Inner ring · West Seneca · ~15 min from downtown
Schwabl's
Dinner · About 2 hours$$$$
Beef on weck carved to order since 1837. Classic, unhurried, and very Buffalo.
Dinner (1)
Drinks (1)
Road trip · Ellicottville · ~68 min from downtown
Ellicottville Brewing Co.
Drinks · About 2 hours$$$$
Brewpub on Monroe Street and the default après-ski stop.
Sweets & coffee (1)
In the city · University Heights · ~13 min from downtown
Parkside Candy
Sweets & coffee · About 2 hours$$$$
1920s ice cream parlor with an ornate interior. Buy a bag of sponge candy to share.
Shows & music (11)
In the city · Symphony Circle · ~7 min from downtown
Buffalo Philharmonic at Kleinhans
Shows & music · An evening$$$$
The BPO in an acoustically celebrated Saarinen-designed hall.
In the city · Downtown · ~4 min from downtown
Helium Comedy Club
Shows & music · An evening$$$$
Touring headliners in a small room. Laughing together is the closest thing to a first-date cheat code.
In the city · Theatre District · ~5 min from downtown
Irish Classical Theatre
Shows & music · An evening$$$$
Theatre-in-the-round on Main Street. Intimate, and good for talking about it after.
In the city · Hertel · ~18 min from downtown
North Park Theatre
Shows & music · An evening$$$$
Restored 1920 movie palace on Hertel showing new releases and classics.
In the city · Allentown · ~7 min from downtown
PAUSA Art House
Shows & music · An evening$$$$
Tiny jazz-and-wine listening room near Kleinhans. It feels like a private concert. Book ahead.
In the city · KeyBank Center · ~6 min from downtown
Sabres game
Shows & music · An evening$$$$
Hockey at KeyBank Center, then walk over to Canalside or the Cobblestone District.
In the city · Theatre District · ~5 min from downtown
Shea's Buffalo Theatre
Shows & music · An evening$$$$
1926 movie palace hosting Broadway tours. Get there early and look up at the ceiling.
Inner ring · Amherst · ~17 min from downtown
The Screening Room
Shows & music · An evening$$$$
Tiny independent cinema showing classics and cult favorites.
Short drive · East Aurora · ~32 min from downtown
Aurora Theatre
Shows & music · An evening$$$$
Small-town movie house on Main Street. Dinner around the corner, then a film.
Short drive · Orchard Park · ~20 min from downtown
Bills game
Shows & music · Half a day$$$$
Tailgate, then watch the Bills. Dress in layers. Then more layers.
Short drive · North Tonawanda · ~23 min from downtown
Riviera Theatre
Shows & music · An evening$$$$
1926 theatre with a Mighty Wurlitzer organ, hosting concerts, films and shows.
Activities (9)
In the city · Ganson Street · ~8 min from downtown
Buffalo RiverWorks
Activities · An evening$$$$
Silos painted like a six-pack, with a brewery, a rink, climbing and river views in one place.
In the city · Downtown · ~4 min from downtown
Hatchets & Hops
Activities · About 2 hours$$$$
Instructor-led axe throwing on Main Street, with a second spot in Black Rock. Bring your competitive side.
In the city · Parkside · ~13 min from downtown
Lock & Key Escape Room
Activities · About 2 hours$$$$
Themed escape rooms near Delaware Park. Find out how well you two communicate under pressure.
In the city · Downtown · ~4 min from downtown
Spare Lanes
Activities · About 2 hours$$$$
Boutique bowling inside the Aloft at 500 Pearl. Pairs well with the rooftop upstairs in summer.
Inner ring · Cheektowaga · ~14 min from downtown
5 Wits
Activities · About 2 hours$$$$
Live-action adventure rooms with puzzles and theatrical sets at the Galleria.
Short drive · Niagara Falls · ~28 min from downtown
Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino
Activities · An evening$$$$
Casino floor, shows and late-night dining a few blocks from the falls.
Short drive · East Aurora · ~32 min from downtown
Vidler's 5 & 10
Activities · About 2 hours$$$$
Four connected storefronts stuffed with 75,000 items, wooden floors and a 10¢ popcorn machine.
Road trip · Ellicottville · ~70 min from downtown
Holiday Valley
Activities · All day$$$$
WNY's biggest ski resort, plus a tube park for the non-skiers.
