Things to Do If You Are Visiting Buffalo, NY- June 16 to 22, 2025. Buffalo is a great place for a vacation. Activities for kids,  great parks, museums, and tourist stuff you won’t want to miss.

Kids

  • Alden Rodeo – June 21
  • Kiddieland  at Herschell Carrousel Museum- $6- North Tonawanda
  • Hidden Valley Animal Adventure Drive Thru Safari- Open June 15 to June 22  – Sat/Sun, June 26 to September 1- open daily
  • FREE admission at Corning Museum of Glass for kids and teens– all the time
  • Explore and More Children’s Museum for young kids- carrousel at Canalside where the museum is location- 44 Prime St.- Open – Wednesday to Sunday
  • 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- new tiger and lion cubs

Nature- Outdoors

  • Best Places to Hike- Knox Farm State Park, Reinstein, Niagara Falls, Iroquois National Wildlife
  • 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
  • Letchworth State Park- Grand Canyon of the East
  • Reinstein Woods is a great place for an easy walk as well- ponds, wildlife

Museums

  • Burchfield Penny Art Center (across the street from Albright)- FREE Admission on July 11, 2025  from 10am to 8pmand live music at 5:30pm.
  • Albright Knox Art Museum- Open Mondays and Thursday- Sunday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday). FREE admission/Pay What you Can- July 4
  • Pierce Arrow- Auto, Bike, Motorcycle Museum- Open from 11 am to 4pm- this is a really cool museum- check it out. Open Friday and Saturday
  • Darwin Martin House (Frank Lloyd Wright)
  • Buffalo Naval Park at Canalside- Open Wednesday- Sunday- 10am to 5pm- closed for the winter but you can still see the ships from the walkway
  • 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
  • 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 or Hamlin and Main 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
  • Buffalo Naval Park at Canalside- tours end in fall but still cool to see big ships
  • 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 from June 16 to 22, 2025

  • Bidwell Concert- June 17 – Olmsted Dub System- Schedule
  • Food Truck Tuesday- June 17- Cover Me- Music
  • Car Cruise at Wurlitzer- June 16
  • Alden’s Farmers Market and Car Cruise- June 16
  • Gemstreet USA at Buffalo Marriott- June 20 to 22
  • Rochester Jazz Festival- June 20 to 28
  • Olcott Gazebo- Sunday Concerts- June 22
  • Music at Griffon Pub- Lewiston -June 16- Chris Borgatti-Schedule
  • Niagara River Cruises-Eric and Tori Music- June 18
  • Gather and Game- June 18- Learn to Play Altered and Open Play
  • Music at Babeville- June  20- Humbird
  • Music at the CAZ -June 18- Chris Duarte with Alastair Green
  • Music at River Fest Park- June 18- 45RPM
  • Wines in the Wild at Buffalo Zoo- June 18
  • Live at Larkin- June 18- James Andress and the Crescent City All Stars with George Caldwell Trio
  • Music at Artpark- June 18- String Cheese Incident
  • Music at Jack Rabbit-  June 17- Grace Lougen and Friends
  • Music at Diamond Hawk- June 18- Midnight Recovery, June  20-XOXO
  • Music at Sole at Woodlawn Beach- June 16- Blackroot
  • Williamsville Strawberry Festival- June 18
  • Music at Sully’s at Erie Basin Harbor- June 19- Scarlet Begonias
  • Music on Main – June 19- Williamsville
  • Food Truck Thursday at Niagara Square- June 19
  • Gateway Harbor Concerts- June 18- Stealin’ and Appetite for Voltage
  • Music at Buffalo Iron Works-June 19- Chris Jacobs with guests
  • Music at the Cove- June 20- Rusty Nickel
  • FREE- Music concert in Cazenovia Park- June 19- LeRoy Townes Band and Grosh
  • Youngstown Summer Street Dance and Car Show- June 19
  • West Seneca Community Days- June 19- Flipside, June 20- Nerds Gone Wild
  • Musis at Sunset Bay- June 17- Johnny Dee, June 20- Summer Solstice Party with Furious George, June 21- RockFest- Schedule
  • Music at Buffalo Place Fountain Plaza- June 19 – Strictly Hip with Erin Hoyle
  • Music at Charlies Boatyard- June 20- After Affect- Schedule
  • Music at Banchetti’s- June 18- Party of Nine
  • Niagara Jazz Festival- Ontario, Canada- June 20 to 28
  • Music at Sportsmen’s Tavern- June 18- Dillon Buracto Band
  • Music at Pausa- June 19- Jacobo Vega – Albeta Quartet
  • Music at Jack Rabbit- June 17- Grace Lougen and Friends
  • Alden Rodeo and Bull Riding- June 21
  • Music at Roycroft Inn- June20- Willie Mays Blues Band
  • Taste of Country at Sahlen’s Field- June 20
  • Music at Batavia Downs- June 20- Queensryche
  • Juneteenth Celebrationat Island Park- June 21- Williamsville
  • Lewiston Garden Fest- June 21 and 22
  • Lewiston Porchfest- June 21
  • Music at Electric City-June 17- Laura Jane Grace and Band, Rodeo Boys
  • Music at Buffalo Music at Chick’s – June 20- Def Leppard Tribute, June 21-Strictly Hip
  • Riviera Theater-June 20- Tribute to Pat Benatar
  • Music at Chandelier Bar- June 20- Fletcher Jazz Trio
  • Dragons and Fairies Festival at Jamestown Audubon- June 21
  • Juneteenth Celebration at Memorial Park- June 21 and 22- Dunkirk
  • Music at Hamburg Gaming -June 20- NY Rockin’ Rodeo
  • Randolph Arts and Crafts Festival- June 21-Randolph
  • South Buffalo Porchfest- June 21
  • Clarence Rotary Pickelball Tournament – June 20 to 22
  • Strawberry Moon Festival at Artpark- June 21
  • Kenmore Porchfest- June 22
  • Music at Jazzboline- Wednesdays 6-9pm-Amherst
  • FREE- Jazz Ambassadors of US Army Field Band at Chautauqua Institution- June 22
  • Cooks Tour at Kleinhans- June 23
  • Music at Town Ballroom – June 25- The Aquabats
  • Outer Harbor Music Concert at Terminal B- June 28- Pride
  • 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