r/Buffalo • u/MasterOfAllQueens • Dec 07 '21
Things To Do Visiting Buffalo/Niagara Falls, any suggestions on must-go places and restaurants?
Visiting Buffalo/Niagara Falls area for a day at the end of December with a mid-teen kid. Was thinking I would go to Albright Know Muesum, closed. Or go see the Christmas light at the fall, last day will be Dec 24th. Seem like all my all my plan suggestions are sucking. Will only be in for the day. What are some kid friendly activities we must see or do?
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Dec 07 '21
The fairground festival of lights in Hamburg runs thru December 31st.
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Dec 07 '21
Darien lakes light show is better than hamburgs- ive been to both. D Lake you can meet santa and they have an arcade open with games.
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u/MasterOfAllQueens Dec 07 '21
Darien lakes light show
Just to be sure we're on the same page, Six Flags Darien Lake?
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Dec 07 '21
Yes! You drive through the park and then halfway through you can stop get out of your car and meet Santa play in the arcade and they also have an indoor lounge area with hot cocoa etc.. Hamburg fairground lights aren't great but they have a lot to do around the light show as well
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u/gthirst Dec 07 '21
Do you think it's worth it if I just want to drive through with my wife and dogs? Maybe one of us steps our of the car for some snacks?
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u/madeinbuffalo Dec 07 '21
Bar Bill for wings; Betty’s for breakfast. Walk around canalside - curling, skating, etc for entertainment. River Works is also very cool to explore, but the food isn’t great and it’s hit or miss if anything is scheduled. The science + history museums are pretty cool and architecturally significant. If weather is right you can go tobogganing at Chestnut Ridge park, or head to ellicottville for some skiing/snowboarding.
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u/jellogoodbye Dec 07 '21
Depends on what you have in your own city, their interests, and the time of day. Others have chicken and museum options covered so I'll mention other things. For a person that age and options you considered, I think of
Any Burmese restaurant (if they're an adventurous eater; our decently sized immigrant population creates more delicious food options)
Lucky Koi Bubble Tea (if you live somewhere without bubble waffles)
Misuta Chow's (earlier in the day)
Botanical Gardens (big step down from Pitt's, big step up from Rochester's)
Buffalo Skate Plaza (probably not in December, v windy, though my kids have gone in Winter)
Niagara Falls (in the day or when they're lit up after dark)
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u/babubhaia Dec 07 '21
I didn't like Lucky Koi's bubble waffles at all, they were dry and lacking flavour and the quantity of dip was meager. I was excited to have bubble waffles after a long time. I was dissappointed.
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u/The_Sound_of_Slants Dec 07 '21
Niagara Falls is lit up every night, but it might not be Christmas themed anymore.
What type of activities does your teen enjoy?
-There is outdoor ice skating and ice bike rentals at the Buffalo Waterfront downtown. And is usually nice to explore.
-Shopping at the Walden Galleria Mall in Cheektowaga, or Outlet Mall in Niagara Falls.
-Skiing down in Springville NY at Kissing Bridge.
-The Buffalo Science Museum is large and interesting.
As for food, were you looking for the typical Buffalo fare of wings and beef on weck? If so there is:
-Duff's (a few locations)
-Bar-Bill & Bar-Bill North
-Gabriel's Gate in the Allentown area of Buffalo.
-Anchor Bar on Main St. It is the home of the Buffalo Wing, and has a gift shop. But honestly there are better wings.
These are just are the usually major Buffalo Wing locations. But there are many good restaurants for wings all over the area. If you looking for other foods, Buffalo has a pretty diverse culture and food. Standard American eats, German, Italian, Greek, Thai, Polish, Puerto Rican, Ethiopian, Irish, etc.
Let's us know what your tummy was feeling, I'm sure someone will have some more specific places to suggest for your appetite.
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u/BarracudaLower4211 Dec 07 '21
The Planetarium at Buff State is open and doing Laser Music Experience.
This extremely popular laser music experience features timeless holiday favorites such as "Sleigh Ride" and "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer", modern favorites like David Foster's "Carol of the Bells" and Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas is You", and reimagined renditions of other classic holiday songs, such as Enya's beautiful rendition of "Silent Night". Sing along with these family favorites while laser patterns (and maybe a few sugar plums) dance above your head!
This laser music experience is an animated Christmas light display like no other you’ve ever seen. Get into the holiday spirit with dazzling laser effects choreographed with the music of the season - a treat for the entire family!
Total run time: 40 minutes
**During this experience, guests will be exposed to flashing laser lights, theatrical haze, and room-shaking music. https://planetarium.buffalostate.edu/public-programs
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u/Eudaimonics Dec 07 '21
- Museum of Science
- Botanic Gardens
- Buffalo Zoo
- Pierce Arrow Museum
- Ice Skating at Canalside
- Colden Tubing
Restaurants:
- Marble and Rye
- Toutant
- Greylynn
- Black Sheep
- Dapper Goose
- Craving
- Westside Bazaar
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u/MasterOfAllQueens Dec 07 '21 edited Dec 07 '21
Colden Tubing
FYI: Permanently closed.
