History Happened Here:
Battles, A Boomtown, An Assassination
and an Inauguration!

Buffalo's rich heritage makes it an exciting place for history buffs. Any tour of the many points of historical interest should start at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, located at 25 Nottingham Terrace in a beautiful neo-Classical building originally built for the 1901 Pan American Exposition. Here you can see exhibits about Buffalo's industrial heritage, view armaments from the War of 1812, and even see the actual revolver used by Leon Czolgosz to assassinate President William McKinley. The Pan-American Exposition and McKinley's unfortunate assassination at that event are also part of a special Historical Society exhibit at their Resource Center located at 459 Forest Avenue. The entrance to the Center boasts a wonderful monumental sculpture called "Dreamland" built originally for the exposition.

McKinley's assassination in Buffalo led directly to Theodore Roosevelt's inauguration here as the 26th President of the United States. The inauguration took place at the beautiful Ansley Wilcox House, which is now the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site. (641 Delaware Avenue). Tours of the site offer a glimpse into both presidential history and the lives of Buffalo's elite at the turn of the 20th century. From here it is a short walk down North Street to Main Street where you can enjoy lunch at the historic birthplace of the Buffalo chicken wing, The Anchor Bar (1047 Main Street).

The port of Buffalo was at one time the fourth largest in the world. The Erie Canal brought a boom in shipping, milling and manufacturing and was the source of Buffalo's great wealth. The Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society (66 Erie Street) is a small museum devoted to the history of Buffalo's waterfront and maritime industries. Exhibits include models of the different ships that used to ply Buffalo's waters and an extensive history of the Erie Canal, and its role in Buffalo's growth as a great shipping power.

Down on the waterfront at the foot of Pearl Street is the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park. It's the largest inland floating history museum in the United States and features vessels that are open to visitors. These are the USS Little Rock, the only guided missile cruiser on display in the United States, the USS Croaker, a WWII submarine, and the USS The Sullivans, a WWII-era Destroyer.

End your busy day with a stop at the Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum (263 Michigan Avenue). Here you will find a wonderful collection of antique cars and car related antiques and memorabilia from Buffalo's glory days as one of the centers of the early automotive industry.

Start your Sunday with a visit to the magnificent Forest Lawn Cemetery (1411 Delaware Avenue, left). In these 269 acres of beautiful rolling hills and wonderful vistas you will find the burial place of Millard Fillmore, America's 13th president. Also memorialized here is the great Seneca Indian Chief Red Jacket who kept his people neutral during the War of 1812. The cemetery is also the site of the exquisite Blue Sky Mausoleum, a 1928 Frank Lloyd Wright design that was built here in 2004. Tours of the cemetery can be arranged in advance and are also available every Sunday during the summer months.

Pack a picnic lunch and take the 45-minute drive up the Niagara River to Old Fort Niagara State Park in Youngstown. This is the spectacular setting of Old Fort Niagara, which has guarded the junction of the Niagara River and Lake Ontario since 1726. A National Historic Landmark and New York State Historic Site, it offers a view of the oldest buildings on the Great Lakes as well as living history events and programs, historical exhibits and collections, archaeology and reenactments.