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Waterfront of Buffalo1

Although Buffalo, New York, is recognized as the place where Buffalo Chicken Wings were created, the city has much more to offer visitors. A variety of attractions are available for travelers to explore and experience while in the city, including tours of Underground Railroad destinations, an assortment of sports teams, museums, art galleries, unique festivals and more.

ORIENTATION

Located in western New York, Buffalo is the second largest city in the state after New York City. Lying on the Niagara River, which connects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, Buffalo is situated 82 mi (132 km) northwest of Erie, Pennsylvania, 16 mi (26 km) southeast of Niagara Falls, New York, and 5 mi (8 km) east of Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada.

HISTORY

Throughout the 1700s, the land on which Buffalo is situated changed hands many times, from being given to the Duke of York as a gift in the mid-18th century to the area being sold to Dutch investors in 1792. The first permanent settlement in the area was in 1789 when Cornelius Winney and “Black Joe” Hodges built a log cabin to trade with American Indians. The village, which Buffalo stemmed from, was initially dubbed Lake Erie, but later was called Buffalo Creek, and by some accounts the city received its name when it was shortened to Buffalo. By 1811, the population of the predominantly Anglo-American village had grown to 5,000 inhabitants. During the War of 1812, on December 30, 1813, British troops, along with their American Indian allies, captured the growing community and burned it to the ground. The settlement was soon rebuilt and incorporated as a town in 1816.

In 1825, the Erie Canal was completed, connecting Buffalo and New York City in a 524 mi (843 km) waterway. The town’s population continued to grow and in 1832 reached over 8,000 residents. In 1836, the first railroad was completed between Buffalo and Niagara Falls, and before the end of that year trains ran regularly to the falls. In 1853, Buffalo annexed the border town of Black Rock and was incorporated as a city.

Underground Railroad During the mid-1800s Buffalo, New York, was known as a stop on the way to freedom for runaway slaves from the southern United States. The Underground Railroad was a series of covert safe havens for runaways to use so that they may escape their enslavement. The slaves were escaping toward Canada and using Buffalo’s close proximity to their advantage. The city features many stops on the informal railroad including the Michigan Street Baptist Church, Murphy Orchards and Broderick Park—where the once imprisoned people crossed the Niagara River into Ontario.

During the mid-19th century Buffalo became a terminus for the Underground Railroad—an informal series of safe havens for runaway slaves who had escaped from the southern United States. From the early 1800s to 1901, the city’s history includes many United States Presidents with the most notable event occurring when Leon Czolgosz shot President William McKinley on September 6, 1901, at the Pan American Exposition. The president died of his wounds eight days later and as a result, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in on September 14, 1901, at the Wilcox Mansion—becoming one of the few American Presidents to be inaugurated outside of Washington, D.C.

At the turn of the century, Buffalo’s economy was booming and with that immigrants from many countries, including Germany, Italy, Poland and Ireland, were drawn to the city. In 1927, the Peace Bridge, which spans the Niagara River connecting Buffalo to Fort Erie, Ontario, opened, attracting many dignitaries and heads of state to the opening ceremony. In 1932, Buffalo’s City Hall, whose façade reflects an Art Deco style, was completed as the tallest building in the city, a title it would hold until 1970.

The Buffalo Wing was created in 1964, by Teressa Bellissimo, proprietor of the Anchor Bar, as a snack for some late-night patrons. In the mid-20th century, the city began to decline with the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway as goods that had previously passed through Buffalo’s port could now bypass the city by using the new seaway to reach the ocean. The population decline is also attributed to suburban migration. Even though the trend continues to a certain extent, Buffalo’s metropolitan area has not reduced in size as a whole and is still bustling with a variety of interesting and entertaining attractions.

TRANSPORTATION

Interstate 90, which is the northernmost east-to-west highway in the United States, runs along the eastern edge of Buffalo, and connects with Interstate 190, which continues eastward toward Albany, New York. Spanning the Niagara River, Peace Bridge is an arch bridge that allows access between Buffalo and Fort Erie, Ontario.

