For the Architecture Fan

• Best of Buffalo Architecture
• Lectures
• Architecture Tours
• Buffalo's Houses of Worship
• Gardens
• Buffalo's Architectural Landmarks Map

Frank Lloyd Wright's Darwin Martin House Complex came into its own as a tourist destination with the opening in 2009 of architect Toshiko Mori's Greatbatch Pavilion. This 8,000 square foot interpretive center eloquently tells the story of Buffalo businessman Darwin D. Martin and the young man from Chicago who would go on to become the greatest architect of the 20th Century.

The Greatbatch Pavilion is the perfect place to start your tour of Buffalo's wealth of great American buildings. Here you'll be introduced to the breadth and depth of Wright's work in Buffalo, including the Martin's country home at Graycliff, the Rowing Boathouse and Blue Sky Mausoleum. You can also acquaint yourself with Buffalo's other landmarks through a large screen, interactive Google map.

From the Martin House, step into the tree-filled Parkside neighborhood and amble into the bucolic splendor of nearby Delaware Park, both designed by the father of American landscape architects, Frederick Law Olmsted.

From Delaware Park, make your way to H.H. Richardson's Buffalo State Hospital, known today as the Richardson-Olmsted Complex, a towering Romanesque monument that dominates the skyline of the city's West Side. This National Historic Landmark features grounds by Olmsted and is in the midst of a multi-year restoration.

Make your way down Richmond Avenue to Symphony Circle and Kleinhans Music Hall, home of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Designed by Eliel and Eero Saarinen, Kleinhans is a modernist masterpiece known for its sleek contours, elegant wood interior and extraordinary acoustics.

In downtown Buffalo you'll find Louis Sullivan's groundbreaking Guaranty Building and Daniel Burnham's breathtakingly beautiful Ellicott Square Building. In nearby East Aurora, visit Elbert Hubbard's Roycroft Campus, one of the centers of the American Arts & Crafts Movement. Today, the Roycroft Inn has been returned to its former glory and the surrounding campus is undergoing a similar restoration.

Be sure to stop by the stunning Lord & Burnham conservatory at the Botanical Gardens in Olmsted's South Park. Also not to be missed are the massive grain elevators along the banks of the Buffalo River. You'll be amazed by the scale of these towering monoliths that influenced the course of modern architecture.

Come to Buffalo and see the city that The New York Times called "home to some of the greatest American architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries."

More information about Buffalo's architecture can be found at www.wrightnowinbuffalo.com.

The Best of Buffalo Architecture

ALBRIGHT KNOX ART GALLERY

Designed by architect E.B. Green with William Sydney Wicks between 1900-1905, this temple for the arts evokes the Erectheum on the Acropolis in Athens. A marble and glass wing was added to the original building in 1962, designed by Buffalonian Gordon Bunshaft.
HOURS
Mon: Closed | Tues: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. | Wed: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. | Thur: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. | Fri: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. | Sat: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. | Sun: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
ADDRESS
1285 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14222
(716) 882-8700

Buffalo Central Terminal

The Buffalo Central Terminal opened to the public on June 22, 1929. Built by the New York Central Railroad and designed by architects Alfred T. Fellheimer & Steward Wagner, the Art Deco style station was built to accommodate up to 3200 passengers per hour, or 200 trains per day. The complex consists of the main concourse, a 17 story office tower, a four story baggage building and two story mail building along Curtiss Street, and the now detached train concourse. The complex sits on a 17 acre site 2.5 miles east of downtown Buffalo. The Central Terminal Restoration Corporation (CTRC) was founded in 1997 to oversee the stabilization and restoration of the Central Terminal. Local preservationist Scott Field acquired the 18-acre site, including concourse, tower, and four story baggage building along Curtiss Street, from Samuel Tuchman and B.C.T Inc. for $1 plus the assumption of back taxes owed to the City of Buffalo. Buffalo Central Terminal reopened to the public in 2003 with a series of tours and open houses. Since then the tours continue, as well as a number of other fun events all summer long such as Dyngus Day, wine and beer festivals, art shows, car shows, train shows, and the annual Oktoberfest. The Terminal has seen over 125,000 visitors since reopening.
ADDRESS
495 Paderewski Drive
Buffalo, NY 14212
(716) 954-2225
Website: http://buffalocentralterminal.org

