Things to do in Buffalo
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Buffalo
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Late spring to early summer, warm without peak Niagara crowds, all seasonal attractions open.
Best overall with Bills season, better light and peak foliage in the first three weeks of October.
Summer glory season, festivals almost every weekend, long sunsets over Lake Erie.
Winter on purpose only, for skiing, skating and warm cultural anchors, with blizzard risk.
Worst for a first visit with no winter sports purpose, coldest and darkest.
Late March is muddy, winter's leftovers without spring's payoff.
What's on
- Dyngus Day Easter Monday
Polish-American festival of polka, pussy willows and pierogi, the largest in America.
- Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival late April to early May
Cherry blossoms at the Japanese Garden in Delaware Park.
- Allentown Art Festival second weekend in June
The city's largest art festival, taking over Allentown streets.
- Buffalo Pride early June
Parade down Elmwood, one of the friendliest Prides in the Northeast.
- Juneteenth Festival mid-June
One of the largest Juneteenth celebrations in the US, centred on MLK Park.
- Shakespeare in Delaware Park June to August
Free performances on Shakespeare Hill, two productions each summer.
- Taste of Buffalo July 10-11
Largest two day food festival in the US, along Delaware Avenue and Niagara Square.
- Garden Walk Buffalo last weekend in July
Hundreds of private Elmwood and West Side gardens open free.
- Erie County Fair mid-August
One of America's largest county fairs, in Hamburg since 1820.
- National Buffalo Wing Festival August 29-30
Wing Fest at Sahlen Field, sauces from dozens of restaurants.
Best things to do in Buffalo
Buffalo AKG Art Museum
World class modern art in uncrowded galleries, with major Pollock, Warhol and Rothko works.
Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House
Wright Prairie house complex restored in full, with art glass, pergola and conservatory.
Canalside
Buffalo's lakefront front porch at the Erie Canal terminus, free to stroll year round.
Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park
Board a cruiser, a destroyer and a submarine at the largest inland naval park in the US.
Buffalo City Hall
Great Art Deco city hall with a free observation deck and 360 degree views.
Shea's Performing Arts Center
Restored 1926 movie palace hosting touring Broadway at prices below New York and Toronto.
Delaware Park
Olmsted park with meadow, Hoyt Lake, rose garden and a Japanese Garden.
Buffalo History Museum
Right sized city museum covering the Pan-Am Exposition, industry and neighbourhood history.
Where to stay in Buffalo
Downtown
first trip, all-round base
Walk to Shea's, Canalside, City Hall and the arena, with most full service hotels and cheap parking.
Elmwood Village / Allentown
local charm, couples, repeat visitors
Leafy residential Buffalo near the AKG and Delaware Park, with boutique inns and Allen Street nightlife.
Williamsville / Amherst
families, drivers
Suburban chain hotels with free parking and easy highway access for Niagara and East Aurora touring.
Think twice about
- East Side: Broadway-Fillmore, Emerson, Masten, Grider
Decades of disinvestment, the city's highest crime rates, vacant lots and almost no visitor services at night. Do not base here.
- Niagara Falls, NY town
Dated overpriced tourist strip outside the state park, with limited good dining. Stay in Buffalo and day trip to the Falls.
- South Buffalo / Lackawanna and Orchard Park stadium surrounds
Almost no hotel stock or walkable visitor infrastructure. Visit the gardens or the game, then sleep downtown or in Elmwood.
- Airport / Cheektowaga
A highway hotel strip, not a Buffalo experience. Only for an early flight or a Diamond Hawk tee time.
Best restaurants in Buffalo
Las Puertas
Buffalo's most serious restaurant, a tiny Mexican tasting menu with French technique.
Hutch's
The local celebration bistro, polished American cooking and a lively bar.
Bar-Bill Tavern
Locals' wing champion plus beef on weck, with cajun honey butter BBQ the signature order.
Duff's Famous Wings
The people's wing champion since 1969, hotter and more vinegary than visitors expect.
