Buffalo is a blossoming post-industrial city on the glistening shores of Lake Erie. As a resident of this fine city, I can say first hand that for a traveler, Buffalo truly packs a punch from a value perspective. Located just 30 minutes south of Niagara Falls, it is also a must see place for any travelers looking to add some fun and economical activities to their Niagara Falls itinerary. For all of our readers keen on visiting the Falls or for our many locals simply looking for some fun new activities to fill their time, finding FREE Buffalo activities can feel like a real bonus. From stunning architecture and renowned museums, to beautiful parks and historic landmarks, these free Buffalo activities are sure to stimulate your curiosity and give you plenty of info on affordable ways to spend your days moving forward!
Free Buffalo Activities!
Enjoy Free Museum Days
When it comes to tiers of Buffalo museums, it basically goes Buffalo AKG Art Gallery and then everything else. This art museum is not only a local staple but also hosts an award winning collection renowned throughout the entire country. Located adjacent to the natural beauties of Delaware Park’s Hoyt Lake and the Japanese Gardens (more on these later), the artistry and allure only intensifies when you open the door and go inside. The museum spans impressionist and post-impressionist styles of art with fine works from Rothko, Warhol, Pollack, Monet, Picasso, Frida Khalo, Van Gough and many more.
Fortunately, visitors can enjoy this fantastic collection for free the first Friday of every month. Athough certain exclusive exhibits typically still require a separate admission, First Friday’s Hosted by M&T are a great way to experience one of the top free Buffalo activities the city has to offer. Extra bonus! Although presently closed for renovations, the Buffalo AKG Art Gallery is set to reopen its doors in colossal fashion in June 2023 after 3 years and $230 million dollars orchestrated a dramatic updating and expansion of the parkside campus. The renderings look amazing!
The Buffalo AKG Art Gallery isn’t the only museum benefiting from M&T banks generosity. Located a short scenic walk from the AKG sits the Buffalo History Museum. This gorgeous building (often used for weddings and other special events) overlooks the serene Japanese Gardens and Cherry Blossom Trees (site of the Cherry Blossom Festival) next to Delaware Park. With typical hours on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, the museum opens its doors for FREE every third Friday of the month. Third Fridays serve as a great time to peruse the halls of Buffalo’s storied history and possibly even enjoy a walk around the Japanese Gardens as well.
Located just across the street from the AKG and History Museum, sits another fantastic one of our free Buffalo activities, the Burchfield-Penny Art Center. Known for hosting the world’s largest collection of works by the famed Charles Burchfield (who lived for much of his life in Western NY) as well as many other artists with ties to Buffalo and our Western NY community, the Burchfield-Penny Art Center has free admission the second Friday of every month. For the art buffs out there still yearning for just one more free attraction, The Castellani Art Museum on Niagara University Campus in Lewiston is another one of our free Buffalo activities which can be enjoyed for FREE every week Thursday to Sunday!
Free Buffalo Activities!
Walk Around Hoyt Lake and the Japanese Gardens
This next duo of free Buffalo activities often goes hand and hand with a visit to one of the museum days listed above. Undoubtedly the most beautiful natural space within the city of Buffalo encompasses the trails, boathouse, and restaurant facilities around Delaware Park’s Hoyt Lake as well as the next door Japanese Gardens. Hoyt Lake is a serene oasis of nature and outdoor recreation located just behind the aforementioned Buffalo AKG Art Gallery. The park contains a 1.1 mile loop around the lake, seasonal rowboat/paddle rentals, a rose garden (site of countless proposals), The Terrace at Delaware Park (a chic restaurant overlooking the Lake), as well as countless other recreation fields, soccer pitches, and wooded trails.
From Hoyt Lake, an approximately 0.5 mile walk will take you past Statues of David and Mozart, down and around the Whirly Twirly Bridge (literal name lol), and to the peaceful waters of the Japanese Garden. With a bulk of renovations assisted by our Japanese sister city Kanazawa in the late 1990s, the Japanese Gardens became one of the most beautiful places in the city to relax and reflect in nature. The gardens are quite small but worth checking out if you plan on visiting Hoyt Lake or one of the nearby museums. In late April and early May, the garden’s greatest gift comes into full blossom with the Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival. The festival is free, typically involves live music and vendors and is an enjoyable way to experience this annual tradition!
Free Buffalo Activities!
Experience Shakespeare in the Park
Just next to The Terrace at Delaware Park and the rose garden, is the site of a Buffalo summer staple, Shakespeare in the Park. Now entering its 47th season, Shakespeare in the Park is one of our free Buffalo activities in which talented local players get together throughout the summer and perform Shakespearean favorites in an open air glade within one of the most picturesque parks of the city. The 2023 season offers “Measure for Measure” from June 22-July 16 and “Romeo and Juliet” from July 27-August 20. Performances begin at 7:15PM on Tuesday to Sunday evenings. Seating is not provided so bring your own chair, blanket, or plan on flexing the glutes and calves as you enjoy some of the finest acting the Queen City has to offer.
Free Buffalo Activities!
Explore Canalside and the Naval Park
Canalside, otherwise known as the Buffalo waterfront, was a revitalization project of the 2000s paramount to Buffalo’s Renaissance of recent years. It is also quite likely the most popular of our free Buffalo activities on this list. There is both free and paid parking available in several lots and along side streets or you can always use the option of the Buffalo Metro. This tram line conveniently has its final stop at Canalside (Erie Canal Harbor Station) and is FREE to get on and off between this final stop and Fountain Plaza.
