Subscribe

Shutterstock / Victoria Lipov

Buffalo

The winters may be long and cold, but Buffalo stays warm with a vibrant creative community and strong local pride. Settled by the French in 1758, the city is believed to derive its name from beau fleuve (beautiful river). With power from nearby Niagara Falls, it boomed in the early 1900s; Pierce-Arrow cars were made here, and it was the first American city to have electric streetlights. One of its nicknames – Queen City – was because it was the largest city along the Great Lakes.

Those rosy economic times are long over, leaving many abandoned buildings in their wake. But revival is in Buffalo's air. Masterpieces of late 19th- and early-20th-century architecture, including designs by Frank Lloyd Wright and HH Richardson, have been magnificently restored. There's a park system laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted, of NYC's Central Park fame, great museums, and a positive vibe that's impossible to ignore.

Explore Buffalo

  • Martin House Complex

    This 15,000-sq-ft house, completed in 1905, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for his friend and patron Darwin D Martin. Representing Wright's Prairie…

  • Albright-Knox Art Gallery

    The gallery's superb collection, which ranges from Degas and Picasso to Ruscha, Rauschenberg and other abstract expressionists, occupies a neoclassical…

  • Buffalo City Hall

    This 32-story art deco masterpiece, opened in 1931 and beautifully detailed inside and out, towers over downtown. It's worth joining the free tour at noon…

  • Outer Harbor

    This narrow, 400-acre strip of land between the Buffalo River and Lake Erie serves as the city’s Central Park. The heart of the space is Wilkeson Pointe,…

  • Guaranty Building

    Completed in 1896 for the Guaranty Construction company, this gorgeous piece of architecture has a facade covered in detailed terra-cotta tiles and a…

  • Graycliff Estate

    Occupying a dramatic clifftop location on Lake Erie, 16 miles south of downtown Buffalo, this 1920s vacation home was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for…

  • Delaware Park

    This 350-acre park is one of three in the city designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. It includes meadows, forests, lakes, rose and Japanese-style gardens,…

  • Canalside

    Buffalo's once-derelict waterfront has been spruced up to offer year-round entertainments and activities, from markets and light shows in summer to ice…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Buffalo.

  • See

    Martin House Complex

    This 15,000-sq-ft house, completed in 1905, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for his friend and patron Darwin D Martin. Representing Wright's Prairie…

  • See

    Albright-Knox Art Gallery

    The gallery's superb collection, which ranges from Degas and Picasso to Ruscha, Rauschenberg and other abstract expressionists, occupies a neoclassical…

  • See

    Buffalo City Hall

    This 32-story art deco masterpiece, opened in 1931 and beautifully detailed inside and out, towers over downtown. It's worth joining the free tour at noon…

  • See

    Outer Harbor

    This narrow, 400-acre strip of land between the Buffalo River and Lake Erie serves as the city’s Central Park. The heart of the space is Wilkeson Pointe,…

  • See

    Guaranty Building

    Completed in 1896 for the Guaranty Construction company, this gorgeous piece of architecture has a facade covered in detailed terra-cotta tiles and a…

  • See

    Graycliff Estate

    Occupying a dramatic clifftop location on Lake Erie, 16 miles south of downtown Buffalo, this 1920s vacation home was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for…

  • See

    Delaware Park

    This 350-acre park is one of three in the city designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. It includes meadows, forests, lakes, rose and Japanese-style gardens,…

  • See

    Canalside

    Buffalo's once-derelict waterfront has been spruced up to offer year-round entertainments and activities, from markets and light shows in summer to ice…

Featured videos

Top 10 best value destinations to visit in 2020

3:0

Guidebooks

Learn more about Buffalo

Uncover the heart of travel and be inspired to see new sights with one of Lonely Planet’s in-depth, award-winning guidebooks.