Road trip · Glenwood · ~37 min from downtown
Kissing Bridge
Activities · An evening$$$$
The closest real skiing to Buffalo, with night skiing under the lights.
Arts & culture (10)
In the city · South Park · ~19 min from downtown
Botanical Gardens
Arts & culture · About 2 hours$$$$
Victorian glass conservatory full of palms and orchids. A warm, green escape in January.
In the city · Elmwood Village · ~14 min from downtown
Buffalo AKG Art Museum
Arts & culture · About 2 hours$$$$
World-class modern art in a striking glass-and-stone campus, with a café for the debrief.
In the city · Delaware Park · ~15 min from downtown
Buffalo History Museum
Arts & culture · About 2 hours$$$$
The last building from the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, full of Buffalo stories. The Japanese Garden is out back.
In the city · East Side · ~11 min from downtown
Buffalo Museum of Science
Arts & culture · About 2 hours$$$$
Hands-on exhibits for grown-up kids. Check the calendar for after-hours events.
In the city · Elmwood Village · ~14 min from downtown
Burchfield Penney Art Center
Arts & culture · About 2 hours$$$$
Western New York artists and Charles Burchfield's dreamy watercolors, across the street from the AKG.
In the city · Niagara Square · ~3 min from downtown
City Hall Observation Deck
Arts & culture · About 2 hoursFree
Ride up through an Art Deco landmark for free views from the top. Weekday daytime hours only.
In the city · Delaware Ave · ~7 min from downtown
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site
Arts & culture · About 2 hours$$$$
The mansion where TR took the oath in 1901. Interactive and more fun than it sounds.
In the city · Buffalo State · ~14 min from downtown
Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium
Arts & culture · About 2 hours$$$$
Public star shows under the dome at Buffalo State. Cheap, dark, and quietly romantic.
Inner ring · Lackawanna · ~12 min from downtown
Our Lady of Victory Basilica
Arts & culture · About 2 hoursFree
Jaw-dropping marble basilica across from the Botanical Gardens. Free to step in, quietly.
Short drive · Niagara Falls · ~29 min from downtown
Aquarium of Niagara
Arts & culture · About 2 hours$$$$
Sea lions, penguins and a quiet hour near the falls.
Outdoors (7)
In the city · South Buffalo · ~13 min from downtown
Tifft Nature Preserve
Outdoors · About 2 hoursFree
264 acres of trails and boardwalks minutes from downtown. Snowshoe it in winter.
Inner ring · Amherst · ~21 min from downtown
Amherst State Park
Outdoors · About 2 hoursFree
Wooded trails along Ellicott Creek. Quiet, flat, and pretty in fresh snow.
Inner ring · Depew · ~19 min from downtown
Reinstein Woods
Outdoors · About 2 hoursFree
State nature preserve with ponds, old forest and guided walks. Snowshoe programs in winter.
Short drive · Grand Island · ~15 min from downtown
Beaver Island State Park
Outdoors · About 2 hours$$$$
Niagara River beach and trails in summer, sledding and cross-country skiing in winter.
Short drive · Orchard Park · ~28 min from downtown
Chestnut Ridge Park
Outdoors · Half a dayFree
Legendary sledding hill with a skyline view, plus the trail to Eternal Flame Falls.
Short drive · East Aurora · ~30 min from downtown
Knox Farm State Park
Outdoors · About 2 hoursFree
Rolling meadows and old estate trails. Cross-country ski it when it snows.
Short drive · Niagara Falls · ~28 min from downtown
Niagara Falls State Park
Outdoors · Half a dayFree
America's oldest state park. Go after dark for the illuminated falls. Free to walk, but parking costs extra.
Seasonal (2)
In the city · Canalside · ~5 min from downtown
Ice at Canalside
Seasonal · About 2 hours$$$$
Skate the replica canal, or try ice bikes, ice bumper cars and curling lanes. Rentable igloos seat up to eight.
Road trip · Niagara Falls, ON · ~43 min from downtown
Winter Festival of Lights
Seasonal · An eveningFree
Millions of holiday lights along the Canadian side of the falls. Bring a thermos.
Getaways (1)
Road trip · Ellicottville · ~68 min from downtown
Ellicottville village
Getaways · All day$$$$
Ski-town Main Street with fireplaces, breweries and boutiques. Stay the night.
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