58 Best Sights in Niagara Falls and Western New York, New York

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It all began in 1874, when John Heyl Vincent, a Methodist minister, and Lewis Miller, an industrialist, set up a training center for Sunday-school teachers here. The Chautauqua Institution rapidly grew into a summer-long cultural encampment. More than 2,000 events take place here in summer, including lectures, art exhibitions, outdoor symphonies, theater, dance performances, opera, and open-enrollment classes.

The village has small winding streets lined with gas lights and beautiful Victorian houses, which are often outfitted in bright colors, turrets, multiple gables, and gingerbread trim. The Miller Bell Tower is the most recognizable landmark on the lakeshore and has become the symbol of the institution; tunes are played three or four times a day, and the Miller Bell is rung manually 15 minutes before amphitheater lectures and evening programs.

Seats for the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra and other large events held at the 6,500-seat Chautauqua Amphitheater are on a first-come, first-served basis. Musicians as diverse as Peter, Paul, and Mary; 10,000 Maniacs; Glenn Miller; and Natalie Cole have performed in the theater, which has a roof and houses an enormous pipe organ. Norton Memorial Hall, a 1,365-seat art-deco building, is where the Chautauqua Opera Company presents four English-language operas each season.

The institution's recreational activities complement its cultural opportunities. You may fish, swim, play tennis, golf, or rent sailboats, motorboats, or canoes from the concessions on the lake. The village, a National Historic District, also includes B&Bs, hotels, inns, guesthouses, apartments, and condominiums, as well as several restaurants and eateries. You may use a car when dropping off and picking up your luggage, but otherwise car usage is extremely limited here. Lots near the entrance gates offer daily and long-term paid parking. A free shuttle bus and tram travel through the campus during the season. Narrated bus tours of the grounds are available.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The 150-acre park, on a bluff overlooking Niagara Gorge, is dedicated to the performing and visual arts, but also has historic sights, such as an American Indian burial mound dating from AD 140. You can fish, hike, and picnic in the park. Summer brings a slew of family-oriented events and activities.

A 1910 Craftsman bungalow contains furniture, glass pieces, books, and other items related to the Roycroft movement and its founder, Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915). A writer and frequent lecturer, Hubbard died along with his wife aboard the Lusitania.

Reuben Fenton, governor of New York from 1865 to 1869, had this brick Italianate mansion built in 1863. It contains Victorian period rooms (some quite ornate) and exhibits showcasing the history of Chautauqua Lake, the life and career of Lucille Ball, and Jamestown's Swedish and Italian communities. Also of interest are the archival and genealogical library and the Civil War exhibits.

Goat Island is a wonderful spot for a quiet walk and a close-up view of the rapids. Pedestrian bridges give you access to Luna Island and the Three Sisters Islands. The Cave of the Winds tour leaves from Goat Island.

There are two main automobile entrances to the park, both off Robert Moses Parkway. The south entrance takes you over a bridge to Goat Island; the north entrance puts you near the visitor center.

Grand Lady Cruises offers two- and three-hour cruises on the upper Niagara River above the falls. Lunch, dinner, and themed cruises also are available, beginning in May, as are charters.

The centerpiece of the 8½-acre Graycliff estate is the two-story main house, built circa 1926. Its cantilevered balconies take advantage of its position atop a 70-foot-cliff overlooking Lake Erie. The estate is undergoing an extensive multiphase, multiyear restoration. The property is about 18 mi south of Buffalo.

More than 200 sculptures by prominent local, national, and international artists are displayed in a variety of natural settings at this 400-acre park. Kids enjoy touching and climbing on the pieces, which actually is allowed here. About 10 mi of hiking trails vein the park, which is 7 mi north of Ellicottville. Ask for directions at your hotel or bring a map of the area, as it's a bit off the beaten path.

The old factory contains two operating carousels—one from 1916 and a smaller "kiddie carousel" from the 1940s—as well as a menagerie of hand-carved carousel animals, some quite elaborate.

During the War of 1812, the Americans made a failed attempt to invade Canada from Lewiston, in the Battle of Queenston. The town has further historic significance as the last stateside stop on the Underground Railroad and as the birthplace of Niagara Falls; today's Niagara Gorge is the result of the falls' movement south to their current location. This community of 2,700 is a clean, quiet, small-town contrast with Niagara Falls, which is about a 10-minute drive south. Center Street, lined with restaurants, shops, a pub, and a café, leads down to the waterfront, where the Barton Hill Hotel and Whirlpool Jet Boat launch are located. Lewiston has a virtually nonstop festival calendar in summer, with waterfront concerts almost daily.