Niagara Falls and Western New York
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Niagara Falls and Western New York - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Niagara Falls
North American Indians called it Onguiaahram, or Thundering Waters. For hundreds of years, visitors to Niagara Falls have marveled at the sheer immensity of the surging walls of water. Its awe-inspiring views today are enhanced by misty early mornings, sun-streaked rainbows, and grand after-dark illumination with spotlights that penetrate the night sky. Part of the longest unfortified border in the world, Niagara Falls is actually three cataracts: the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, in New York, and the Horseshoe Falls, in Ontario. American Falls is the highest (70–110 feet tall), but not by much, and it's about half as wide as the Canadian cascade (950 feet long). Bridal Veil is the smallest of the three. Several small islands dot the river here. Goat Island, part of Niagara Falls State Park, separates Horseshoe Falls from the U.S. falls and offers spectacular vantage points of both sides. Little Luna Island sits between the two U.S. cascades, between Goat Island and the mainland.
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2. Niagara Falls State Park
This park hugs the Niagara River bordering the Horseshoe and American and Bridal Veil falls. It includes several islands: Goat Island—with several attractions—Luna Island, and Three Sisters Islands. Established in 1885 to protect the public's access to the land surrounding the falls, this is the oldest state park in the country. It was designed by noted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York City's Central Park. Hours of operation for all park attractions change according to weather and season. It's best to call ahead to make sure your timing is right.
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3. Albright-Knox Art Gallery
Twentieth-century art is well represented here. The gallery's collections are especially rich in postwar American and European art, including Jackson Pollock, Jasper Johns, and Andy Warhol. Works by Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Henri Matisse, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir are here as well. On Sunday afternoons in July and August, free jazz performances are held on the massive front steps. The museum's restaurant, Muse, serves dinner and a highly acclaimed brunch.
1285 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, New York, 14222, USA716-882–8700Sight Details
Rate Includes: Museum $12, parking $5, Closed Mon., Wed. and weekends 10–5, Thurs. and Fri. 10–10 -
4. Allegany State Park
Allegany State Park's 65,000 acres make this the largest park in the state system. More than 85 mi of trails vein the park, which encompasses forest, meadow, lakes and streams, and hills, and borders Pennsylvania's Allegheny National Forest to the south. Hikes here range from short, easy strolls to an 18-mi trek over rugged terrain. The park has sandy swimming areas, bridle trails, boat launches and rentals, fishing, miniature golf, mountain-bike rentals, tennis courts, and picnic areas. The 90 mi of snowmobiling trails are a big draw in winter. Lodging options (all year-round) include 424 tent and RV sites, 375 rustic winterized cabins with single beds (no bedding), and seven cottages with heat and electricity. The park's Red House Restaurant, at the Tudor administration building in the Red House area, is open seasonally. In general, the Quaker Area (western) portion of the park is more remote than the (eastern) Red House Area.
New York, USA716-354–9121Sight Details
Rate Includes: Parking $7, Daily dawn–dusk -
5. Aquarium of Niagara
Dive into Niagara's other water wonder. This is a close encounter with more than 1,500 aquatic animals, including sharks, piranhas, sea lions, octopus, and moray eels. The aquarium has sea-lion demonstrations and penguin feedings daily, and an outdoor harbor-seal exhibit.
701 Whirlpool St., Niagara Falls, New York, 14301, USA716-285–3575Sight Details
Rate Includes: $14.95, Late May–early Sept., daily 9–7; early Sept.–late May, daily 9–5 -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Beaver Island State Park
Beaver Island State Park at the southern tip of the island, is a flat, grassy, sparsely treed expanse crossed with biking and walking-running paths (including a long boardwalk along the Niagara River), plus a sandy beach for swimming, a golf course, and driving range.
