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

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.

Perfect location for spur-of-the-moment photo adventure with your film camera or senior photos.read more

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.

From the owner: Hull Family Home Foundation provides a historical dwelling from 1810 in Lancaster, NY.read more

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.

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.

Someone around here has psycho-kinetic powers because they knew the instant I created this listing!…read moreIt's awesome that I added this listing to Yelp about a week ago, and within 2 days of doing so, someone had reviewed it. Way to get in there before me! I'm impressed and I tip my proverbial hat, although I don't wear a hat. Anyway. But it's a glorious old building in the heart of Rochester, with some decent food options inside. It has its own security and doorman and such, and a lovely floral plant-filled area inside, sort of like a courtyard in the middle of a towerblock. The popular hipster Yelpy place inside is Sapori, which doesn't impress me, but it's hella cool to have such a trendy sandwich shop inside such a lovely old NY State building. I say that because the feel of the place could only be NY State, or perhaps somewhere like Cleveland. It's extremely North East. The building is like what Manhattan buildings would have been like in the 50s. I love it. Like Icona Pop, I love it. Now I'm at the peak of my powers, I'll quit this review.

This is one of the most beautiful buildings in Rochester. It also has a hidden gem - one of the…read moremost expansive and impressive atriums around. From inside and out, there's absolutely nothing that isn't short of spectacular! The first floor has retail which includes a tailor, an optometrist, and much more. It also has quite a few sculptures and art pieces. Entrances off of State Street and Main Street lead to the atrium. The atrium itself has another hidden gem in the form of Sapporo's cafe, which will be covered in a later review. Ferns and hostas proliferate throughout this multi-story extravaganza. You really feel like you're in a whimsical garden while walking through the space. Being that it's mostly professionals in the building it's nice and quiet. A perfect spot to read a book or simply have a seat and relax. No matter the weather, you'll leave this space feeling brand new. It's truly remarkable.

Just on the edge of the Dillon Cemetery is the location of the second known bee sting death in…read moreNorth America. Which is evidently worthy of a plaque. So it's worthy of a yelp entry. I wonder where the first known death was?

Mount Albion Cemetery is brimming with history. It is a unique old cemetery with headstones dating…read moreback to the 1800s (some birth years from the 1700s), all set on a well-kept landscape full of rolling hills and mature shady trees. At the main entrance, there is a large map that points out the many historic features. There is also a bin of takeaway paper walking trails. There are three routes plotted out in three different map brochures, each with their own various sites along the way. We recently visited purposefully to find the Civil War Memorial Tower. If you park at the main gate, the tower is a .65 mile walk uphill, but not treacherously steep. About half way up you can see the tower at the top of the winding road, and it is much bigger than photos make it look. Plus we didn't realize until we got up there that you can ACTUALLY climb up the tower! It is a soaring brick spire, with a spiral staircase all the way up to the roof! My fear-of-heights husband and son only made it a quarter of the way. I made it half way, and couldn't muster up the courage to keep going when the space became very enclosed. But our brave teen daughter got all the way to the top! She said the views were breathtaking! I wish I could have saw them too, but taking a photo of her triumphant wave up top from the bottom was a nice view, too. :-D We definitely plan to return to try the other walking routes, and veer off the path to explore the lush history here. If you like walking, are okay with some hills, and like local historical sites, Mount Albion Cemetery makes for a fascinating outing.

If you are in Batavia (or exploring sights along the NYS Thruway), this is a must! A wealth of…read morehistorical information and objects, with the oldest being a Revolutionary War drum. The gibbet used for hanging the condemned is in a room of its own, viewable through a piece of plate glass. The giftshop lady gave a wonderful tour!

A hidden gem located five minutes south of I-90 in Batavia, this museum offers a wealth of…read moreinformation about various topics related to Batavia specifically and Western New York generally, including the namesake land company, the rise of the anti-masonic movement (the first third party in U.S. history), local veterans from past wars, local commerce, and unsolved murder mysteries. At times the organization of the exhibits and placement of the text cards can make things a bit difficult to follow, but the wealth of information offered more than compensates for these minor concerns. The gentleman running the gift shop was very friendly and helpful