pie by the slice, 6 sugar cookies, coffee, hot chocolate to eat at Grandma's table!), stories, with live music inc choirs & pump organist (moi!), gold octagon ornaments $6) Not to be missed! Near the Camilus Erie Canal Park, http://eriecanalcamillus.com/boat.htm, (680) 800-5298, 5750 Devoe Road, Camillus, NY 13031. Open Sundays, 1, 2, 3 PM, Wed's, 1, 2, 3PM precisely for inexpensive historic, narrated vintage boat rides (45 min) with music over aqueduct (wheel chairs accomodated!), special cruises upon request for your family gatherings! with walk/bicycle paved way (Adult $5, 5-12 aged $3PM, under 5 FREE, max $15.00 per family!); historic fully stocked air conditioned Sims General Store, exhibits, costumes for kids' dress up, quaint inexpensive gift shop, original Canal big tools, wonderful doll house!, lock keeper's house, bugle, and original wooden lock from the Canal, school tours, please ask for the small, water recreation of how a lock works without electricity!, map of 362 mile Canal (365 days in a year! easy way to remember!mo, the original Erie Canal w/ path (there were 3 Erie Canals!), the new walk/bicycle way, FREE Towpath Day in August!, modern rest rooms ! Also see the Camillus Martisco Station Railway Museum, http://www.townofcamillus.com/default.aspx?PageID=85 MAKE A DAY OF IT

Walter knows his stuff and can educate you the best on the Space Race of the 50-60s and knows any…read moretimeline from WWI to the Wright Era up til the modern ages of flight and aerospace. We could definitely use more people like him.

I brought my 12-year old son to this great aerospace museum! The museum shows the history of…read moreaviation and the role the Niagara Region played in it. There were some gems here, like the P-39 Airacobra found and recovered from the Arctic waters that had the U.S. star insignia painted over by the Soviet's insignia. Walter's tour made the museum come to life! It was inspiring to get a tour from someone who's been involved with aviation since the 1950s. Walter breadth and depth of knowledge were fascinating, and he enthralled my pre-teen with his stories.