BUFFALO CITY HALL

From the architects George J. Dietel and John J. Wade, Buffalo City Hall was built between 1929-1931. Buffalo City Hall is an Art Deco masterpiece with outstanding murals depicting the city's history and industry. Common Council Chamber with exquisite skylight and sculptures are a must see. Observation Tower gives a spectacular view of the waterfront and the Ellicott radial street design for Buffalo. Closed weekends and holidays.
ADDRESS
65 Niagara Square
Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 851-4200

BUFFALO SAVINGS BANK

Built between 1900-1901, Buffalo Savings Bank was the vision of architect E. B. Green with William Sydney Wicks. A prime example of the neoclassicism inspired by the World's Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893.
ADDRESS
545 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 852-2356

BUFFALO STATE HOSPITAL now BUFFALO PSYCHIATRIC CENTER

Designed by architect Henry Hobson Richardson between 1870-1896, Buffalo State Hospital is of the Romanesque monument with soaring red Medina sandstone twin towers. Frederick Law Olmsted and his partner Calvert Vaux planned the hospital grounds.
ADDRESS
400 Forest Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14213
(716) 852-2356

DARWIN D. MARTIN HOUSE COMPLEX

Constructed between 1903 and 1905 as the home of Darwin and Isabelle Martin, the Martin House exemplifies Frank Lloyd Wright's "Prairie House" ideal and ranks as one of his finest residential works. Tours at the Martin House underscore how Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural genius is illustrated in timeless themes evident in his remarkable design: family, friendship, the meaning of home, and the American spirit as told through the story of Darwin D. Martin's patronage of America's greatest architect.
ADDRESS
125 Jewett Parkway
Buffalo, NY 14214
(716) 856-3858
Website: http://www.darwinmartinhouse.org

ELLICOTT SQUARE BUILDING

From architect Daniel Burnham with Charles Atwood, construction began in 1895. Upon completion in 1896, the Ellicott Square Building was considered the largest office building in the world. Its glass-covered concourse is one of Buffalo's most ornamental public spaces.
ADDRESS
295 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 854-0060

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT'S ROWING BOATHOUSE

In 1910, at the age of 43, Frank Lloyd Wright traveled to Europe to present what would become his most beloved collection of structure illustrations: the Wasmuth Portfolio. One of these famous drawings was something Wright called "Boathouse for the University of Wisconsin Boat Club." Twenty years later, the architect included this same boathouse in an international exhibition of six of his greatest works. The boathouse idea was obviously a favorite of Wright's, featuring design elements seen in other local treasures like the Martin House and the Larkin Building - large vertical piers supporting horizontal planes. Sadly, it was never constructed. It was one of Frank Lloyd Wright's most significant projects that had never come to fruition - until now. Completed in 2007, the Rowing Boathouse is open to the public for tours.
ADDRESS
Foot of Porter Avenue next to West Side Rowing Club
1 Rotary Row
Buffalo, NY 14201
(716) 362-3140
Website: http://www.wrightsboathouse.org

GRAYCLIFF ESTATE

Designed in 1926-27 as the summer home of Isabelle R. and Darwin D Martin. Set high on a cliff overlooking Lake Erie, Graycliff foreshadows the brilliance that would reach its fullest expression at Fallingwater. Currently undergoing restoration, a variety of guided tours are available (see website). Given a five-star rating for tourist destinations by Frank Lloyd Wright Guidebook. Open year-round (Apr-Nov; more limited in winter months); free parking and gift shop; call for reservations; ask about special in-depth and package tours. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas and New Year's Day.
ADDRESS
6472 Old Lake Shore Road
Derby, NY 14047
(716) 947-9217
Admission:  $15-$40
Website: http://www.graycliff.bfn.org

