Visiting Buffalo area

[Hambone]

Greetings everyone. The family and I will be spending a week in the Buffalo area (Wilson, NY I believe) for a week at the end of June. Other than Niagra Falls, what are some attractions and restaurants in the area I should check out. I am from Kentucky and have only been to the area once, when I was a child. I have been a lifelong Bills fan and was hoping to tour the stadium, but apparently you can only tour from July to September's.

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Go Bills!

[BillsPride12]

Things are still going to be weird with Covid going on but generally speaking going to Canalside and spending some time downtown by the arena area has come a long way in my opinion.  I live in the Northtowns but try to make the stop to Canalside/downtown once a summer since it has come more alive.  If you do that Liberty Hound and Pearl Street have some cool patio bars.  If you go to Allen Street there's alot of cool bars and restaurants.  Normally festival season would be in full motion by late June but once again with Covid that won't be normal this year unfortunately.  

[Mike in Horseheads]

Seneca Niagara Casino is a great place but with the Covids not sure what the rules are. They usually have several shows  but last I looked everything is cancelled. By June the Blue Jays should be playing in Buffalo if you can get your mitts on tickets

[Saxum]

Depends on your interest - food, nature, history, architecture, etc.

 

For historical/architecture:

• Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site, Buffalo

• George Eastman Museum, Rochester, estate is now museum on photography

• Martin House Complex, Buffalo, Frank Lloyd Wright built 15K SQ FT house

• Strong Museum of Play, Rochester, toy/game museum

• Old Fort Niagara, Niagara Falls

• Anchor Bar, Buffalo, origin of Buffalo Wings (not chicken)

• Our Lady of Victory Shrine and Basilica, Lackawanna, was ordained there

• Vidler’s 5&10, East Aurora

[Mr Info]

Even though you cannot go for a stadium tour, you can still stop by and check it out and go to the Bills Store at the Stadium. Just look up store days & hours open.

After that, you can stop at O’Neill’s across the street from the stadium for something to eat & drink. Just imagine this place jam packed after a win with fans going wild and tumbling off the deck.

[Augie]

2 hours ago, Mr Info said:

Even though you cannot go for a stadium tour, you can still stop by and check it out and go to the Bills Store at the Stadium. Just look up store days & hours open.

After that, you can stop at O’Neill’s across the street from the stadium for something to eat & drink. Just imagine this place jam packed after a win with fans going wild and tumbling off the deck.

 

On a related note, on my last trip back I made a point if going to the Big Tree Inn (by the stadium). I had never tried to go on a game day, and it was nowhere near home when I lived there. There were so many stories of “the gang” at the Big Tree back in the heyday that I had to go see what it was all about. 

 

When I go back to WNY it’s all about the food for me. Duff’s, Ted’s, Bocce’ pizza, Charlie the butcher, etc. I have to squeeze in extra meals every day! I feel gross when I go home, but still manage to put down some Anchor Bar wings at the airport waiting for my flight out. 

 

There are much more sophisticated things to enjoy like museums and architecture, but food and drink is more up my alley. 

[SinceThe70s]

This guide to Buffalo was put together by someone on the board a few years ago. It's geared toward game day but there's a lot of info about the area as well. 

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F9yhWkCZkeTFX_6yagiiwCPu-JUnhBAxuPILxW8U438/edit

[JohnC]

24 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

On a related note, on my last trip back I made a point if going to the Big Tree Inn (by the stadium). I had never tried to go on a game day, and it was nowhere near home when I lived there. There were so many stories of “the gang” at the Big Tree back in the heyday that I had to go see what it was all about. 

 

When I go back to WNY it’s all about the food for me. Duff’s, Ted’s, Bocce’ pizza, Charlie the butcher, etc. I have to squeeze in extra meals every day! I feel gross when I go home, but still manage to put down some Anchor Bar wings at the airport waiting for my flight out. 

 

There are much more sophisticated things to enjoy like museums and architecture, but food and drink is more up my alley. 

Is this how you look after one of your Buffalo excursions? 

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=fat+male&oq=fat+male&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l9.2623j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

 

 

 

[Hambone]

4 hours ago, SinceThe70s said:

This guide to Buffalo was put together by someone on the board a few years ago. It's geared toward game day but there's a lot of info about the area as well. 

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F9yhWkCZkeTFX_6yagiiwCPu-JUnhBAxuPILxW8U438/edit

Thanks for this info. It will be very useful.

 

Thanks to everyone else's suggestions as well. I definitely plan to visit the stadium and Bills store. I also plan to do a lot of eating. 

[707BillsFan]

I'll second the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site. In past visits, driven by it 100's of times. Finally visited on a recent visit. Excellent tour.

*Fort Niagara (another 2nd) was a good visit (tie it in w/ a Falls visit since they're somewhat close by) ... but you'll be close by.

