I always thought this was a bank...but turns out it's a museum that's open just once a month…read more What?! I've passed this big Egyptian looking statue on Forest Ave many times while walking home and I had no idea there was an actual exposition inside. While experiencing "Museums by Moonlight" (a once a year event where for $25 you can go museum hopping into the night), I learned this was an actual exhibit space that's part of the Buffalo History Museum. Apparently, it's only open once a month on the third Friday of every month (free admission) and is home to the Pan-American "Spirit of the City" exhibition that's been up there since 2001. It's a smaller one-room exhibit (but there's more space in the back and they organize a $10 event about once a month where they give you the inner scoop on the entire space), but it's got everything you could possibly want to experience when Buffalo was the city chosen for the Pan-American exposition in 1901. It's incredible to witness how a whole city of sorts was built up to be used between May and demolished in November for the event. My fiancé and I had some fun and even placed a bet on whether the Electric Tower displayed here is the same one that's downtown now (it wasn't and I lost the bet). Lots of fun to be had at the exhibit whether with kids, by yourself or even if you stop in after a juice at Ashker's right a few blocks away on that one Friday that they're open. Check it out!

If you have not been here COME. If you are interested in Buffalo history anyway. This Is a very…read moreeducational exhibit. Its part of the Buffalo History Museum (previously called the Buffalo Historical Society). Currently about the Pan Americam Exposition of 1901. This was supposed to be a HUGE draw for the area, and at a time when Buffalo was one of the 10 biggest cities in the US. But there were problems. Construction delays (sounds like Buffalo, right?), cost overruns, too much rain that summer, and of course the assassination of a president. The Pan Am ended up loosing money. But it was a terrific exhibit regardless. Come here and re-live a piece of it. They have pictures from that time, they take you through the various areas of the exhibt and of course cover the Presidents death. The large funny sculpture in the front is gone. We learned on a tour that it had been made of Styrofoam and when it rained it would absorb all sorts of water etc. That it would occasionally be scented. Etc. They decided to remove it the summer of 2014 and seem to be relieved that its gone. Open the 3rd Friday of each month and by special request (in advance) the Pan-am exhibit is well documented here. Check the Buffalo History Museum website for special tours and lectures here. I went on a behind the scenes tour and saw all sorts of things they store there, including a lot of art. They only have some much room to exhibit things at the History Museum, and this is where they store the rest. Its fantastic to get to see some of it. They have some parking and there is street parking around as well. Since I don't imagine its gets very crowded, the small parking area probably will be just fine. 49

I was here to hear a man dressed as President Abe Lincoln recite "The Gettysburg Address" in…read morecelebration of Mr. Lincoln's birthday. It was presented before a crowd of 150-200 people, including a good number of children!!! After Mr.Lincoln completed his presentation, there was a wreath laid on the portico by the statue of Mr. Lincoln, overlooking the lake behind the museum. A rifle was fired three times. After the wreath laying, there was birthday cake! "The Gettysburg Address", a speech still relevant today.

My most recent visit to the museum was actually to check out the cherry blossoms in the back. I've…read morebeen inside before but not on this visit. The museum is a great place to learn some history of Buffalo. My favorite exhibit was the recreation of the office of Tim Russett (Meet the Press host) exhibit. He was always vocal on his love of Buffalo & the Buffalo Bills. The grounds outside the museum besides the cherry blossoms include the Japanese Garden. Well worth checking out. Side note. Right beyond the side of MANY signs on the grounds saying to not pick the blossoms, climb the trees, etc one of the first things I saw was a father taking pictures of his son up in the tree! Why?? 2025-26

This unique site is part of the National Parks Service. To visit/tour you need to book your tour…read moreand they are typically only offered on the hour. This is one of the few sites where a president was inaugurated outside of Washington DC. During the tour, you can visit the library room where Roosevelt took the oath of office. It is interesting to have this bit of unique history in Buffalo! There is an on site parking lot located in the back of the building. There is also street parking (but there are typically ample spots in the lot). Your tour guide will bring you through a display about the Pan AM and give you a sense of the time period. You also learn about Teddy Roosevelt and his presidency in a video presentation. Additionally, you can sit in a replica of Roosevelt's desk and enjoy an interactive photo opp. The down side for me is that there are several interactive exhibits and lots of panels to read when you enter the museum portion, but you really don't have any time to read and enjoy them because you are forced to move on with the tour. Worth a visit to learn more about this unique piece of Buffalo history, but also learn more about Teddy Roosevelt as well.