GUARANTY BUILDING

From architects Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler, the Guaranty Building was built between 1895-1896. Louis Sullivan's most mature skyscraper, its terra cotta facade and clean vertical lines are nothing short of breathtaking. Tours are available by appointment only. Call Lisa Kane at (716) 848-1335 for more information.
ADDRESS
28 Church Street
Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 852-2356

KLEINHANS MUSIC HALL

Designed by architects Eliel & Eero Saarinen between 1938-1940, this home of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is internationally-acclaimed for its acoustical excellence, graceful curving lines and detailed interior spaces.
ADDRESS
Symphony Circle
North Street at Richmond Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14201
(716) 885-5000

M&T BANK BUILDING

Built between 1964-1966 by Minoru Yamasaki, the architect who designed New York's World Trade Center.
ADDRESS
Main Street at North Division
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 852-2356

OLD COUNTY HALL

Designed in 1876 by architect Andrew J. Warner, Old County Hall is an important example of the High Victorian Gothic, the preeminent style of the Gilded Age.
ADDRESS
92 Franklin Street
Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 852-2356

OLD POST OFFICE (Erie Community College)

From architect James Knox Taylor, the Old Post Office was built between 1894-1901. The skylighted central court is one of Buffalo's most majestic interior spaces.
ADDRESS
121 Ellicott Street
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 852-2356

ROYCROFT INN

Elegantly restored Arts & Crafts accommodations featuring original Roycroft furnishings and art work. Built in 1895. Also serves as a fine dining restaurant and offers exquisite accomodations.
ADDRESS
40 South Grove Street
East Aurora, NY 14052
(716) 652-5552
Website: http://www.roycroftinn.com/

SHEA'S PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Built in 1926 by architects C. W. & G. W. Rapp in the style of a European opera house, Shea's continues to entertain audiences with touring shows, concerts, opera, dance, organ concerts and children's shows. It is regarded as one of the finest movie palaces of its time in the country. Tours also available by calling (716) 829-1166.
ADDRESS
646 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 847-1410

ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL

Designed by architect Richard Upjohn between 1849-1851, St. Paul's Cathedral is an essential component of one of Buffalo's most memorable streetscapes along Church and North Division Streets.
ADDRESS
Church Street at Pearl Street
Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 852-2356
Website: http://www.stpaulscathedral.org/

WILLIAMS-BUTLER HOUSE

From architects McKim, Mead & White, the Williams-Butler House was built between 1895-1898. A truly stunning, palatial residence on Buffalo's "Millionaire's Row." Now the Jacobs Executive Development Center of the University at Buffalo.
ADDRESS
672 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14209
(716) 852-2356

WILLIAMS-PRATT HOUSE

Built by architects McKim, Mead & White. An opulent, yet dignified mansion from Buffalo's Golden Age.
ADDRESS
690 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14209
(716) 852-2356

For additional information on Buffalo’s architecture, please visit www.wrightnowinbuffalo.com or consult the following reference sources:

"Buffalo Architecture: A Guide" (MIT Press) by Reyner Banham

"Classic Buffalo: A Heritage of Distinguished Architecture" (Canisius College Press) by Andy Olenick and Richard O. Reisem

For a self-guided walking tour of Downtown Buffalo's architecture, visit www.walkbuffalo.com

Lectures

UB SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

The School is lively and there is inspired work going on in Buffalo-- a city with a rich collection of distinguished architecture and outstanding city planning. Do come and visit us, meet the students and talk with faculty and staff who are working together here at the School to create a lively and stimulating place.
ADDRESS
3435 Main Street
139 Hayes Hall
Buffalo, NY 14214
(716) 829-3485
Website: http://www.ap.buffalo.edu/sap/news/events.asp#lectures