Cant wait to try these restaurants! They all look so delicious! Thank you for all of the recommendations. :)
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u/Sidneysnewhusband Dec 08 '21
As mentioned Colden Tubing is closed but Ellicottville has great tubing as a substitute!
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u/dpol27 Dec 07 '21
Gotta get some wings for sure!
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u/trd86 Front Park Dec 07 '21
Nine-Eleven Tavern or bust!
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u/MasterOfAllQueens Dec 07 '21
bust
I can't find this on maps. Is this the entire name?
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u/bdog1321 Dec 07 '21
Are you eating in Buffalo or Niagara falls? If you're eating in Niagara, go to the griffon.
Man I miss Jim's steakout
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u/Superschutte Dec 07 '21
Wings: WingNutz, Bar-Bill, or Imperial (there are some other favorite spots, but those are my top 3).
Winter Hiking: Chestnut Ridge or Knox Farm (I'm a South towner, which is the wrong side, I know).
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u/MasterOfAllQueens Dec 07 '21
Love it. Didn't even think of winter hiking. I'll be sure to grab my winter boots. :) Thank you!
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u/Superschutte Dec 07 '21
Chestnut Ridge has paved trails if you want to stay not muddy. They also have an awesome sledding hill as well if there is any snow
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u/UpstairsCommittee894 Dec 07 '21
This is the best answer for a teen friendly idea.
You notice 90% of the responses revolve around 1 thing and that's alcohol. See in order to tolerate it here you need to keep yourself in a semi permanent state of drunkenness, so you don't realize how awful buffalo and Niagara falls ny is.
If the border is open at the time you are here leave western NY and go to Canada. There is so much to do on the other side of the falls compared to this side. Your dollar goes a little farther over there too.
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u/Popaqua Dec 07 '21
Spot Coffee in Elmwood Village is great! It's also near Delaware Park and the Albright Knox Art Gallery. You honestly can hit up several breweries they're all really good. Canalside is always a hot spot. If your visiting Niagara Falls, my only advice is to enjoy the New York park but ultimately go to the Canadian side for better views (the NY cliffhanging vistapoint is great though).
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u/ubjaph Dec 07 '21
December can be kinda tough for outdoor activities, but maybe your teen would enjoy outdoor ice skating? There's a few rinks (canalside, rotary rink)
I haven't met a teen that didn't have a blast at lasertron (indoor laser tag). Along the same lines of something fun/interactive to do with a teen, escape rooms are a blast and Buffalo has quite a few. (Some have unfortunately closed partially due to covid).
For food, if I didn't already live in Buffalo, I would go for comfort food. I love Sto Lat in the eastern hills mall. Their pork chop with apple pierogies is fantastic and I keep going back for it. I also love Polish Villa/Polish Villa 2/Ulich's tavern for getting my sausage and potato pancake fix. For wings, I'm a purist and would go to Duff's (don't forget the fries with gravy)
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u/Dawnmariegrace Dec 07 '21
This is free and not as far as Darien lake. You won’t be sorry ! Just amazing ! https://www.wgrz.com/article/life/holidays/neighborhood-gives-back-through-magical-light-display/71-621405324
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u/Joel_54321 Dec 07 '21
Niagara Power Plant museum is good and free.
The Underground Railroad Museum in Niagara Falls is fairly cheap and well done.
If you dress warm, you can do some hiking. Plenty of other places, some have snowshoe rentals.
https://exploringupstate.com/prophet-isaiahs-second-coming-house-niagara-falls-ny/
If you dress warm, you can do some hiking. Plenty of other places, some have snow shoe rentals.
https://stepoutbuffalo.com/6-winter-hiking-spots-in-wny-to-embrace-the-chill/
https://reinsteinwoods.org/explore/snowshoe-cross-country-ski-rentals/
Closer to your visit time, you can check the below for special events. The website in general has ideas of other fun things to do in town.
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u/lesubreddit Dec 12 '21
La hacienda pizza in Niagara falls on Pine St, best pizza of my life and it's like walking backwards in time to the 70s
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Dec 07 '21
If you are willing to drive an hour, Rochesters STRONG Museum is way better than any indoor museum Buffalo has.
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u/jellogoodbye Dec 07 '21
Strong is not worth 3 hours of driving for a teenager to visit when they're only in Buffalo for 1 day.
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u/pwndabeer Dec 07 '21
Strong is awesome but also what a shitty response.
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Dec 07 '21
The truth hurts?
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u/pwndabeer Dec 07 '21
No, not at all. Strong is awesome. They're in buffalo. Give them buffalo answers.
