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.

59lucylane.com is an awesome place to shop! Prices are great and customer service is even better…read more Highly recommend!

Amazing Buffalo history on display on the cliffside shores of Lake Erie. The brand new visitor…read morecenter adds to the overall experience.

The last time I toured Graycliff it was almost 10 years ago and the house was under significant…read morerenovations. When I went back today for the tour, I was impressed to see every room restored! Our tour group only had 4 people total and took us about an hour and 20 mins to go through both floors of the house, and view the grounds. We really enjoyed everything, especially our knowledgeable tour guide and friendly gift shop attendant, Hannah! We'd love to come back again for a special event once the new visitor center opens in February.

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

While the grounds and inside the gift shop are both free to wander, we came for a tour ($10) and…read morethe tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable. In addition to getting to go to the top of the lighthouse, we were also shown the coast guard building and the home, which has a lot of local military memorabilia as well. The tour was about an hour long. Everything was interesting and I'd recommend it to anyone passing through the area.

A rare active lighthouse, the Dunkirk lighthouse is also known as the Point Gratiot Light. It was…read moreestablished in 1826 and still operates a third order Fresnel lens. An unusual square-shaped tower, the top is white with the lantern housing in red. It is attached to the Victorian-style residence. You'll also find the old metal skeleton tower and the A plaque points out that some of the first shots of the War of 1812 were fired from this site by the local militia at a British schooner. I arrived after closing but the keeper (not an official lighthouse keeper, but a nice dude) let me wander a bit until he locked up the property. [Review 1390 of 2024 - 394 in New York - 22413 overall]

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.

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.

It's easy to get a sense of how important shipping and travel around the Great Lakes was 100 years…read moreago by the care and attention given to this construction. I enjoyed the climb up the spiral wooden staircase to the lens platform: It's a great, breezy view of Lake Erie! If you come early enough in Summer, look for swooping barn swallows skimming over the water for insects!

Western New York is full of quirky, off-beat history. It includes this sweet little shrine to an…read moreiconic comic illustrator. Until we found this slice of history, I knew not that Brad Anderson was a local native, from Brocton NY. This statue is a quick stop and photo opp, with a guest book to sign, and brochures to learn more about the making of Marmaduke. It inspired us to get a couple Marmaduke books out of the library and the more recent Owen Wilson film vehicle to enjoy as a family. (The comics are chuckle-inducing, and the movie was surprisingly hysterical!) Plus Marmaduke is probably one of my top-ten favorite words to say out loud, I love how it jumbles up your mouth and cracks you up all on its own. So if you're in this area, drop by to check out this fun sculpture that commemorates a great American comic artist.

I very often attend the Pist n Broke car show on the Wirlitzer grounds in the summer, but as I'd…read morenever really attended anything inside, I felt I was unequipped to give a review. This all changed on the 22nd of December because they hosted an incredible market there that day. The name of it escapes me, but it was a creepy Christmas extravaganza! Right up my alley. I had so much fun talking to and buying from the vendors and spent way too much on presents for loved ones. It was two floors, but the elevator was easily accessible, which is a nice touch for us disabled folks. The upstairs was just as lovely. The staff was incredibly helpful and didn't appear to hate their jobs, which counts for something. The smiled as I got my drink at the bar, they smiled when I was on the first floor and needed to throw something out, and they even smiled as I walked in. They all do a great job there, especially with the place so clean and decorated for the holidays. I had so much fun here. I shopped. I drank. Heck, I even sat with Krampus. Merry Creepmas. 5 stars

It was the annual New Year's party for our running club. It is a large open space, so plenty of…read moreroom for the tables and chairs, buffet line, dessert table, dance floor and the DJ and his equipment. The appetizer table was a huge display of a variety of cubed cheeses, toast and crackers, olives, and some grapes and blueberries. The dinner buffet had a nice tossed salad, focaccia and butter, pasta in a cheesy red sauce, haricots vert, chicken in an artichoke and onion sauce with melted mozzarella cheese on top, and roast beef au jus with great horseradish!

Recently I was at Niagara Falls State park and I stopped at a placard I have driven by hundreds of…read moretimes. You may have as well. This is what is said: "First House Built By Judge Porter In 1808. Many Notable Visitors And Friendly Indians Were Received Within Its Walls." Its standing in a open lot, so the house is long gone. Judge Augustus Porter was a chief land surveyor for the Connecticut Land Company in the late 1790's. He is thought to be one of the first white settlers to the area (still occupied by various Indian tribes at the time). He bought this land near Niagara Falls, and built a sawmill (using the water power) and some other things. He was also a politician at the time, and was the State Assembly man for the Genesee and Ontario District at some point. He and his brother understood the value of the Falls as a tourist attraction and were able to make that happen. They built a bridge to Goat Island, got a ferry to cross the river, and planned gardens for people to come and enjoy. He was a busy man, and had a general store in the area, and then was a judge (the first for Niagara County) and postmaster (the first for Niagara Falls). A man of many talents. This was the site of the first home he built in the area. He had 5 children. Worth a quick stop along the road.