Architecture Tours

BUFFALO TOURS

Buffalo is nationally known for its many Victorian and early modern architectural gems. Three of the greatest architects in American history - Richardson, Sullivan and Wright - all have signature buildings in Buffalo. Visitors and residents alike are invited to enjo any of the 50 self-guided audio tours and nearly 500 guided tours now offered by Buffalo Tours. Experience firsthand Buffalo's magnificent historic and architectural heritage. Most guided tours do not require reservations. Simply arrive at the indicated starting point a few minutes before the tour is scheduled to begin. Tours will take place rain or shine. In the event of extreme weather, call for cancellation information. Please visit their website for tour details.
ADDRESS
617 Main Street, Suite M108
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 852-3300
Admission: varies
Email: info@buffalotours.com
Website: http://www.buffalotours.org

FORGOTTEN BUFFALO TOURS

The region's authority on unique landmarks, classic taverns, old world neighborhoods and "Nickel City" oddities presents Buffalo's original "Off The Beaten Track" tours. Tours allow "urban explorers" to eat, drink and laugh through history! Lead by the host of Off Beat Cinema, each tour will give you a sense why Buffalo Niagara is one of the most unique urban communities in the world.
ADDRESS
244 Potters Road
Buffalo, NY 14220
(716) 883-5211
Website: http://www.forgottenbuffalo.com

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT'S GRAYCLIFF

Set high on a cliff with sweeping views over Lake Erie, Graycliff stands as an architectural jewel awaiting your discovery. Built between 1926 and 1929, the Graycliff estate was designed by the renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright for Isabelle R. Martin and her husband, Larkin Company executive Darwin D. Martin. Graycliff served as the Martin summer home from 1927 to the mid-1940s. It is a complex of three buildings that includes the small Heat Hut, the 3,100 square-foot Foster House and the 6,500 square-foot Isabelle R. Martin House, all set amidst eight and a half acres of rolling lawns and gardens also designed by Wright. Broadly cantilevered balconies open the buildings to the soft lake air. On the Isabelle R. Martin House, the second floor floats over a terrace and garden below. Another balcony soars, suspended above a sunken garden. Yet a third balcony overlooks the lake itself, and the spray of Niagara Falls in the far distance. Ribbons of glass windows and doors admit the lake breezes. They also frame views of the lake seen - ingeniously - directly through the house itself.
ADDRESS
6472 Old Lake Shore Road
Derby, NY 14047
(716) 947-9217
Website: http://graycliff.bfn.org

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT'S MARTIN HOUSE COMPLEX

Frank Lloyd Wright's greatest "Prairie House," the five-structure Darwin Martin House Complex, was designed and built from 1903-1905 in the great city of Buffalo, New York.
ADDRESS
125 Jewett Parkway
Buffalo, NY 14214
(716) 856-3858
Website: http://www.darwinmartinhouse.org

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT'S ROWING BOATHOUSE

In 1910, at the age of 43, Frank Lloyd Wright traveled to Europe to present what would become his most beloved collection of structure illustrations: the Wasmuth Portfolio. One of these famous drawings was something Wright called "Boathouse for the University of Wisconsin Boat Club." Twenty years later, the architect included this same boathouse in an international exhibition of six of his greatest works. The boathouse idea was obviously a favorite of Wright's, featuring design elements seen in other local treasures like the Martin House and the Larkin Building - large vertical piers supporting horizontal planes. Sadly, it was never constructed. It was one of Frank Lloyd Wright's most significant projects that had never come to fruition - until now. Completed in 2007, the Rowing Boathouse is open to the public for tours.
ADDRESS
Foot of Porter Avenue next to West Side Rowing Club
1 Rotary Row
Buffalo, NY 14201
(716) 362-3140
Website: http://www.wrightsboathouse.org

