Great attraction! From the history they gave us it just reopened last season. Everything has been…read morerestored and looks great. Free to walk around the grounds and climb to the top. Can't beat free. Great view of the lake from the top.

We came back for one of the last weekends they were open for the season and happy to share that the…read morestairs have been fully restored and they allow visitors to go up to the top now! It was free but we had to sign a waiver. The views from the top were nice, and the employees were friendly. A great stop if you're nearby and in the area.

I have been visiting the Watson-curtze mansion for many years from when I was young till now…read more one great place to learn about loads of local history + they always have something history related when I visit there. I remember when I was younger they had a room with robots dressed as historic figures talking about all the historic battles going on like the war of 1812 I would tell anybody who hasn't been there you have to visit there lots of great history inside there

Graycliff is one of Frank Lloyd Wright's residential designs and is often regarded as the bridge…read morebetween his Prairie houses of the early 1900s and later masterpieces, such as Fallingwater (I look forward to visiting one day). Designed by Wright for Isabelle and Darwin D. Martin (and unlike the Martin house, which you should also visit), the estate sits on an 8.5-acre bluff overlooking Lake Erie. It's about 25 miles southwest of Buffalo, New York. And I did not realize this important tidbit: the gardens and landscape designed by Ellen Biddle Shipman, who worked with Wright. The property was built between 1926 and 1931 as the summer home for the Martin family. Also, Graycliff is a New York State Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Importnat note: the Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House and Graycliff Conservancy are two separate nonprofits -- I did not know that before my visit. The two even have distinct missions. But they each have the common goal to preserve and share the history of the Martin family and Wright's work. I highly recommend visiting both sites. And be sure to check the schedule and tour times. Outside of the welcome center, gift shop and adjacent garden, you must sign up for a paid tour to see the rest of the buildings on site. In the central house, Wright effectively dissolved the traditional boundary between indoors and outdoors. There is local limestone, ochre stucco and cedar shingles and, if you keep a watchful eye, you will see Wright's designs at work: triangles, circles, hearts, diamond-shapes and other shapes are embedded and featured throughout the grounds and in the architecture. Graycliff was also personally significant for Wright. During the mid-1920s his career and finances were in turmoil. The Martins, longtime friends as well as clients, commissioned Graycliff at a moment when relatively few of Wright's designs were being built. Over time, many architectural historians view the project as helping sustain his practice during one of the most difficult periods of his life. And last interesting tidbit: The Martin family owned the property until after Isabelle and Darwin died. It was sold in 1951 to the Piarist Fathers, an order of Roman Catholic Priests from Hungary. They lived in and used Graycliff until 1997 (even built buildings and structures), when the property was sold. Graycliff was actual set to be demolished for condominiums -- can you imagine?! A few tips for your visit: -If you are driving a larger vehicle (large trucks, RV's, camper vans, vehicles pulling trailers, call in advance. The team will work to accommodate your vehicle. Do not miss the brand new visitor center. It has interactive educational features, an informative video and an excellent gift shop, with snacks on site. -Parking is out front at no cost. -A portion of all tours is outside, rain or shine. -Wear comfortable clothing and comfortable walking shoes. -Apparently, stiletto heels are not allowed in the main house to protect the restored floor. -Only service animals are allowed on the grounds.

I did a tour of Graycliff as part of the All Day All Wright tour a while ago anat that time it was…read moreinteresting but also a bit disappointing both because the renovations were ongoing and we arrived late due to traffic so the tour was cut short. Seeing online that Graycliff had just opened a new visitor center and was in full swing I decided to make a one day trip to see it again. Located about a half hour southwest of Buffalo and about an hour northeast of Erie, Graycliff sit right on the Lake Erie shore. There is a small sign at the end of the long drive that leads you to the new visitor center. The center is set up just outside the area that Wright designed. The center is very modern but it does have elements that are inspired by Wright, the horizontal lines of the building, the glass that allows you to see through the building is similar to Graycliff. Inside there is a very nice gift shop, some interesting exhibits and an unusual unisex bathroom. I had signed up for the extended tour and we had a nice group who all had some experience with Wright before, including one guy who had done extensive work in building the new visitor center. The tour starts in the visitor center with a very well made video giving some of the history of Wright, the Martins and Graycliff. After that we went through the Picking Garden which was very attractive and smelled wonderful. We then learned about the layout of the outside, including that the driveway was oriented to track the movement of the sun on the summer solstice. We were also informed about the history of the site, the local materials being used and the history of the house after the Martins had to give it up. We also were told about the water features and how the house was oriented to allow views through the house to see the lake. Although this was the 3rd project Darwin Martin had hired Wright for (the Darwin Martin House and the Larkin Company Adminstration Building were the others) here the client was Mrs. Martin and this was to be a summer house so the overall design is a bit unique. The timing of the project was also crucial as Wright had finished his Prairie Style and the Usonian style was not yet developed. Wright had also gone through a number of personal issues and public scandals so this commission was helpful in bridging a difficult period. Once inside Graycliff you realize that there are many common Wright elements, the use of natural materials, the importance of the hearth as the heart of the house and how he had opened up the common areas with a flow. Graycliff is unique in how it is oriented to the lake with huge windows on both sides. We also got to see the second floor and the second floor of the smaller second house that initially was the garage and chauffeur's quarters and later used by Martin's daughter's family. I have to compliment our docent Brian who did a great job of guiding us through the house and property while supplying information, pointing out details and just being very entertaining. Wright was a complex person, while a genius and visionary he also had personal issues and could be difficult to work with, Brian gave a nice balanced view of Wright, his relationship to the Martins and how Graycliff came to be, plus its history and restoration. On my previous visit I had enjoyed Graycliff, but also found it a bit disappointing, this visit reflects the great job that has been done on finishing the restoration and furnishing the property to best effect. While not as flashy as some of the better know Wright designs, Graycliff is well worth a visit for its historical significance to Wright and to see how he was in transition and developing new and different ideas. A great visit and I am so glad I took the time for a second visit.