This is the site that brought Roosevelt into office and forever changed our nation. A docent gives…read moretours of the small museum with facts on Roosevelt. There is a small gift store with many memorabilia celebrating one of the US Presidents.

Located directly next to the Amtrak train depot in Niagara Falls (which is historically…read moresignificant), this museum is clear, concise, with reproductions of first and second person accounts of the trip to freedom (Canada) near Niagara Falls. Before 1848, this was done with a trip on a rowboat or ferry; after 1848 a train suspension bridge was the preferred highway to freedom. The museum takes 30-60 minutes to explore, and it's beautifully done in multimedia. The gift shop is worth a look too: Volumes of history, and T-shirts. As I was driving away, I looked over Whirlpool Drive to the gorge, and saw the ruins of the old suspension bridge. It made the heart ache: So much human drama happened there, and now it's incognito.

I had an amazing time touring the center. I arrived just in time to have a guided tour by Mr…read more Saladin, who also helped build the center into what it is today. He did a terrific job educating us on the history of the Underground Railroad. The center is nice, an intimate experience created by people who truly wanted to capture the importance of Black history, American history. Mr. Saladin dropped a lot of gems but I will always remember this one specifically, " if you don't have a seat at the table then you are on the menu."

For a solid year, I wanted to go to a first Friday at the AKG. I didn't want to be there one to…read moreattempt Buffalo driving (we circled around to parallel park at 430) and needed someone to echo my musings. Well, I finally made it! We went through check in, where you had to fork over a suggested donation (instead of the usual 22 dollars). They take card, though we gave cash, which seemed like an easier way to exercise the discount. They offered an extra paid section to opt into for an extra 8 dollar charge that we turned down, taking our tiny tags. They're dinky and reusable and gotta attach somewhere to your person. She had also given me a wristband for the strap of Duckles, which had to be checked by a second girl who warned me that I could not wear my knapsack on my back. Could make it a tummy sack or an elbow purse to avoid bumping things, which is how I ended up cradling a stuffed duck around the museum. We hadn't nabbed a map and thought we could wing it. There are qr codes scattered about for info beyond the placards and finding where you have landed. We lucked out and scored a paper map abandoned on one of the numerous benches (there's also chairs and pull out chairs hanging for your resting pleasure) that we attempted to read. My directionally challenged self asked one of the security to send us off to the bridge, given two choices of route. We dodged the scenic way for a temporary outdoor escape, passing more art. Popping back inside we absorbed even more subsets of time and genre, respecting drawn boundaries and only touching things that said we could. There were things that touched us, our souls, that we could take photos of. There were also bizarre things and a bit of nudity. It's all art, including the special presentations and live music and everyday artists sketching in the hall. There was an interactive exhibit in the main that we skipped in the name of rumbling tummies, though we didn't try the cafe. Also avoided the gift shop, cutting out as the crowd began to swell around 6. The place was impeccably clean despite the abundance of windows and smudge worthy doors. It was worth coming out, though I'm unsure how often the exhibits rotate. Come see an authentic famous few and many more that'll have you saying the Albright is pretty *alright*.