Visitors of Canalside will be treated to a host of cool and unique different sights and attractions. As you enter Canalside, you will come across numerous informational placards describing the history of the region and the roles that the canal played in the local economy. This symbiosis between an industrious work force and the natural benefits of Lake Erie and the Erie Canal right at this site turned Buffalo into a financial mecca and the largest grain port in the entire world!
After this brief history lesson, you will also be invited to peruse a scenic boardwalk running along the lake. This is a common site for commercial boat launches (such as our beloved Spirit of Buffalo, see previous post HERE), kayak rentals, and other seasonal nautical attractions (such as Tall Ships Erie). There is also an open lawn with public seating and a host of other programs such as live music and Yoga. Further down the boardwalk, there is a snack shack with some boozy beverages as well as a big sandbox with hidden dinosaur bones and stuff for the kiddos. During the winter an ice rink forms with skating, curling, ice bikes, and other winter enticements as well!
Along the harbor and adjacent to Canalside you will find the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park (Naval Park for short), the site of THE LARGEST INLAND NAVAL PARK IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. This fascinating open air museum boasts USS the Sullivans (a navy destroyer), USS Little Rock (a guided missile cruiser), USS Croaker (a WWII submarine), USS PTF-17 (Vietnam era patrol vessel), and numerous other informative placards, memorials, and replicas of other machinery and ballistics. We’ve found that simply walking the paths around these well manicured grounds is one of the more fascinating and fun free Buffalo activities around. For those looking for a more detailed and comprehensive experience, tickets and self guided tours are available (online HERE) to board the vessels and tour the accompanying two story museum on site as well.
Free Buffalo Activities!
Tour Buffalo City Hall
Buffalo boasts some of the most enviable architecture for a city of its size anywhere in the country. Although works of Frank Lloyd Wright and Louise Blanchard Bethune (first female architect in US history) deserve their due, perhaps the greatest example of Buffalo’s architectural spirit rests in the cradle of downtown at Buffalo City Hall. This Gotham style goliath stands 398 ft tall, making it one of the tallest municipal buildings in the entire United States. Fortunately for us, the city provides free tours Monday-Friday every weekday at noon. Tours last about an hour. Highlights of this Art Deco masterpiece include paintings and murals depicting the history of Buffalo, touring the council chamber and mayor’s office, and feasting your eyes on panoramic views from the 28th floor observation deck. For those not interested in a formal tour, the lobby and observation deck are available weekdays 9-4PM, and are another of our cool free Buffalo activities for you to enjoy!
Free Buffalo Activities!
Wonder at the Our Lady of Victory Basilica
This place is fantastic! The Our Lady of Victory Basilica is a practicing Catholic parish church and popular pilgrimage site for the late Father Baker, the former heartbeat of the church who is currently in the process of canonization. Even for the non-faithful amongst us, the beauty of the church and scale of its design is impossible to ignore. At the time of its construction in 1926, the colossal 165 ft high copper dome in the center of the building was the second largest in the country behind only the US Capitol building. The tremendous exterior is nearly completely constructed of imported Georgian (the country not state) white marble and over 40 different colors and types of finely polished Italian marble can be found meticulously displayed within. Other prominent features include an 80 ft mural on the dome’s inner ceiling, a museum based on the historic works of the church and the beloved Father Baker, as well as the Grotto enshrined tomb of the future saint himself.
Entrance to the Basilica is free and parking is amply provided behind the shrine. Guided tours are also free (donations appreciated) and can be scheduled between 1P-5P daily (with the exception of Friday, mass times and special occasions. Soooo, I’d just call ahead if you want a guided tour 716-828-9444 lol). It doesn’t take too long to get through a self guided tour of the premises. Consider popping over to the Botanical Gardens (post coming soon) across the street after enjoying your visit and make the most of your day!
Free Buffalo Activities!
Appreciate Forest Lawn Cemetery
As the second largest city in New York and once the home to more millionaires per capita than any other American metropolis, Buffalo doesn’t lack for famous residents. Perhaps nowhere is Buffalo’s history of affluence and prestige on better display than at Forest Lawn Cemetery. This cemetery interestingly enough is a bit of an attraction to even longtime locals who use the sprawling grounds for outdoor recreation, peace and quiet, and maybe even a quick history lesson. Notable residents of the cemetery range from music legends like Rick James, to former presidents such as Millard Fillmore, and countless local well known philanthropists such as Seymour Knox II (think Knox Ave, Knox Farm and Albright Knox Art Museum), Edward Kleinhans (Kleinhans Music Hall), William Letchworth (Letchworth State Park), John Oshei (Oshei Children’s Hospital), Dr. Roswell Park (Roswell Park Cancer Institute) and many more.
The cemetery is open daily year round and is one of the top free Buffalo activities around. Self guided tours can be enhanced with the accompanying free app offered by the cemetery (found HERE). Tickets for the famous Forest Lawn guided walking and trolley tours will also become available during the warmer months as well! It is said that Forest Lawn is a place for both the living and the dead, so be respectful, be curious and go enjoy another of our wonderful free Buffalo activities today!
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