2136 West Oakfield Rd., Grand Island, New York, 14072, USA716-773–3271Sight Details
Rate Includes: $7 per car, Daily dawn–dusk -
7. Blue Sky Mausoleum
In 1928 Darwin Martin commissioned a family mausoleum—a project he dropped after his fortunes were pummeled by the following year's stock-market crash. In 2004, Buffalo's Forest Lawn cemetery (near Delavan Avenue) built the concrete-and-granite Blue Sky Mausoleum from plans owned by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.
1411 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, New York, 14209, USA716-885–1600Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
8. Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens
Even in the middle of winter you can soak in the sights and scents of the tropics under the domes of this Victorian glass conservatory. The greenhouses shelter cacti, fruit trees, palms, and orchids. The American Ivy Association certified the claim of the largest ivy collection of any botanical garden in the world. Formal gardens and a park with a golf course (the park is popular with runners) surround the conservatory. Guided tours are given by reservation.
2655 S. Park Ave., Buffalo, New York, 14218, USA716-827–1584Sight Details
Rate Includes: $11, Tues., Wed., and Fri.–Sun. 10–5, Thurs.10–7 -
9. Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park
A guided-missile cruiser, destroyer, and a World War II submarine are on display at this 6-acre waterfront site, the largest inland naval park in the nation.
1 Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, New York, 14202, USA716-847–1773Sight Details
Rate Includes: $12, Closed Dec.--Mar. 24, Apr.–Oct., daily 10–5; Nov., weekends 10–4 -
10. Buffalo City Hall & Observation Tower
This broad-shouldered art-deco architectural masterpiece rises from the heart of downtown. An elevator to the 25th floor, then three flights of (unmarked) stairs take you to an observation deck; though you can't go outside, it has spectacular views of the city and the Lake Erie waterfront.
65 Niagara Sq., Buffalo, New York, 14202, USA716-851–4200Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Weekdays 8–4 -
11. Buffalo Museum of Science
Exhibits cover everything from anthropology to zoology. One exhibit uses the stories of three mummies to explore what daily life was like for ordinary citizens in ancient Egypt.
1020 Humboldt Pkwy., Buffalo, New York, 14211, USA716-896–5200Sight Details
Rate Includes: $11, Open 7 days a week. -
12. Buffalo Transportation/Pierce-Arrow Museum
The Buffalo Transportation/Pierce-Arrow Museum is building a winged gas station from unfinished Wright plans. A former Wright apprentice is involved with the project, which, once built, won't actually function as a station but will rather complement the museum's collection of cars and automobile memorabilia and artifacts.
263 Michigan Ave., Buffalo, New York, 14203, USA716-853–0084Sight Details
Rate Includes: $10, Mar.–Dec., Sat. noon–5; and by appointment -
13. Buffalo Zoo
Endangered Amur (Siberian) tigers, Asian elephants, and Indian rhinos are among the nearly 1,000 wild and exotic animals found in this natural setting in Delaware Park. The grounds include an interactive, mock, field-research station, and a rain-forest exhibit. There's also an on-site children's zoo, which features farm animals historically found in the Erie Canal area.
300 Parkside Ave., Buffalo, New York, 14214, USA716-837–3900Sight Details
Rate Includes: Zoo $12, parking $3.25, July and Aug., daily 10–5; Sept.–June, daily 10–4 -
14. Burchfield-Penney Art Center
This premier showcase for western New York artists spotlights the works of watercolorist Charles Burchfield (1893–1967) and handcrafted objects from the Roycroft Arts and Crafts community. It is New York State's first LEED-certified art museum.
1300 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, New York, 14222, USA716-878–6011Sight Details
Rate Includes: $10, Closed Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri., Sat. 10–5, Thurs. 10–9, Sun. 1–5 -
15. Castellani Art Museum
The collection at this museum, in a gray marble–faced building on the Niagara University campus (just north of the city), encompasses more than 5,000 works—paintings, drawings, photographs, prints, and sculptures—with an emphasis on modern and contemporary art. Charles Burchfield, Alexander Calder, Salvador Dalí, Willem de Kooning, April Gornick, Keith Haring, David Hockney, Marsden Hartley, Amedeo Modigliani, and Cindy Sherman are among those represented here. An Underground Railroad interpretive center includes historic photos, video, and artifacts; Niagara Falls was one of the last stops on the "railroad" for slaves escaping to Canada.