HISTORIC BUFFALO RIVER TOURS OF THE INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE COMMITTEE

The Industrial Heritage Committee Inc. proudly commences its 25th season of The Historic Buffalo River Tours this summer. The Historic Buffalo River Tours provide a sailors eye view of the grain elevators, industries and green space along the shores of the Buffalo River, and explain how the invention of the Grain Elevator shaped Buffalo's history and influenced modern architecture. Photographs, maps and video will be on display to further enhance this unique educational experience. If we're lucky, you might be able to watch ships unloading their cargoes of grain. Please visit the website for tour dates and information. The phone number listed is for reservations through Buffalo Harbor Cruises.
ADDRESS
79 Marine Drive
Erie Basin Marina
Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 856-6696
Email: ihcdart@buffalo.com
Website: http://www.buffaloindustrialheritage.com

HULL FAMILY HOME & FARMSTEAD

Distinctive cira 1810 Federal-style house is Erie county's oldest, currently under restoration and development as a living history experience interpreting WNY's pre-Erie Canal frontier settlement and family life. Open for wide variety of annual special events and groups by appointment; public tours Sundays 1-4 p.m. June-September.
ADDRESS
5976 Genesee Street
Lancaster, NY 14086
(716) 681-6451
(716) 407-0504
Website: http://www.hullfamilyhome.org

Mason Winfield's Haunted History Ghost Walks, Inc.

Take a walk on the spiritual side. Author and researcher Mason Winfield's "haunted history" tours of village streets are good-natured fun and serious research. History, architecture, mystery, parapsychology...GHOSTS! The Niagara Frontier will never look the same. Ghost walks in: Allentown, Theater District, East Aurora, Lewiston, and Williamsville.
ADDRESS
21 South Grove Street, Suite 240
East Aurora, NY 14170
(716) 655-6663
Admission: $10
Website: http://www.masonwinfield.com

OPEN-AIR AUTOBUS OF BUFFALO

Open air bus tours with 360 degree views of historical and architectural attractions. Campaign for Greater Buffalo offers neighborhood walking and bus tours. Scheduled and group tours by appointment.
ADDRESS
561 Forest Avenue #3
Buffalo, NY 14222
(716) 854-3749
Admission: $10-$25
Website: http://www.openairbuffalo.org

OUR LADY OF VICTORY BASILICA AND NATIONAL SHRINE (1926)

Architect: Emilie Ulrich
Boasting some of Western New York's most exquisite architecture, the Basilica of Our Lady of Victory stands as a gift of thanks to the Blessed Mother from Father Nelson Baker, who is currently a candidate for sainthood and whose final resting place is located within the church at the Lourdes Grotto. Prominent features of the shrine include its great dome, main altar and stations of the cross, as well as a new museum in the lower level dedicated to the life and legacy of Father Baker. Public guided tour offered Sundays at 1 pm. Private tours offered by reservation.
Recently a space in the Basilica's basement was renovated to enhance the museum honoring Father Baker. The space includes 3,700 square feet of pure museum-style displays. This project is viewed as a key step for a spike in visitors that would likely follow if Baker is someday canonized as a saint. The museum reflects the many charitable works of Father Baker and tells the story in an imaginative and informative way.
The OLV Basilica is open free-of-charge to visitors of all faiths daily from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. The Gift Shop, located in the Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
ADDRESS
767 Ridge Road
Lackawanna, NY 14218
(716) 828-9444
Website: http://www.ourladyofvictory.org

SHEA'S HISTORIC TOURS

Shea's Performing Arts Center is a major cultural institution that has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975. Designed by C.W. and George L. Rapp of Chicago, Shea's features an interior of Neo-Spanish Baroque design. Shea's Grand Lobby features a reproduction of the original rendering done by Tiffany Studios for Rapp & Rapp. The intricately ornamented ceiling and spectacular chandeliers fully reflect Tiffany's rendering, one of the only four Tiffany-designed theatres still in existence. Come and tour our historic theatre, one of the finest in the country. Please call in advance to make reservations.
ADDRESS
646 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 847-1410
Admission: Adults $8, Seniors and Students $4, Groups of 20 or more $4.
Website: http://www.sheas.org

