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Western New York

Tourism in this region revolves around Buffalo, New York State's second-largest city. After being the largest and most prosperous metropolis along the Great Lakes at the turn of the 19th century, Buffalo fell on hard times in the 20th, but is bouncing back in the 21st. Its amazing stock of heritage architecture is being restored and reinvented into hotels, museums and other businesses.

The area first developed thanks to the hydroelectric power of Niagara Falls and the Erie Canal, which linked the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. The falls are now better known as a tourist destination, with millions of visitors flocking here annually.

Rochester, about an hour northeast, shares a similar economic trajectory but has long been buoyed by its rich history of activism. The city was home to the famed suffragette Susan B Anthony and civil rights pioneer Frederick Douglass, among other 19th- and 20th-century iconoclasts.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Western New York.

  • 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 House ideal, it consists of six interconnected buildings, each meticulously restored inside and out. Two tour options (book online) offer different levels of detail on this elaborate project. Visitors will revel in the intricate details that the Martin family fortune allowed Wright free reign to indulge, including a central fireplace with a wisteria pattern mosaic. For $150, you can book a day-long tour that includes a visit to Graycliff Estate, also designed by Wright.

  • 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 building planned for Buffalo's 1905 Pan American Expo. Its temporary exhibits are particularly creative and compelling. Surrounding the gallery are some monumental historical and contemporary sculptural installations. Make sure to check out M&T First Fridays when the museum is open until 10pm.

  • 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 that includes access to the mayor's office, the council chamber and the open-air observation deck.

  • 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, which features a small beach. Nearby, the Pointe Beer Garden serves up suds and other refreshments alongside lawn games like cornhole. At the other end of the island is Buffalo Harbor State Park, which includes a marina and restaurant, as well as a nautical-themed playground. On a clear day, you can see Canada to the northwest. Birders shouldn’t miss the park’s 264-acre Tifft Nature Preserve, with 5 miles of trails through marsh and wetlands. Outer Harbor is also accessible by Bike Ferry from Canalside ($1 fare each way).

  • 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 superb stained-glass ceiling in its lobby. The interpretative center provides details of how groundbreaking this Adler & Sullivan–designed building was when it was built, when it was the tallest building in Buffalo. The structure was renamed the Prudential Building in 1898 – both names can be seen above the entrances. The building is now occupied by the law firm Hodgson Russ (which stumped up $15 million for the restoration).

  • 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 the wealthy Martin family; a lengthy interior restoration was completed in 2018. You can learn a lot about Wright's overall plan on interesting tours (book in advance).

  • See

    Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site

    Guided tours of the Ansley-Wilcox house tell the dramatic tale of Teddy's emergency swearing-in here in 1901, after President William McKinley was assassinated while attending Buffalo's Pan American Exposition. Check the website for special events and tours on Tuesday evening when the site stays open until 8pm.

  • 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, sports facilities, picnic areas and the grounds of Buffalo Zoo.

  • 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-skating and ice bikes in winter.

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