The Buffalo Niagara International Airport is located 16 mi (25 km) east of downtown Buffalo. Several major airlines use this hub, offering travelers daily flights in and out of the city.

Boasting an extensive public transit service, the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority offers a number of bus routes that travel throughout the city and suburban areas. The transit authority also operates Metro Rail, a 6 mi (10 km) rapid, light rail system, which is at ground level in the downtown area and underground in the outlying areas.

Month Avg. Daily Temperature Average Rainfall Min Max Jan 18°F (-7°C) 31°F (0°C) 80 mm Feb 18°F (-7°C) 33°F (1°C) 61 mm Mar 26°F (-3°C) 42°F (6°C) 76 mm Apr 36°F (2°C) 54°F (12°C) 77 mm May 48°F (9°C) 66°F (19°C) 85 mm Jun 57°F (14°C) 75°F (23°C) 98 mm Jul 62°F (16°C) 29°F (26°C) 79 mm Aug 60°F (15°C) 78°F (25°C) 98 mm Sep 53°F (11°C) 70°F (21°C) 97 mm Oct 42°F (5°C) 59°F (15°C) 81 mm Nov 33°F (1°C) 46°F (8°C) 99 mm Dec 23°F (-5°C) 36°F (2°C) 96 mm

Climate data from the Northeast Regional Climate Center

Rental car providers and 24-hour taxi services are also available throughout the city.

CLIMATE

With an undue reputation for severe weather, Buffalo actually possesses the sunniest and driest summer of any other major center in the northeastern United States. Autumn is brief, occurring from mid-September to early November. Winters in Buffalo can last longer than in other regions, typically starting in mid-November and ending in late-March. The nature of the city’s winter seasons stem from what is referred to as the lake effect, when cold air from the north passes over the relatively warm water of Lake Erie resulting in clouds and precipitation, usually in the form of snow. Spring arrives slowly to the area, beginning in late-April because of the presence of the icepack on the lake. Lots of sunshine, warm temperatures and moderate humidity levels define summers in Buffalo. Rain does make an appearance occasionally, yet most of the precipitation falls overnight so it rarely interferes with outdoor activities.

Aerial View of Buffalo's City Hall2

FEATURED ATTRACTIONS

Museums

Albright-Knox Art Gallery
Governed by one of the United States’ oldest public art organizations, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery was completed in 1905 as what was originally supposed to serve as the fine arts pavilion for the Pan-American Exposition of 1901. The gallery exhibits, acquires and preserves both contemporary and modern art. Permanent collections housed at the gallery include a variety of art that ranges from a Mesopotamian figure dating from 3,000 B.C. to pieces that reflect the styles of impressionism, cubism, surrealism and post-impressionism. The work of artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Gauguin and van Gogh are also displayed.

Buffalo Museum of Science
Established in 1861 by the Buffalo Society of Natural Science, the Buffalo Museum of Science features more than 600,000 specimens in their collections, as well as a diverse array of interactive and informative exhibits that are regularly changed. Many programs, tailored for different age groups and families, are offered at the Science Museum, allowing everyone to enjoy their experience. The museum also includes the 264-acre (107-ha) Tifft Nature Preserve, which offers 5 mi (8 km) of hiking trails and a 75-acre (30-ha) freshwater cattail marsh and a variety of wildlife and vegetation.

Karpele’s Manuscript Library Museum
A unique attraction in Buffalo is the Karpele’s Manuscript Library Museum, which is only one of seven such museums in the United States. Karpele’s Library is the world's largest private holding of significant documents and manuscripts. Exhibits on various topics are continually brought in to the museum. Archives housed include the original draft of the United States’ Bill of Rights, Einstein’s description of the Theory of Relativity and more regarding areas of religion, art, history, literature and science.