Gabriel's Gate
Best walkable wings in Allentown, plus French onion soup with its own following.
Nine-Eleven Tavern
South Buffalo dive with immaculate wings, cash focused and no fuss.
Elmo's
Amherst wing spot famous locally for double dipped cajun medium wings.
Adolf's Old First Ward Tavern
Old First Ward tavern where locals go for good value wings.
Outdoor things to do in Buffalo
Niagara Falls State Park
Oldest state park in America, free on foot, with the brink of Horseshoe Falls.
Maid of the Mist
Boat into the Horseshoe basin since 1846, soaking and unforgettable.
Cave of the Winds
Walkways at the base of Bridal Veil Falls, including the Hurricane Deck.
Letchworth State Park
Genesee gorge with three major waterfalls, 66 miles of trails and peak fall colour.
Eternal Flame Falls
Short hike to a waterfall with a natural gas flame burning behind the water.
Elevator Alley Kayak
Paddle the Buffalo River past historic grain elevators with herons fishing nearby.
Diamond Hawk Golf Course
Buffalo's best public golf test, with country club conditioning at a public fee.
Seneca Hickory Stick
Scenic Robert Trent Jones II course on the way to Niagara, consistently well kept.
Best hotels in Buffalo
Curtiss Hotel
Showpiece boutique hotel with rotating lobby bar, rooftop lounge and hot springs pool.
The Mansion on Delaware Avenue
28 room mansion hotel famous for 24 hour butler service and included breakfast.
The Westin Buffalo
Reliable luxury chain option with polished rooms, full gym and in house dining.
The Richardson Hotel
Sleep inside a Richardson Romanesque landmark with Olmsted grounds.
Hotel at the Lafayette
1911 landmark boutique hotel with more character per dollar than downtown chains.
InnBuffalo off Elmwood
13 room Victorian mansion inn at the heart of Elmwood Village, with named suites.
Hyatt Regency Buffalo
Full service downtown hotel handy for the Theatre District and Metro Rail.
Hilton Garden Inn
Dependable newer build hotel on Lafayette Square in the downtown core.
Is Buffalo expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $90 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $180 a person |
| Splurge | $350 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Buffalo AKG Art Museum: a few days ahead
- Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House: weeks ahead
- Shea's Performing Arts Center: weeks ahead
- Kleinhans Music Hall: a few days ahead
- Maid of the Mist: a few days ahead
- Cave of the Winds: a few days ahead
- Diamond Hawk Golf Course: a few days ahead
- Seneca Hickory Stick: a few days ahead
- Bills tickets and game weekend hotels sell out months ahead for marquee games.
- Martin House tours sell out days to weeks ahead in spring and fall. Las Puertas and weekend Hutch's and Lombardo dinners need a week or more.
- Shea's Broadway weekends, summer Maid of the Mist and Cave of the Winds prime hours, and Holiday Valley festival weekends book up.
Is Buffalo safe?
- Recommended bases are as safe as comparable districts in any mid size US city. Use lit main streets late and rideshare after drinking.
- Secure valuables in cars and park in hotel garages or lots, not isolated side streets.
- In winter check lake effect forecasts by town, rent AWD if you can, and respect Thruway closures.
Buffalo travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Anchor Bar as your only wings. Invented there, not the best there now.
- Niagara Falls town hotels and restaurants outside the state park, and Clifton Hill in Canada, a neon carnival strip.
- Downtown on a Sunday or Monday night without a plan. Many restaurants close or run limited hours early in the week.
Getting around Buffalo: public transport and more
- You want a car for Buffalo done properly. The core is walkable and served by the free above ground Metro Rail downtown.
- Parking is easy and cheap by coastal city standards. Rideshare is plentiful downtown and at the airport, thin late in suburbs.
- Amtrak Exchange Street and Buffalo-Depew serve New York City and Toronto via Niagara Falls.
Who Buffalo suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Buffalo your trip
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