Niagara Falls, New York, 14109, USA716-286–8200Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Mon., Tues.–Sat. 11–5, Sun. 1–5 -
16. Cuba Cheese Shoppe
The Cuba area has been known as a cheese center since the late 19th century. Stop by the Cuba Cheese Shoppe to buy locally made cheddar cheese, Old York cheddar spread, or any of the 100-plus varieties of imported and domestic cheeses the store offers.
53 Genesee St., Cuba, New York, 14727, USA716-968–3949 -
17. Darien Lake Theme Park Resort
The Ride of Steel will have your heart racing faster than the 70 mph this roller coaster reaches. It's one of six coasters at this theme park, which has more than 100 rides in all. The Viper coaster turns you upside down five times. The water park has the Big Kahuna—a more than 700-foot-long, twisting tube ride—the Grizzly Run rapids, a log flume, a wave pool, and various twisted chutes and slides. The complex includes a 20,000-seat concert amphitheater, eateries, a hotel, and a mammoth campground with 1,200 sites.
9993 Allegheny Rd., Darien Center, New York, 14036, USA585-599–4641Sight Details
Rate Includes: Day pass $34 ($20 before Memorial Day and after Labor Day), parking $7, Early May–mid-Oct.; call for schedule -
18. Darien Lakes State Park
The centerpiece of this 1,850-acre park is 12-acre Harlow Lake, which has a sandy beach. Hiking, bridle, and cross-country skiing trails vein the grounds, which are hilly and wooded and include a 158-site campground (open daily from June through September and on weekends the rest of the year) with showers and a comfort station. Fishing, picnicking, snowmobiling, and ice-skating are among the other activities you might pursue here. Some hunting is allowed in season.
10289 Harlow Rd., Darien Center, New York, 14036, USA585-547–9242Sight Details
Rate Includes: Parking $6, Daily dawn–dusk -
19. Darwin D. Martin House Complex
The Darwin D. Martin House, part of the Darwin D. Martin House Complex in Buffalo's Parkside East Historic District, is considered one of the finest examples of a Wright prairie-style structure. The estate was commissioned in 1902 by Darwin Martin, a wealthy Buffalo businessman who would become one of Wright's most loyal patrons. The first Wright house on the property was the George Barton House (at 118 Summit Avenue), built in 1903 for Martin's sister and brother-in-law. The final touches were applied to Martin's own house in 1907. The estate also includes the Gardener's Cottage (285 Woodward Avenue). At this writing, the complex is undergoing a multiyear restoration. Restored in the first phases of the work were the pergola, conservatory, and carriage house. The final phase is a restoration of the house interiors, which will likely continue through 2010. The site remains open for tours during restoration.
125 Jewett Pkwy., Buffalo, New York, 14214, USA716-856–3858Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tours $19, free 2nd and 4th Thurs. each month, Tours by appointment -
20. Dunkirk Lighthouse and Veterans Park Museum
A beacon in the dark since 1826, this lighthouse still operates every night, using a Fresnel lens dating from an 1875 update, when the brick surround was built. (The 1826 structure is still intact inside.) On the first floor of the keeper's house are nautical history exhibits and rooms showing how the keeper and his family would have lived; the second floor is the veterans museum. Coast Guard boats on display include a 45-foot buoy tender. You can take a guided tour up to the tower.
1 Lighthouse Point, Dunkirk, New York, 14048, USA716-366–5050Sight Details
Rate Includes: $6 grounds, museum, and tour; $1 grounds only, May, June, Sept., and Oct., Mon., Tues., and Thurs.–Sat. 10–2 (last tour at 1); July and Aug., Mon., Tues., and Thurs.–Sat. 10–4 (last tour at 2:30)
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