The Buffalo AKG Art Museum is our local pride, and requires no advertising or persuasion to visit…read more Believe me, it's a fantastic destination. It's a beautiful space with a nice collection of fine arts. There is a new, three-story extension, a whole new building actually. So, be sure to have plenty of time to explore everything. Their website is very informative and easy to navigate. Check out the current special events and exhibitions. Currently, among others, on display is the "One with Eternity" by Yayoi Kusama, which includes her two Infinity Mirror Rooms and "Pumpkin", a giant orange pumpkin in an orange room covered with black dots. Tickets for this exhibition must be purchased separately and are valid for specific time slots. If there is a big crowd that day, wait a little and don't come from the beginning of your time slot (or figure this out by yourself). We had to leave and come back after a ridiculous experience. Waiting twenty minutes in line to see the actual installation for forty five seconds!? It was very confusing, and I believe there must be a different way to actually enjoy Kusama's work. We came back to see the second room with no wait, but still, with the forty five seconds rule. Ugh... Yes, let's loop if this is the only way which works. Don't forget, the general museum admission is free on the first Friday of the month, and I like that price.

Very big local history museum! We stopped in this weekend and even though they're in the process of…read morepacking up to move to their new location next month, they still had a lot on display. Lots going on here, covering local industrial history (focus on lumber, Wurlitzer, boating, etc), school, church, Boy Scout history, green stamps history, local connections to military history, theatre history, and more! They also had binders of information for you to look at on your pace, as well as a reference library (by appointment only). There are lots of signs that say not to touch, not to lean on glass, and reminders that you're on camera- but sometimes they'll be stuff out right next to the "don't touch" signs that look like you are supposed to pick them up (like folders of information), so it was kinda confusing. The museum needs some more love and funding, many of the cases and shelving were old, and there were even fish tanks being used to enclose items. I hope that once they move to their new location next month that the displays will be modernized. Looking forward to visiting the new location once it opens!

LIKED: This historic…read morebuilding boasts ample parking, a wealth of historic artifacts, and convenient access due to its proximity to a major highway. WOULD HAVE LIKED: - The exhibits could be more appealing to adults instead of students. Many of the exhibits seem to be designed for elementary and middle school students rather than adults. - A more reasonable price. The current $23 fee appears excessive considering the value provided during a visit.

It is a great place for kids. They have interactive things and a variety of things to look atread more

I stopped by the Erie Canal Discovery Center yesterday while I was in the Buffalo area. The site is…read morepart of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and is a fun little museum. The highlight of the center is the simulator, which begins with the audience sitting on benches listening to an actor portraying the architect behind the Flight of Five locks. He describes the canal construction process and the unique features of the Lockport portion of the canal before the screen partially retracts, leading the actor to beckon the visitors onto a mock-up of a packet boat. Once aboard, the screen closes again and a new video features one a canal worker describing the working of a lock as the video gives the impression of the boat rising. As the lock doors open, doors open in front of the boat so that visitors may step off and enter the exhibit space. Most of the exhibits are interactive, with buttons for children to push and little quizzes based on canal knowledge. There are some photographs of the canal under construction as well as a framed certificate from the Canal Collector's Office. The third floor houses the Charles Rand Penney Collection of historic Niagara County artifacts, which will be of great interest to those who enjoy local history. It is the one spot not designed primarily for children, but older children should be able to find some interest in the artifacts. After going through the museum, one can take a self-guided walking tour around Lockport by following Riley's Way: a map located in the discovery center. It's a fun place to have a day trip and a must-visit for those collection National Parks cancellation stamps.

Black and blue restaurant went there with my two sons got there around six left there a couple…read morehours later most of the wait time was waiting for waiters to acknowledge us. The food I had surf and turf. The lobster was slightly undercooked. The steak was like eating a brick, my two sons also had steaks and my one son his steak was like a brick. My other son had surf and turf. His lobster was overcooked the wait time between getting the appetizers and ordering the food was short and getting the food was almost an hour and half i motion to a waiter And they ignored you the whole time we ate the dinner nobody bothered to ever come by and see how the dinner was or how it tasted. I guess they knew they did a crappy job my total bill was $425.00 with tip I would never go back there again. This was my second time I would never go back there even if they offered free food they kept giving my order to one or anther of my sons they couldn't keep straight the orders and who ordered what The macaroni and cheese came out rice and cheese. The crème brûlée was straight out of the refrigerator. They did melt the crust on the top of the sugar top. My review would be find another place. Any other place I