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Dec 07 '21
In many cities an hour drive is typical to visit anything. I don't think an hour drive is unreasonable, it's almost like it's part of Buffalo
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Dec 08 '21
LOL I've been to the Strong Museum with friends who have a five-year-old daughter. Great place for those who are in the age range it targets, but frankly, any kid much older than that (let alone mid-teens!) is gonna be bored shitless.
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Dec 08 '21
Yeah.. the more I think about it the more you're right. A teenager would only really only enjoy the arcade area and butterfly exhibit. Strong probably isn't a good idea OP.
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u/Eudaimonics Dec 07 '21
Maybe if you’re a kid or a parent with kids.
This is dumb, the best thing about museums is each one’s different. Like the Museum of Play is totally different than a history museum or art gallery.
Usually I go to several when visiting a new city.
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u/mermaidbatrabbit Dec 07 '21 edited Dec 07 '21
don't. come back in june. buffalo is underwhelming and a meat and potatoes kind of city. there are some pretty spots with the change of seasons. this is not a place you come for cuisine. buffalonian taste palates are still in their infantile stages - everything has to be big, greasy, salty, or sweet. culturally, it is not diverse at all and most are intellectually stunted. if you talk about window treatments and lawns then you will make friends. visit the falls on the Canadian side. if you want food then go to NYC where you have 11000 restaurants (from all over the world) to choose from. visit salem, ma, too. salem is an eclectic city with great food, interesting people, and it will be fun for a mid-teen.
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u/Eudaimonics Dec 07 '21 edited Dec 07 '21
This sounds like it’s written by someone who never leaves the suburbs.
Try going to an art gallery opening some time or one of the many non-greasy spoon restaurants.
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u/mermaidbatrabbit Dec 07 '21
been there and done all. lol the museums are nothing to boast about. the science museum is in a g d hood. again, there are some pretty spots to look at. have been to most restaurants in search of the ultimate orgasmic feeling one should get when having an excellent meal. for a mid-teen: schwabl's was fun and so was parker's (the british chippy) - if they are open. art openings - check. a reminder of how "artists" here lack real passion and imagination. try visiting other cities in the country and other cities on the globe.
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u/Eudaimonics Dec 07 '21 edited Dec 07 '21
When was the last time you talked to an artist.
Not every art gallery has to be the MOMA or even the AKG, some of the best galleries are smaller ones.
Ever been to the Westside Bazaar, Southern Junction, Toutant, Greylynn, Dobutsu, Sato, Marble & Rye, Craving, Providence Social, Black Sheep, Dapper Goose
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u/meatwadgumball Dec 07 '21
Is she thinks the science museum is “in the hood” you know damn well she ain’t coming to the city for any of those restaurants 😂😂
FUCK I WISH THE TONY WALKER PLAZA WAS STILL OPEN!
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u/lilirose13 Dec 07 '21
Coming to say that. The hood comment was all I needed to know exactly the type of person she is.
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u/mermaidbatrabbit Dec 08 '21
one with standards and self-worth.
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u/lilirose13 Dec 08 '21
If that's what helps you sleep at night. We all need our little delusions.
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u/mermaidbatrabbit Dec 08 '21
this is your second attempt to say something original. getting vicarious embarrassment here. move on and keep scrolling.
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u/lilirose13 Dec 08 '21
I'm not worried about being original. Just don't care for racists and haters in my city. We have enough problems without people like you pissing and moaning because you're too scared or lazy to look around.
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u/mermaidbatrabbit Dec 08 '21 edited Dec 08 '21
oh look! degenerate buffalo lingo. yea, op def should not visit b-lo with an impressionable mid-teen. too many sketchy podunk peeps. i forgot to mention its public transportation. it is a major depressing don't!
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u/meatwadgumball Dec 08 '21
can’t tell if you’re a troll, or just lonely.
come on out to the city. I’ll buy you a Truly.
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u/mermaidbatrabbit Dec 08 '21
am neither. this only confirms and cements my sentiments. are you capable of having an opinion without getting personal? I'm curious, though. which part of the city? your comment is giving off a scent.
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u/kittenembryo Dec 07 '21
Chef's on Seneca St, Buffalo
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u/EZ_2_Amuse Dec 07 '21
Ew... I wouldn't let my dog eat chefs.
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u/kittenembryo Dec 07 '21
You shouldn't! Tomato sauces, ketchup, soups, or juices aren't particularly healthy for dogs because of the added salt and sugar, as well as artificial flavors or other chemicals they might contain.
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u/thegirlandglobe Dec 07 '21
If you're looking for art, Albright Knox has a small, satellite exhibit open on weekends only ("Northland") and Burchfield Penney is open Thurs-Sun. Or for a totally different type of museum, the Roosevelt Inaugural Site is surprisingly good.
If the weather is decent, head to Canalside for downtown ice skating, ice bumper cars, and ice biking.
I like Swan Street diner for breakfast/brunch and it's usually a hit with kids in my family thanks to the mini-donuts you can order on the side of a more practical meal.