*Letchworth State Park. Amazing views

* Forest Lawn cemetery - a lot of Buffalo history

* This one is dependent on COVID, but a boat tour to Silo City. We did this a couple summers ago, quite memorable. 

* Go wine tasting...somewhere

*Sunset on Lake Erie

*City Hall observation deck (covid?)

*Food? Mulberry Italian Ristorante in Lackawanna is a must for us (reservation suggested), Gabriel's Gate (wings), a second for Charlie the Butchers, BreadHive or Five Points Bakery. 

 

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

Wilson is on Lake Ontario... Very nice! That's the first harbor I ever sounded.  I will always remember it because it was early March and we had to bust though the ice to launch the boat. I got wet and spent time drying off in truck, staying warm. 😆... I was a rook, new kid in the hydrographic survey crew.  

 

Nice beach there.  Wilson Harbor is where the Canadian deviants smuggle American cigarettes out of back to their MotherLand of The North.  Or, at used too... 😆

 

Special ShoutOut to my Best Buds.  They will vouch that this is the real deal!

@BringBackFergy

@Gugny

@Beerball

@Mike in Horseheads

@Seasons1992

 

While your up in Niagara County, I think they have these little things called: "locks" there, "flight locks" to be more specific.  Lockport Locks... Check out the town too... Gr8 if you can bring a deep-v all aluminum boat to tool around in!

 

https://buffalonews.com/multimedia/a-closer-look-navigating-the-lockport-locks/collection_c92f56a4-9f7b-589d-bfac-90b66244146f.html#4

 

[Augie]

1 hour ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Wilson is on Lake Ontario... Very nice! That's the first harbor I ever sounded.  I will always remember it because it was early March and we had to bust though the ice to launch the boat. I got wet and spent time drying off in truck, staying warm. 😆... I was a rook, new kid in the hydrographic survey crew.  

 

Nice beach there.  Wilson Harbor is where the Canadian deviants smuggle American cigarettes out of back to their MotherLand of The North.  Or, at used too... 😆

 

Special ShoutOut to my Best Buds.  They will vouch that this is the real deal!

@BringBackFergy

@Gugny

@Beerball

@Mike in Horseheads

@Seasons1992

 

While your up in Niagara County, I think they have these little things called: "locks" there, "flight locks" to be more specific.  Lockport Locks... Check out the town too... Gr8 if you can bring a deep-v all aluminum boat to tool around in!

 

https://buffalonews.com/multimedia/a-closer-look-navigating-the-lockport-locks/collection_c92f56a4-9f7b-589d-bfac-90b66244146f.html#4

 

 

This was inevitable, I suppose.    

[ExiledInIllinois]

15 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

This was inevitable, I suppose.    

What can I say?  Buffalo's only reason it exists.  😃

[Just Jack]

For good Buffalo food and atmosphere, just follow all the suggestions in this interview...

 

 

 

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

47 minutes ago, Just Jack said:

For good Buffalo food and atmosphere, just follow all the suggestions in this interview...

 

 

 

 

"Dave & Busters"... “It reminds him of his two favorite people: Buster Douglas and Dave Concepcion.” 

😆🤣😂

[ChevyVanMiller]

Wilson is just a 15-minute drive from Lockport. The Canal cruise is wonderful. My wife and I really enjoy eating on the patio of Shamus Restaurant. http://www.shamuslockport.com
 

Then we like to head over (5 minutes) to have dessert at Lake Effect Artisan Ice Cream, which has outside tables overlooking the Erie Canal. Lots of great flavors, but my current fav is London Fog which features an Earl Grey Tea Base with chocolate covered toffee pieces. http://www.lakeeffecticecream.com
 

Also, Wagner’s Restaurant in Lockport is a hole-in-wall throwback that features phenomenal beef on weck and wings that rival much more heralded places like Gabriel’s Gate and Bar Bill Tavern (yeah, I said it) https://www.wagnersrestaurant.com

[BuffaloBud]

Second the recommendation on City Hall / observation deck.  There's also a boat tour out of the inner harbor.

[LabattBlue]

I had an opportunity to tour the stadium a few years ago, when a cancer screening event was held there.  It is a waste of time.  Its an old dumpy stadium.  Certainly not worth paying for. 
 

That being said, I didn’t even know they were doing paid tours. 
 

 

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

Wilson is up near Old Fort Niagara... If you like history...

 

https://www.oldfortniagara.org/

 

 

17 minute drive... 13 miles from Wilson, NY to Youngstown, NY...

 

Edited April 26, 2021 by ExiledInIllinois

[Seasons1992]

10 hours ago, Just Jack said:

For good Buffalo food and atmosphere, just follow all the suggestions in this interview...

 

 

 

 

 

@Royale with Cheese

13 hours ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

 

@BringBackFergy

@Gugny

@Beerball

@Mike in Horseheads

@Seasons1992

 

 

I feel honored to be mentioned with such luminaries as above.