Born and raised in Western New York, my “Buffalove” runs deep! WNY is home to one of the natural wonders of the world, the most loyal sports fan bases around, and some of the best damn food you’ll ever eat. It’s absolutely worth venturing over to this little corner of New York State! Here are 101 things to do on your visit to Western New York!
Spring
1) Show your Polish pride in the Dyngus Day Capital of the World (Cheektowaga)
2) Break out all your green and join Buffalo’s proud Irish community on Saint Paddy’s Day (Buffalo)
3) Ring in spring at the Cherry Blossom Festival (Buffalo)
4) Walk across the Rainbow Bridge into Canada (Niagara Falls)
5) Have a cocktail and enjoy panoramic views of the city at the VUE Rooftop at the Curtiss Hotel (Buffalo)
6) Ride through the rapids of the Niagara River on a Whirpool Jet Boat (Lewiston)
7) Hike to the Eternal Flame Falls (Orchard Park)
8) Walk through Lake Erie on the Bird Island Pier (Buffalo)
9) Be close enough to touch Niagara Falls at the Cave of the Winds (Niagara Falls)
10) Hike along the Cattaraugus Creek and beside waterfalls at Scoby Dam Park (Springville)
Summer
11) Get up close to the falls on the Maid of the Mist (Niagara Falls)
12) Zipline at Holiday Valley’s Sky High Adventure Park (Ellicottville)
13) Hike along giant rock formations at Rock City (Olean)
14) Ride, spin, and splash at Six Flags Darien Lake amusement park (Darien Center)
15) Fuel up at Food Truck Tuesdays in Larkin Square (Buffalo)
16) Catch the minor league Buffalo Bisons play baseball at Sahlen Field (Buffalo)
17) Relax on the beach at Woodlawn Beach State Park (Hamburg)
18) Hike with llamas at Hemstreet Farm (East Aurora)
19) Cruise down the historic Erie Canal at the Lockport Locks (Lockport)
20) Visit a psychic or medium (Lily Dale)
21) Get up close with exotic animals at Hidden Valley Animal Adventure (Varysburg)
22) Hunt for sea glass at Point Gratoit Park (Dunkirk)
23) Get a taste of the islands on the Buffalo Tiki Tours (Buffalo)
24) Sail Lake Erie on a classic 73 foot topsail schooner, the Spirit of Buffalo (Buffalo)
25) Attend a three-day country music festival at Jam in the Woods (Franklinville)
26) Enjoy one of the many concerts or shows at ARTPARK (Lewiston)
27) Kayak through the harbors of Lake Erie alongside grain elevators with Elevator Alley Kayak (Buffalo)
28) Ride on a boat underground through the Lockport Caves (Lockport)
29) Enjoy a summer concert at Darien Lake’s outdoor amphitheater (Darien Center)
30) Hike, fish, kayak, hunt, and more in the stunning Zoar Valley (Cattaraugus)
31) Ride, eat, and score at the Erie County Fair (Hamburg)
Fall
32) Go back in time with a ride on the Arcade & Attica Railroad (Arcade)
33) Join the Bills Mafia at a home Bills game (Orchard Park)
34) Visit a sunflower field at Sunflowers in Sanborn (Lewiston)
35) Eat your heart out at the National Buffalo Wing Festival (Buffalo)
36) Enjoy an apple cider slushy at Mayer Brothers (West Seneca)
37) Visit the “Grand Canyon of the East” at Letchworth State Park (Castile)
38) Experience all that Fall has to offer at Pumpkinville (Great Valley)
39) Cheer on the University at Buffalo Bulls football team (Amherst)
40) Get lost in WNY’s Original Corn “Maize” (North Tonawanda)
41) Shop for locally-made art and crafts at the Letchworth Arts Show (Letchworth)
Winter
42) Spend the day skiing and snowboarding on the slopes of Holiday Valley (Ellicottville)
43) Cheer on the Buffalo Sabres hockey team at KeyBank Center (Buffalo)
44) Perfect your curling skills at Canalside (Buffalo)
45) Drive through over a million Christmas lights at the Hamburg Fairgrounds (Hamburg)
46) Cheer on the Buffalo Bandits, a championship-winning professional lacrosse team (Buffalo)
47) Ice skate or ride ice bikes at Canalside (Buffalo)
48) Slip and slide at Holiday Valley Tubing Company (Ellicottville)
49) Drive through over a million Christmas lights at the Hamburg Fairgrounds (Hamburg)
50) Enjoy free ice skating at the Rotary Rink at Fountain Plaza (Buffalo)
51) Ring in the new year by watching the ball drop downtown (Buffalo)
All-Season
52) Step outside on over 350 acres of Olmstead park goodness at Delaware Park (North Buffalo)
53) Attend one of the endless events, lectures, or activities at the Chautauqua Institution (Chautauqua)
54) Tour through wine country along the Niagara Wine Trail (Niagara Falls)
55) Step back in time at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site (Buffalo)
56) Fly downhill at the Holiday Valley Mountain Coaster (Ellicottville)
57) Test your strength at the Niagara Climbing Center (North Tonawanda)
58) Pay your respects at the gravesites of former President Millard Fillmore and singer Rick James at Forest Lawn Cemetery (Buffalo)
59) Visit the largest “5 & 10” variety store in the world at Vidler’s (East Aurora)
60) Transport yourself back in time at Old Fort Niagara (Youngstown)
61) Hike one of the many trails through the Niagara Gorge (Niagara Falls)
62) Experience a simpler way of life along The Amish Trail (Leon)
63) Visit Shark Girl, Buffalo’s most famous resident (Buffalo)
64) Shop ’til you drop at the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls (Niagara Falls)
65) Walk amongst beautiful flora and fauna at the Buffalo & Erie Country Botanical Garden (South Buffalo)
66) Stroll around the massive former estate turned state park at Knox Farm (East Aurora)
67) Stay and dine in a refurbished psych ward at Hotel Henry (Buffalo)
68) Drive through the countryside and gaze at giant windmills (Wyoming County)
69) Explore the shops, cafes, and restaurants in Elmwood Village (Buffalo)
70) Take a step back in time and enjoy local art displays at the Roycroft Campus (East Aurora)
71) Get up close and personal with wildlife at the nation’s third oldest zoo, the Buffalo Zoo (North Buffalo)
72) Visit one of the tallest municipal buildings in the United States at Buffalo City Hall (Buffalo)
73) Stroll along picturesque small-town streets and shop at small businesses (East Aurora)
74) Tour three 1940s military ships, including a submarine at Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park (Buffalo)
75) Bet your luck on the reservation at the Seneca Allegany Casino (Salamanca)
76) Catch the sunset at Buffalo Lighthouse Point (Buffalo)
Arts & Entertainment
77) Snap an Insta-worthy picture at some of the many, many, many murals (Buffalo)
78) Walk among interactive art exhibits at Griffs Sculpture Park (East Otto)
79) Snap a pic of the largest six-pack of Labatt Blue at Riverworks (Buffalo)
80) Appreciate the architecture and design of yesteryear at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House (Buffalo)
81) Enjoy displays of modern and contemporary art at Albright Knox Art Gallery (North Buffalo)
82) Enjoy a rock or indie concert at the 1940’s-inspired Town Ballroom (Buffalo)
83) Catch a show at Shea’s Theatre (Buffalo)
84) Take an insta-worthy shot on the iconic pink staircase at Misuta Chow’s (Buffalo)
85) Enjoy the architecture and beauty of Our Lady of Victory Basilica (Lackawanna)
86) Enjoy an evening of culture with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra at Kleinhans Music Hall (Buffalo)
Eat & Drink
87) Immerse yourself in the local food scene by grabbing wings at Duff’s (Various)
88) Have a drink (or two) at the Ellicottville Brewing Company (Ellicottville)
89) Enjoy the Taste of Buffalo, the largest annual two-day food festival in the US (Buffalo)
90) Fill your belly with a local favorite, Beef on Weck at Bar Bill Tavern (East Aurora)
91) Indulge in Sponge Candy at the place that does it best, Fowler’s Chocolate (Various)
92) Enjoy a charboiled hot dog at Ted’s, a classic WNY establishment (Various)
93) Grab a bite at the iconic Lake Effect Diner (Buffalo)
94) Wake up with a sweet bite at the iconic Paula’s Donuts (Various)
95) Experience a world of flavor from vendors at the Broadway Market (East Buffalo)
96) Stay, dine, or both at the iconic Salvatore’s (Cheektowaga)
97) Have dinner at Chef’s, home to the world famous spaghetti parmesan (Buffalo)
98) Eat and drink at Pearl Street Brewery, a bar/grill in a historic 4-level warehouse (Buffalo)
99) Treat yourself for an evening of fine dining at Buffalo Chop House, a top-shelf steakhouse (Buffalo)
100) Give in to your cravings at Parkside Candy, a Buffalo tradition since 1927 (Various)
101) End the day with an ice cream cone at Kone King (East Aurora)
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