McKinley Monument

Road Less Traveled moved in September 2018 to its own space in the former Baker Shoes building a couple blocks south of the Theater District proper), but its mission remains the same: developing and producing works by playwrights of local extraction. Its in-house program for developing local talent, the Emanuel Fried New Play Workshop, has been of especial assistance in Road Less Traveled's initiative to better reflect the increasingly diversified identity of Western New York in order to present local audiences with a picture of their world that is as true-to-life as possible, and to capture the interest of young people and others who may be new to the experience of live theatre. Additionally, Road Less Traveled Theatre often presents theatrical productions of exceptional quality by dramatists from outside the region.

Designed by architect George Kellar of Hartford, Connecticut with bronze reliefs by Caspar Buberl, the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument is the centerpiece of Lafayette Square, a granite shaft that stands 85 feet (25 m) tall. Talk of a Civil War memorial monument (originally intended to be at Soldier's Place in the Delaware District) had begun as early as 1866, but it was not until 1884 when the Ladies' Union Monument Association finally effected its construction. Soon after its dedication it was noted that, due to the uneven settlement of its foundation, the monument was tilted and was structurally unsound; it was dismantled, rebuilt, and rededicated five years later. The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument was thoroughly restored in 1982.

The obligatory axe-throwing bar that any city that aspires to any level of coolness has to have nowadays. The procedure at Hatchets & Hops sees groups divided into teams of a maximum of six people which each face off in a round-robin, bracket-style tournament lasting about two hours. Admission is by advance reservation only (though the policy says 24 hours, they're usually booked out several weeks in advance, so reserve early) with a $100 deposit required at the time of purchase that can be transferred to a new session date and time within the window of the 2-week rescheduling/cancellation policy, but is nonrefundable. Prices are quoted per lane rather than per player, with no discount for teams of less than six people, so to maximize the bang for your buck you should try to come in a group numbering in a multiple of six. And, as you can imagine in a place with sharp objects flying around, they're dead serious about safety here — you have to sign a liability waiver before you begin, as well as review an exhaustive set of safety rules. Open-toed shoes are prohibited; loose-fitting or dangly clothing is strongly advised against; and you'll be escorted out if found to be intoxicated. (Notwithstanding that, there is a bar onsite — while tournaments are ongoing they only serve Snowy Owl Kombucha and Public Espresso, but afterwards you can freely indulge in a decent selection of local craft brews, wines, and ciders.)

Opened in January 2016 in the former home of MAIN(ST)UDIOS, the Main St. Gallery represents a proud continuation of its predecessor's dedication to the downtown arts community that has coalesced around the 500 Block of Main Street. In this large, two-story combination art gallery and performance space, curator Cole Pawlowski hosts a diverse range of temporary art exhibitions as well as live music, poetry readings, and even film screenings and theatrical pieces.

An educational non-profit organization, the mission of the Western New York Book Arts Center (WNYBAC) is, in the words of its website, to "promote, encourage and develop the printing and book arts through education and access for individual artists and underserved communities". Presented at the WNYBAC are permanent exhibits detailing the history of printmaking, writing, bookbinding and related crafts, temporary shows featuring the work of local writers, artists and illustrators, and workshops that educate individuals and groups on techniques in bookbinding, papermaking, screen printing, and letterpress. The WNYBAC also holds Open Studios twice monthly for local artisans to work on their own projects.

The shipping industry was greatly important to Buffalo's economy in earlier times, and the Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society's mission is to pay tribute to and increase awareness and appreciation of, that facet of local history. To that end, a wide variety of historic artifacts, old photographs, models, and interpretive materials relevant to the Great Lakes shipping trade are displayed in a warm and airy museum in what was once the offices of Howard H. Baker and Company, a ship chandlery that served Buffalo Harbor in the 19th century.