Other Buffalo Attractions

	The Conservatory at the Buffalo and Erie Botanical Gardens3

Buffalo and Erie Botanical Gardens
A product of landscaping architect Frederick Law Olmsted, botanist John F. Cowell and the architectural firm of Lord and Burnham Co., the Buffalo and Erie Botanical Gardens was established in 1868. The gardens are made up of a conservatory, outdoor gardens, a lake and a ring road. The conservatory, a tri-domed glass, wood and steel building, was modeled after the Crystal Palace and Kew Gardens Palm House in England. Completed in 1899, the structure is now only one of two tri-domed designs in the United States. The conservatory houses an array of tropical flora as well as specialty gardens, including a desert installation, an orchid garden and a rainforest habitat. The outdoor area of the gardens features a children’s learning space, an arboretum, a bog garden and much more. The Buffalo and Erie Botanical Gardens also hosts a variety of events and allows wedding photos to be staged on site.

Colored Musicians Club
Known as a landmark attesting to the importance of jazz in the American landscape of music history, the Colored Musicians Club is the only remaining African American club of its kind. Designated as a historic preservation site in 1999, the club was established in 1918 with the formation of the Buffalo Local 533 Workers Union for African American Musicians. The club promotes historical research, preserves the jazz legacy in the city and offers free music lessons to the community’s youth. With a stage that has been graced by many artists including Billie Holliday, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Lena Horne and many more, the Colored Musicians Club is open to non-members who would like to either listen to or join in on Sunday jam sessions.

The Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site4

Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
Opened to the public in 1971, the former home of Ansley Wilcox is now the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site, the only National Park in western New York. Tours of the home where President Theodore Roosevelt was inaugurated on September 14, 1901, are available. Exhibits featured at the site focus on the circumstances surrounding President Roosevelt’s inauguration, details of his life and turn of the century America. While visitors are at the historic site they can view the seasonal gardens and tour the nearby neighborhoods filled with historic buildings.

Buffalo Wing Festival
Held annually on Labor Day weekend, the Buffalo Wing Festival celebrates the Buffalo Chicken Wing that originated out of the Anchor Bar. Established in 2002, the festival was inspired by Bill Murray’s character in the movie Osmosis Jones, who attends the then fictional National Buffalo Wing Festival. Festivities featured during the weekend include the US Chicken Wing Eating Championship, live music and food from over 25 Buffalo area restaurants.

Attractions Close to Buffalo

Amherst Museum
Situated on 35 acres (14 ha) of land in nearby Amherst, New York, the Amherst Museum is a living history museum that depicts 19th-century life on the Niagara frontier that is located approximately 20 minutes northeast of Buffalo. Filled with interactive exhibits and historical buildings, such as a schoolhouse and functional blacksmith’s forge, the museum houses and displays a variety of items including over 50,000 artifacts and 8,000 archived documents. Year round tours of the museum take visitors on a journey through the past while allowing them to participate in many of the exhibits.

	The Lucy-Desi Museum5

Lucy-Desi Museum
For visitors who want to experience some of television’s past, the Lucy-Desi Museum is a center devoted to Lucille Ball, her husband Desi Arnaz and their massively popular 1950s show, I Love Lucy. Located in Ball’s birthplace Jamestown, New York, which is located 58 mi (93 km) southwest of Buffalo, the museum includes interactive exhibits, costumes, personal belongings and even the sets from the comedy. The center also features a gift shop with official I Love Lucy merchandise and hosts a number of events throughout the year, including an annual festival and various seminars.

Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum
Located in North Tonawanda, New York, only 15 minutes from Buffalo, the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum is the only museum in the world housed in an authentic carrousel factory. Open seasonally from April to December, the museum displays over 20 hand-carved carrousel characters as well as a carrousel from 1916, which is still in operation and allows visitors to ride the handcrafted horses. The museum also recounts the history and growth of the Herschell Carrousel Company and demonstrates the process of carving and restoring the wooden horses.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

1. Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau and Angel Art Ltd.; Waterfront of Buffalo; Buffalo, NY, USA
2. Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau and Angel Art Ltd.; Ariel View of Buffalo's City Hall; Buffalo, NY, USA
3. Buffalo and Erie Botanical Gadens; The Conservatory at the Buffalo Erie Botanical Gardens; Buffalo, NY, USA
4. Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau and Angel Art Ltd.; The Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site; Buffalo, NY, USA
5. The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center Inc.; The Lucy-Desi Museum; Jamestown, NY, USA