WALK BUFFALO TOURS

A self-guided walking tour of downtown Buffalo. Pick up your Walk Buffalo book at the Buffalo Niagara Visitor Center.
ADDRESS
617 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 852-2356
Website: http://www.walkbuffalo.com

Gardens

BUFFALO AND ERIE COUNTY BOTANICAL GARDENS (South Park Conservatory)

The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens is the product of three extraordinary visionaries: landscaping architect Fredrick Law Olmsted, architects Lord & Burnham and botanist / plant-explorer John F. Cowell. The tri-domed glass, wood and steel building was designed by the premier conservatory designers of the time: Lord & Burnham, Co. from New York's Hudson Valley. When it was built in 1897-1899, it was one of the largest public greenhouses in the country.
HOURS
Mon: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Tues: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Wed: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Thur: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Fri: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Sat: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Sun: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
ADDRESS
2655 South Park Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14218
(716) 827-1584
Admission: Adults $6, students (13+ with ID) and seniors (55+) $5, Children(3-12) - $3.00, Children under 3 and Garden Members are free.
Website: http://www.buffalogardens.com

DELAWARE PARK

One of the first Frederick Law Olmsted-designed parks in Buffalo, the 350 acres of meadow, forest and lake serve as Buffalo's "Central Park" featuring boating on Hoyt Lake by the Marcy Casino, Rose Garden, Japanese Gardens, and a golf course, and newly added horse-drawn carriage rides (Sunday only from 1pm - 5pm.) As the focal point of the Olmsted System, it contains many popular cultural institutions.
ADDRESS
84 Parkside Avenue
Buffalo
Buffalo, NY 14214
(716) 838-1249
(716) 835-1300
Website: http://www.buffaloolmstedparks.org

ERIE BASIN MARINA GARDENS

The Erie Basin Marina Gardens, located at the foot of Erie Street on downtown Buffalo's waterfront, is home to a Garden of Specialty Annuals, as well as The Victor and Joan Fuzak Memorial test Rose Gardens. Our site is one of 25 All-American Rose Selection test gardens in the United States. The peak rose bloom is the last week of June and the first week of July. The Specialty Annual flowers include over 200 worldwide varieties of the 2004 introductions from the Ball Seed Corp. Simply Beautiful Series, and Proven Selections. These flowers are incorporated in a 300-foot flower bed along the entrance to the Marina, various other flower beds and more than 50 large planters. May - Oct , daily 7am - 10pm. Open holidays during season.
ADDRESS
329 Erie Street
Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 851-5389

NIAGARA PARKS BOTANICAL GARDENS

Explore 100 acres of manicured gardens and arboretum as maintained by the School of Horticulture. Features over 2,300 plant varieties and famous rose garden. Open year-round dawn till dusk. See website for hours and admission fees.
ADDRESS
2565 Niagara Parkway
Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6V5
(905) 356-8554
(877) 642-7275
Website: http://www.niagaraparks.com

NIAGARA PARKS BUTTERFLY CONSERVATORY

The world's largest glass enclosed butterfly conservatory with over 2,000 free flying tropical butterflies in a rain forest setting. Extended hours in Summer months. Visit website for hours and admission fees.
ADDRESS
2565 Niagara Parkway
Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6T2
(905) 356-2241
(877) 642-7275
Website: http://httwww.niagaraparks.com

QUEEN VICTORIA PARK

The park features a valuable collection of unique native and international plant material from around the world. The park also features a major rock garden, a Hybrid T. rose garden, and two attractive carpet-bedding displays. Every spring, 500,000 daffodils herald the arrival of this season.
ADDRESS
Niagara River Parkway
Niagara Falls, ON L2E6T2
(905) 371-0254
(877) 642-7275
Website: http://www.niagaraparks.com/garden/victoriapark.php