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.
This is the southern terminus of the Frederick Law Olmsted system of parks in Buffalo, and the perfect place for a quiet lunch or walk when business or pleasure takes you to South Buffalo or the nearby suburbs. The year-round ice rink and swimming pool are complemented by one of Buffalo's three public golf courses, featuring the nine-hole Cazenovia Golf Course and pro shop. Hours for the ice rink and pool will vary, so call ahead before putting your skates or bathing suit on.