As you begin planning your visit, questions may pop in your head that need answering. Good thing we have ALL the answers and we’re excited to share (it’s kind of our thing!)
Here’s a round-up of the nine questions were asked the most:
Q: Where can you get good Buffalo Wings in Buffalo?
A: On the Buffalo Wing Trail, of course, where you’ll find 14 pubs that are as unique and flavorful as the wings they serve. “America’s Tastiest Drive” includes the legendary Anchor Bar, where Buffalo Wings were invented in 1964, and 13 other corner taverns and restaurants that have been perfecting their own variations on the Buffalo Wing, each with its own secret recipe and distinctive preparation style.
Q: Are there any bus tours of Buffalo?
A: Yes, they are a couple options. Buffalo Double Decker Bus Tours offers sightseeing tours daily May through October. For more information visit: buffalodoubledeckerbus.com. Specialized architecture and history tours are offered by the Campaign for Greater Buffalo on the Open-Air Autobus from July through September. For more info: openairbuffalo.org.
Q: Where is the Elmwood Village?
A: The Elmwood Village is a lovely residential neighborhood filled with beautiful homes on tree-lined streets located approximately one mile north of downtown Buffalo. The neighborhood was named one of the Top Ten neighborhoods in the United States for its walkability and easy access to shopping and dining. You can take the No. 20 bus – Buffalo’s unofficial visitor shuttle — from Niagara Square through the heart of the Elmwood Village on Elmwood Avenue. It will drop you within feet of many top attractions, hotels and restaurants. One-way fare is $2.
Q: What is a beef on weck?
A: One of the most delicious sandwiches in the world! It consists of thinly sliced roast beef set on a roll known locally as kummelweck (basically a Kaiser roll covered with caraway seeds and salt), dipped in jus and traditionally served with horseradish and a dill pickle. Created by a German immigrant in the 1800s, the sandwich is one of Buffalo’s signature regional dishes and can best be found at Schwabl’s in nearby West Seneca and Charlie the Butcher locations in Williamsville and Buffalo.
Q: Are there any Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in Buffalo?
A: Yes, two houses that are open to the public, a mausoleum in Forest Lawn Cemetery, a boathouse at the West Side Rowing Club, a gas station at the Pierce Arrow Museum and two private homes. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Darwin Martin House Complex is the largest Prairie Style house Wright ever designed at more than 30,000 square feet. The 1.5-acre campus consists of six interconnected buildings and the Greatbatch Pavilion Visitor Center. Its younger sibling, the Graycliff Estate, was Darwin and Isabelle Martin’s summer home. Set high on a cliff overlooking Lake Erie in nearby Derby, New York, the house and surrounding grounds offer visitors cool lake breezes, panoramic views and eight acres of tranquility. Explore Frank Lloyd Wright’s Buffalo here.
Q: What is there to do at Canalside?
A: Plenty. Canalside is the epicenter of Buffalo’s waterfront revival — a formerly deserted stretch of the Buffalo River that now buzzes with activity, particularly in the summer months. You can rent a kayak, paddle board and water bike, take a yoga class or a Buffalo River History Tour, jump on the Queen City Bike Ferry to the Outer Harbor and its miles of hiking and biking paths, get your Zen on in a Buffalo sunset chair, enjoy an ice cream cone at Clinton’s Dish or grab lunch at Liberty Hound. And if you bring the kids, stop by the new Ralph C. Wilson Explore & More Children’s Museum, a state-of-the-art place to play and learn.
Q: Where can you go shopping in Buffalo?
A: Elmwood Avenue in the Elmwood Village and Hertel Avenue in the city’s North Park neighborhood offer the best of independent boutique shopping along walkable city streets. The lovely village of East Aurora also offers visitors the chance to stroll a quaint Main Street and shop in a variety of small, locally-owned businesses. Brand name, national retailers can be found at the Walden Galleria in nearby Cheektowaga and at various locations throughout the surrounding suburbs.
Q: How do you get to Niagara Falls by bus?
A: From downtown Buffalo, you can catch the No. 40 bus to Niagara Falls from the Buffalo Transportation Center at 181 Ellicott Street.
Q: Do I need a passport to go into Canada?
A: A valid Passport, Passport Card or Enhanced Driver’s License is required for travel between the United States and Canada. The only exception are minors under the age of 16, who are required to provide proof of U.S. citizenship such as a birth certificate.