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Built in 1822 as a buffer between the Erie Canal and the rough waters of the Niagara River, it was once a lively place of fishing shacks, canal boats, and pleasure steamers bound for Canada and Grand Island. Though those are long-gone, an extensive renovation in the 2010s reopened the pier as a scenic pedestrian walkway that offers unparalleled views of the Niagara River and Fort Erie. At the end, you're treated to an unequaled waterfront panorama, with the Erie Basin Marina in the foreground and the downtown skyline and grain elevators in the distance.
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This 89-acre (36 ha) park along Buffalo's waterfront has a plethora of amenities — baseball diamonds, soccer fields, a swimming pool, a skate park and a dog run. