In the city · Old First Ward · ~9 min from downtown
Buffalo Deep Dish
Dinner · About 2 hours$$$$
Detroit, Chicago and tavern-style pies. Go early. They sell out.
Dinner (8)
In the city · Seneca Street · ~6 min from downtown
Chef's
Dinner · About 2 hours$$$$
Red-sauce institution near KeyBank Center. Wearing the bib for spaghetti parm is a rite of passage.
In the city · South Buffalo · ~19 min from downtown
Imperial Pizza
Dinner · About 2 hours$$$$
South Buffalo's famous pepperoni cups and wings. Grab a pie and drive to the lake.
In the city · Hertel · ~18 min from downtown
Kostas
Dinner · About 2 hours$$$$
Family-run Greek on Hertel. Big plates, small bill.
In the city · West Side · ~9 min from downtown
La Nova
Dinner · About 2 hours$$$$
West Side pizza-and-wings institution. Casual, fast, and very Buffalo.
In the city · Larkinville · ~8 min from downtown
Swan Street Diner
Dinner · About 2 hours$$$$
Restored vintage dining car in Larkinville. Make it a breakfast date.
Inner ring · Tonawanda · ~16 min from downtown
Emperor Dumplings
Dinner · About 2 hours$$$$
Dim sum spot that local critics single out for its roast duck.
Inner ring · Tonawanda · ~15 min from downtown
Ted's Hot Dogs
Dinner · About 2 hours$$$$
Charcoal-grilled hot dogs and loganberry since 1927. Get the hot sauce.
Sweets & coffee (5)
In the city · North Buffalo · ~12 min from downtown
Anderson's Frozen Custard
Sweets & coffee · About 2 hours$$$$
Local frozen custard and roast beef stand. Get the flavor of the day.
In the city · University Heights · ~13 min from downtown
Parkside Candy
Sweets & coffee · About 2 hours$$$$
1920s ice cream parlor with an ornate interior. Buy a bag of sponge candy to share.
Inner ring · Tonawanda · ~19 min from downtown
Mississippi Mudds & Old Man River
Sweets & coffee · About 2 hours$$$$
Riverside summer stands with hot dogs, ice cream and Niagara River sunsets.
Inner ring · Williamsville · ~19 min from downtown
Sweet Jenny's
Sweets & coffee · About 2 hours$$$$
Ice cream and handmade chocolates in Williamsville village.
Short drive · Lockport · ~35 min from downtown
Lake Effect Ice Cream
Sweets & coffee · About 2 hours$$$$
Inventive small-batch ice cream. Worth the drive on its own.
Shows & music (6)
In the city · Sahlen Field · ~4 min from downtown
Bisons game
Shows & music · An evening$$$$
Triple-A baseball downtown. Cheap seats, fireworks nights, and plenty of time to talk.
In the city · Hertel · ~18 min from downtown
North Park Theatre
Shows & music · An evening$$$$
Restored 1920 movie palace on Hertel showing new releases and classics.
In the city · KeyBank Center · ~6 min from downtown
Sabres game
Shows & music · An evening$$$$
Hockey at KeyBank Center, then walk over to Canalside or the Cobblestone District.
Short drive · East Aurora · ~32 min from downtown
Aurora Theatre
Shows & music · An evening$$$$
Small-town movie house on Main Street. Dinner around the corner, then a film.
Short drive · Orchard Park · ~20 min from downtown
Bills game
Shows & music · Half a day$$$$
Tailgate, then watch the Bills. Dress in layers. Then more layers.
Short drive · Lockport · ~32 min from downtown
Transit Drive-In
Shows & music · An evening$$$$
Double features on five screens from your own front seat. Open roughly April to November.
Activities (5)
In the city · Canalside · ~5 min from downtown
Buffalo Heritage Carousel
Activities · About 2 hours$$$$
A restored 1924 carousel built in North Tonawanda, now spinning at Canalside on solar power.
In the city · Delaware Park · ~16 min from downtown
Buffalo Zoo
Activities · About 2 hours$$$$
One of the oldest zoos in the country. Watch for adults-only evening events.
Short drive · East Aurora · ~32 min from downtown
Vidler's 5 & 10
Activities · About 2 hours$$$$
Four connected storefronts stuffed with 75,000 items, wooden floors and a 10¢ popcorn machine.
Road trip · Ellicottville · ~70 min from downtown
Holiday Valley
Activities · All day$$$$
WNY's biggest ski resort, plus a tube park for the non-skiers.
Road trip · Glenwood · ~37 min from downtown
Kissing Bridge
Activities · An evening$$$$
The closest real skiing to Buffalo, with night skiing under the lights.
Arts & culture (11)
In the city · South Park · ~19 min from downtown
Botanical Gardens
Arts & culture · About 2 hours$$$$
Victorian glass conservatory full of palms and orchids. A warm, green escape in January.
In the city · Elmwood Village · ~14 min from downtown
Buffalo AKG Art Museum
Arts & culture · About 2 hours$$$$
World-class modern art in a striking glass-and-stone campus, with a café for the debrief.
In the city · Delaware Park · ~15 min from downtown
Buffalo History Museum
Arts & culture · About 2 hours$$$$
The last building from the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, full of Buffalo stories. The Japanese Garden is out back.
In the city · East Side · ~11 min from downtown
Buffalo Museum of Science
Arts & culture · About 2 hours$$$$
Hands-on exhibits for grown-up kids. Check the calendar for after-hours events.
In the city · Canalside · ~5 min from downtown
Naval & Military Park
Arts & culture · About 2 hours$$$$
Climb through a destroyer, a cruiser and a submarine on the waterfront.
In the city · Delaware Ave · ~7 min from downtown
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site
Arts & culture · About 2 hours$$$$
The mansion where TR took the oath in 1901. Interactive and more fun than it sounds.
In the city · Buffalo State · ~14 min from downtown
Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium
Arts & culture · About 2 hours$$$$
Public star shows under the dome at Buffalo State. Cheap, dark, and quietly romantic.
Short drive · Niagara Falls · ~29 min from downtown
Aquarium of Niagara
Arts & culture · About 2 hours$$$$
Sea lions, penguins and a quiet hour near the falls.
Short drive · Lockport · ~36 min from downtown
Flight of Five Locks
Arts & culture · About 2 hoursFree
Watch boats lift through the historic canal locks. Free and oddly mesmerizing.
Short drive · North Tonawanda · ~24 min from downtown
Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum
Arts & culture · About 2 hours$$$$
Where America's carousels were built. Ride a vintage one together.
Road trip · Youngstown · ~44 min from downtown
Old Fort Niagara
Arts & culture · About 2 hours$$$$
18th-century fort where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario. Stay for the lake view.
Outdoors (26)
In the city · Outer Harbor · ~12 min from downtown
Buffalo Harbor State Park
Outdoors · About 2 hoursFree
Marina boardwalk and lakefront lawns. Bring a blanket and takeout.
In the city · Waterfront · ~5 min from downtown
Canalside
Outdoors · About 2 hoursFree
Waterfront boardwalks, free concerts and events, and the visitor center at the new Chandlery.
In the city · Delaware Park · ~14 min from downtown
Delaware Park & Hoyt Lake
Outdoors · About 2 hoursFree
Olmsted's big park. Loop the lake, find the Japanese Garden, and visit the Rose Garden in June.
In the city · Waterfront · ~5 min from downtown
Erie Basin Marina
Outdoors · About 2 hoursFree
Free observation tower, flower gardens and a front-row seat for the Lake Erie sunset.
In the city · Outer Harbor · ~8 min from downtown
Outer Harbor & Wilkeson Pointe
Outdoors · About 2 hoursFree
Lakefront trails, beach chairs and one of the best sunset spots in the city.
In the city · Canalside · ~5 min from downtown
Queen City Bike Ferry
Outdoors · About 2 hours$$$$
Summer ferry from Canalside to the Outer Harbor. Bring bikes and ride the lakefront trails.
In the city · South Buffalo · ~13 min from downtown
Tifft Nature Preserve
Outdoors · About 2 hoursFree
264 acres of trails and boardwalks minutes from downtown. Snowshoe it in winter.
Inner ring · Amherst · ~21 min from downtown
Amherst State Park
Outdoors · About 2 hoursFree
Wooded trails along Ellicott Creek. Quiet, flat, and pretty in fresh snow.
Inner ring · Tonawanda · ~20 min from downtown
Ellicott Creek Park
Outdoors · About 2 hoursFree
Island picnic spots and paths along the creek. Pack sandwiches.
Inner ring · Williamsville · ~20 min from downtown
Glen Park & Glen Falls
Outdoors · About 2 hoursFree
A waterfall in the middle of Williamsville village. Short walk, big payoff.
Inner ring · Depew · ~19 min from downtown
Reinstein Woods
Outdoors · About 2 hoursFree
State nature preserve with ponds, old forest and guided walks. Snowshoe programs in winter.
Inner ring · Blasdell · ~16 min from downtown
Woodlawn Beach State Park
Outdoors · About 2 hours$$$$
Sandy Lake Erie beach with the skyline to the north. Sunset here is unreal.
Short drive · Grand Island · ~15 min from downtown
Beaver Island State Park
Outdoors · About 2 hours$$$$
Niagara River beach and trails in summer, sledding and cross-country skiing in winter.
Short drive · Niagara Falls · ~28 min from downtown
Cave of the Winds
Outdoors · About 2 hours$$$$
Ponchos on. Wooden decks lead right to the base of Bridal Veil Falls.
Short drive · Orchard Park · ~28 min from downtown
Chestnut Ridge Park
Outdoors · Half a dayFree
Legendary sledding hill with a skyline view, plus the trail to Eternal Flame Falls.
Short drive · Brant · ~37 min from downtown
Evangola State Park
Outdoors · Half a day$$$$
Crescent beach on Lake Erie below shale cliffs. Quieter than the city beaches.
Short drive · East Aurora · ~30 min from downtown
Knox Farm State Park
Outdoors · About 2 hoursFree
Rolling meadows and old estate trails. Cross-country ski it when it snows.
Short drive · Lewiston · ~35 min from downtown
Lewiston village
Outdoors · About 2 hoursFree
Walkable Center Street with cafés and galleries, and a landing on the Niagara River.
Short drive · Lockport · ~36 min from downtown
Lockport Locks & Erie Canal Cruises
Outdoors · About 2 hours$$$$
Ride up and down through the canal locks on a two-hour cruise.
Short drive · Niagara Falls · ~28 min from downtown
Maid of the Mist
Outdoors · About 2 hours$$$$
The classic boat ride into the roar and mist of the falls.
Short drive · Niagara Falls · ~28 min from downtown
Niagara Falls State Park
Outdoors · Half a dayFree
America's oldest state park. Go after dark for the illuminated falls. Free to walk, but parking costs extra.
Short drive · Hamburg · ~18 min from downtown
Penn Dixie Fossil Park
Outdoors · About 2 hours$$$$
Dig for 380-million-year-old trilobites, and look for their stargazing nights.
Short drive · Niagara Falls · ~31 min from downtown
Whirlpool State Park
Outdoors · Half a dayFree
Stairs down into the Niagara Gorge. The rapids up close are wild.
Road trip · Ashford Hollow · ~58 min from downtown
Griffis Sculpture Park
Outdoors · Half a day$$$$
Giant metal sculptures scattered across 400-plus acres of woods and meadows.
Road trip · Castile · ~74 min from downtown
Letchworth State Park
Outdoors · All day$$$$
The "Grand Canyon of the East": three big waterfalls and miles of gorge-rim trail. Peak foliage is unreal.
Road trip · Olcott · ~51 min from downtown
Olcott Beach
Outdoors · Half a dayFree
Lake Ontario beach town with an antique carousel park and a lighthouse pier.
Seasonal (10)
In the city · Broadway-Fillmore · ~9 min from downtown
Broadway Market
Seasonal · About 2 hours$$$$
Buffalo's Polish market. Busiest before Easter, but Potts Deli serves pierogi and kielbasa year-round.
In the city · Canalside · ~5 min from downtown
Ice at Canalside
Seasonal · About 2 hours$$$$
Skate the replica canal, or try ice bikes, ice bumper cars and curling lanes. Rentable igloos seat up to eight.
In the city · Larkinville · ~8 min from downtown
Larkin Square
Seasonal · An evening$$$$
Food Truck Tuesdays and live music on the square all summer.
Inner ring · West Seneca · ~17 min from downtown
Mayer Brothers Cider Mill
Seasonal · About 2 hours$$$$
Fresh cider and warm donuts. A five-minute fall tradition.
Short drive · Hamburg · ~25 min from downtown
Erie County Fair
Seasonal · Half a day$$$$
Every August: midway rides, fair food and grandstand concerts.
Short drive · Clarence · ~28 min from downtown
Great Pumpkin Farm
Seasonal · Half a day$$$$
Fall festival with pumpkins, a corn maze and plenty of photo ops.
Short drive · North Tonawanda · ~22 min from downtown
North Tonawanda City Market
Seasonal · About 2 hoursFree
Saturday market with farm stands and ready-to-eat bites like vada pav.
Road trip · Gasport · ~43 min from downtown
Becker Farms & Vizcarra Vineyards
Seasonal · Half a day$$$$
Pick-your-own fruit, cider, wine and a brewery on a farm the same family has worked since 1894.
Road trip · Burt · ~49 min from downtown
Murphy Orchards
Seasonal · Half a day$$$$
Pick-your-own orchard on a farm with Underground Railroad history.
Road trip · Niagara Falls, ON · ~43 min from downtown
Winter Festival of Lights
Seasonal · An eveningFree
Millions of holiday lights along the Canadian side of the falls. Bring a thermos.
Make it a whole night
Stack dinner, something to do and dessert. The planner estimates drive time, timing and cost for two, and adds it all to your calendar.
More occasions
By town & neighborhood
- Buffalo
- Elmwood Village & Delaware Park
- Allentown
- Downtown & Canalside
- Hertel & North Buffalo
- Old First Ward, Larkinville & South Buffalo
- West Side & Black Rock
- Amherst, Williamsville & Northtowns
- Hamburg, Orchard Park & Southtowns
- East Aurora
- Grand Island & the Tonawandas
- Niagara Falls & Lewiston
- Lockport & Niagara wine country
- Ellicottville & ski country
- Letchworth, Chautauqua & beyond
- Across the border