Things to Do If You Are Visiting Buffalo, NY- July 2 to July 7, 2024. Buffalo is a great place for a vacation. Activities for kids, great parks, museums, and tourist stuff you won’t want to miss. Note on Mondays, some restaurants may be closed – call before you go.
Kids
- Explore and More Children’s Museum for young kids- carrousel at Canalside where the museum is location- 44 Prime St.- Open – Wednesday to Sunday
- FREE family film at East Aurora Theater- July 3- Daddy Day Camp
- Aquarium of Niagara in Niagara Falls- Open daily
- Herschell Carrousel Museum- open Wednesday to Sunday
- Buffalo Museum of Science, 1020 Humboldt Parkway- open daily
- Buffalo Zoo- Open daily- Zoomagination in evenings.
- Walden Regal- family movies for $1 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays- July 2 and 3
Nature
- Sunset Stroll at Knox Farm State Park – July 2- 8pm- Register
- July 3- FREE Admission at Buffalo Botanical Gardens from 5-8pm
- FREE Guided Walking Tours of Hoyt Lake at Delaware Park with Explore Buffalo- July 6 to July 20, 2024. FREE but register.Meets at the Lincoln Statue near the rose garden at 199 Lincoln Parkway (behind Albright Knox). July 6 at 10am and 3pm
- Niagara Falls State Park- bring a passport and you can do both sides (US and Canada)- Illumination at Night. Cave of the Winds, Maid of the Mist ,Terrapin Point, Lots 2 and 1. NY Residents 65+ can get free parking during the week – slide driver’s license under scanner at parking area
- Letchworth State Park- Grand Canyon of the East
- Reinstein Woods is a great place for an easy walk as well- ponds, wildlife
Museums
- Albright Knox Art Museum- new expansion opened last summer. Open Mondays and Thursday- Sunday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday). FREE admission/Pay What you Can- July 5
- Burchfield Penny Art Center (across the street from Albright)- FREE Admission on July 12 and live music at 5:30pm. Second floor has terrific glass exhibit. Closed Monday and Tuesday- Open Wed-Sunday.
- Pierce Arrow- Auto, Bike, Motorcycle Museum- Open from 11 am to 4pm- this is a really cool museum- check it out. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday
- Darwin Martin House (Frank Lloyd Wright)
- Buffalo Naval Park at Canalside- Open Wednesday- Sunday- 10am to 5pm
- Herschell Carrousel Museum- open Wednesday to Sunday
- Buffalo Museum of Science, 1020 Humboldt Parkway- open daily
Tourist Stuff
- Vidler’s 5 and Dime in East Aurora
- FREE Downtown Buffalo Architectural Tour by Explore Buffalo- July 2- Register
- Get Wings and Beef on Weck (weck is short for kimmelweck bun which is a bun sprinkled with coarse salt and caraway seeds instead of sesame). Do NOT go to Anchor Bar-while it may have invented the wings, they are not the best here. Bar Bills in East Aurora are the best for wings and Beef on Weck.
- FREE Tour of Buffalo City Hall (at 65 Niagara Square)- Monday- Friday starting at Noon but you must register for the tour – call 716-245-3032. There are other city tours- Explore Buffalo.
- Our Lady of Victory Basilica- 767 Ridge Road, Lackawanna- rivals the churches of Europe, open, do not have to be Catholic to view the amazing architecture. And, it is down the street from the Buffalo Botanical Gardens. Wayside Family Restaurant- 2301 S. Park is inexpensive and good food in causal environment–just down the street from the gardens.
- Buffalo Naval Park (at Canalside- boardwalk, Explore and More there as well)
- Frank Lloyd Wright Martin House- 125 Jewett Parkway- near the Buffalo Zoo.
- Niagara Wine Trail
- Lots of Places for live music- Sportsmen’s Tavern (almost daily music), Pausa, Duende at Silo City, Town Ballroom, Chandelier at Salvatore’s (it’s an experience in itself), The Cove in Depew
- Riverworks- restaurant, ferris while, silos, entertainment
- Mall- Galleria
- Roycroft- Inn – food and music on Friday nights, center for craft movement- shops
- Gambling- Seneca Casino downtown and Hamburg Gaming, Plus at Niagara Falls Seneca
Events on July 1 to July 7, 2024
- Artpark- Norah Jones- July 6
- Music at Sunset Bay- Irving- July 2- Terry Buckwald (Elvis) and July 3- Strictly Hip
- Babeville- Music- Arise and go with Crikwater- July 2
- Music at Sunset Grill in Wilson -July 3- Jony James
- East Aurora Indpendence Day Celebration- July 3- Kids fun starting at 1:30pm, parade, music, fireworks- Hamlin Park
- FREE- Shakespare in Delaware Park – Tuesday to Sunday- July 2 to 7
- Inpendence Day at River Fest Park- July 3- Flipside and fireworks
- Music at Riveria Theater-July 2- Three Dog Night
- Third Eye Blind at Darien Lake- July 3
- Fireworks over Lake Ontario- Olcott- July 3- with Easy Street Big Band
- July 3- Live at Larkin- Miller and Other Sinners
- July 3- Tonawanda Independence Celebration at Kenny Park – American Legion Band, fireworks
- Jazzboline in Amherst- Music on Wed and Sunday Brunch – Chris Maloney on July 3 and Jay Sharptet Brunch on July 7
- Orchard Park Fireworks and Parade- July 4
- July 4- Dunkirk- Nerds Gone Wild, Fireworks
- July 4- Fireworks at Iroquois Central School- Elma
- July 4- Boat Parade at Canalside
- July 4- Independe Celebration at Academy Park- Lewiston- Reflector and fireworks
- July 3- Lancaster- Carnival Kids Steel Orchestra and Nerds Gone Wild
- July 4- Lancaster- Parade, foot race, games, music by Town Band and West of the Mark
- Independence Day at Veteran’s Park- Niagara Falls-Learning to Fly, Grand Illusion, Out on the Tiles and Tequila Sunrise, Fireworks- July 6- 2pm to 11pm.
- Cabana Sam’s in Irving- July 2- Terry Buchwald, July 3- Strictly Hip
- Ellicottville Rodeo- July 4 to 7
- Ellicottville Summer Music Festival- $50- Mar Matel- Queen tribute- July 6 and BPO on July 7
- Music- Sunset at the Stables- Knox Farm- East Aurora-July 5- Public Water Supply
- Pasta Night on Wednesdays and Pizza Night at Pellicano’s Winery on Fridays– 6736 Boston State Road in Hamburg. If you want beer, there is Hamburg Brewing sort of across the street at 6553 Boston State Road.
- Southern Tier Brewery- 7 Scott Street- food and huge screens for watching sports- near Canalside