I'm surprised that the McClurg Musuem/CCHS doesn't have any reviews yet. My boyfriend and I popped…read morein while we were in town and ended up getting a wonderful 2 hour tour full of history and stories from John Paul. The home is beautiful and full of antiques from all over Chautauqua county. Admission is $5 and free for students and members. I would recommended the museum tour to anyone looking to understand more about Chautauqua County and the people who have lived here over the past 3 centuries.

There are many historic buildings located in Buffalo. June is a good month to visit. While it…read morecould be raining, it also could be slightly windy and sunny. We hit a good day to walk. Some humidity yet pleasant. The area is lined with trees and greenery. Many of the historic homes in the city are now attorney offices. Street parking.

Not worth visiting that is for sure run down city and so is Niagara Falls so sad just the state…read morepark is nice everything else is a dump and geto city so sad the homes even need a lot of help

This is the childhood home of Lucille Ball that had been restored to what it may have looked like…read morewhen Lucy grew up there. She had resided here with her mother and grandparents along with her brother Fred. The area is known as Celoron and not far from that home is the Lucille Ball memorial park. Lucy used to work at that park when it was a small amusement park by the lake. The house is painted in a bright blue but what stands out is the polka dot garage door and the lopsided barbecue in the back. The barbecue was probably inspired from one of the last "I love Lucy" episodes. Note-the residence is a private dwelling and people live here. For this reason, you are asked to be respectul of the property. More information can be found on their website which also happens to be attached to the front entry door. Definitely worth a quick photo opportunity.

The love and care that has been put into restoring Lucy's childhood home is indescribable. One…read moreneeds to really experience it first hand to truly appreciate it. And to know that all the money earned is then donated back to the community is a true testament to the type of people the owners are.

What a lovely view of a lovely lake, beach, and woods. The…read moremuseum was cute and informative with nice staff. The lighthouse and house were beautiful. The gift shop was really cute, fairly priced, had informative staff, and the ladies working there were so nice and welcoming!

This was our 2nd visit to this lighthouse. IT is amazing the view from the ground and then the…read moreview from the light house. It overlooks Lake Erie and give it a different perspective on Lake Erie from Buffalo. You need to pay to get to look inside but well worth the money. On a beautiful day it is a great place to visit.

Okay, so technically this is the Waterworks Steel Intake Tower but the locals call it the…read moreWaterworks Lighthouse. It dates back to when Lake Erie was used as a municipal water source. Since Lake Erie was also the output for sewage and factory waste, it wasn't a good scene. Thousands of people were sick with typhoid and worse as a result. To combat this sickness, a 60 inch pipe was laid from the waterworks plant in Erie, across Erie Harbor under Presque Isle to a distance offshore. And this tower was built in 1906 to house a steel chain and gears. That equipment was designed to lift a large lid to gain access to the municipal water intake pipe. More recently moved to its current location and renovated as a lighthouse replica, it is visible from all along the Erie shore especially the Waterworks district. And here on Presque Isle, it is near Building 12 which has a public restroom, covered picnic tables and parking. If you're headed to the actual Presque Isle lighthouse, stop by here and check this one out too! [Round number 22400 overall - review 1377 of 2024 - 654 in Pennsylvania]

I highly recommend the Buffalo Lighthouse - what a gem with some of the best views of the city too!…read moreOpen seasonally, you can choose to explore the grounds, which includes some historical signage, nautical artifacts, and a tiny house where you can watch two videos, one about the evolution of lighthouses, and another that shows the inside of the lighthouse. And, for an additional fee, you can go inside the lighthouse. Note, the first half of the climb is stairs and the second half is three ladders to get to the top. It was a really great way to spend part of our afternoon, and I'd love to go back again. Note: I recommend checking their fb page before you go because they posts their hours regularly.

Definitely worth it to get the ticket to go up the light house. Great views from the top. There are…read moreladders if for the top that are slightly narrow. There is also a building showing videos of light house history in general as well as the Buffalo harbor specifically.