Opened in 1849, the Forest Lawn Cemetery is a 267-acre (108 hectares) property that serves as the gravesite of some of the city's most important citizens. Buried here are former U.S. President Millard Fillmore, Indian Chief Red Jacket, from whom the land to create the city of Buffalo was purchased and Pony Express pioneer William Fargo, to name a few. You can stop at the office inside the main entrance for a self-guiding map. Bird watching and Sunday hayride-style tours of the beautiful grounds are also available.
The Darwin D. Martin House Complex is one of the several historic buildings built by Frank Lloyd Wright in and around Buffalo. Located near Delaware Park, the building is a good example of Wright's Prairie style. Other structures on the complex include the Barton House, with original interior wood and art glass, a covered walkway connecting the main house with the conservatory and a gardener's cottage.
Considered among the best in the city when it comes to modern and contemporary 20th-century art, this gallery has a rich selection of works by artists like Sol Lewitt, René Magritte, and Mark Rothko. The Delaware Park gallery also features outstanding work from the 17th-19th Centuries. In addition to the gallery, the center also includes a gift shop and the Garden Restaurant for a bite to eat after all that culture.
Located three miles from downtown Buffalo on the Lake Erie shoreline, this unique urban nature reserve offers 264-acre (106 hectares) of trails, anachronistic boardwalks and a marsh. This preserve is the environmental education site for the Buffalo Museum of Science and it's perfect for bird-watching, hiking, and family picnics—not to mention snowshoeing and cross-country skiing during the cold winters. In the 1950s, the site was used as a refuse dump, but thankfully it was converted to a nature preserve in the 1980s. Admission is free but donations are requested.
The jewel of Buffalo's park system, this public space was one of six designed by famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted in the late 19th Century. The Delaware Park's 376 acres (152 hectares) include one of Buffalo's three public golf courses (Delaware Park Golf Course), plus tennis courts, baseball diamonds, the Buffalo Zoological Gardens and it hosts the popular Shakespeare in the Park Festival every summer. The Rose Garden makes a perfect setting for a romantic walk when Spring arrives and in the winter, bring your skis and do some cross-country skiing over the demarcated trails.
Located in an 1890s tri-domed Victorian glass conservatory on the grounds of South Park and created by NY Central Park designer Frederick Law Olmsted, these gardens feature exotic flowers and plants from around the world. The gardens are operated by the Erie County Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Highlights include an orchid and bromeliad house, herb collection, and waterfall. There are also seasonal shows such as Spring Flowers, All-American Annuals in summer, and December Poinsettias.
Situated in a quintessential red brick rural schoolhouse a few kilometers south of the Falls along the Niagara River Parkway, this museum features artifacts dating back to the late 1700s and some as recent as the 1960s. Aside from collecting, housing, displaying and interpreting historic treasures from the region, the museum also hosts numerous events throughout the year related to the history and culture of the region. Among these are weavers' guild works, classic cars, fairs, and antique gas-powered engines. Admission by donation only.
Casting conductors in period clothing, this tour takes you back to the days of the Underground Railroad through passageways, tunnels and cellars. You get a feel for what runaway slaves went through to escape into Canada. The journey begins at the Michigan Street Baptist Church, home to parishioner William Wells Brown, the first African-American to publish a novel. It then moves Broderick Park, where Web DuBois crossed into Canada. The tour ends at Murphy's Orchards where you will be part of a live Underground Railroad re-enactment.
Presenting an educational union of drama and culture, the Jewish Repertory Theatre is a professional stage that endeavors to share Jewish culture and to celebrate Jewish playwrights with the Western New York community. While the plays focus on issues important to the Jewish community, they also relate the drama of the universal human experience, speaking to a diverse audience and bringing both Jews and non-Jews together to enjoy the performing arts. Additionally, check out the Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo, also located in Getzville, which has day care for children, water sports for the family, and fitness and recreational facilities.
A tribute to the vision of Father Nelson H. Baker, this church was the second in the U.S. to receive a basilica designation in 1926. Located in Lackawanna, the basilica's copper-topped dome and twin bell towers can be seen for miles. The church was built reminiscent of the 15th-16th century Renaissance-style, featuring a French Baroque interior. There is a gift shop where you can buy books, crucifixes, mugs and Father Baker's most popular statue of Our Lady of Victory.
Meibohm Fine Arts has been owned and operated by the Meibohm family for three generations. They have a reputation for personalized attention and customer service. The business was started by Carl Meibohm in 1901 right after he was one of the photographers at the Pan-American Exposition held the same year in Buffalo. Meibohm Fine Arts is located in two buildings along Main Street in East Aurora. The front building houses an art gallery, which features the work of local artists. The back building houses the Art Shop, which sells prints and original artwork. They also do custom framing for both individuals and businesses.
Opened in 1849, the Forest Lawn Cemetery is a 267-acre (108 hectares) property that serves as the gravesite of some of the city's most important citizens. Buried here are former U.S. President Millard Fillmore, Indian Chief Red Jacket, from whom the land to create the city of Buffalo was purchased and Pony Express pioneer William Fargo, to name a few. You can stop at the office inside the main entrance for a self-guiding map. Bird watching and Sunday hayride-style tours of the beautiful grounds are also available.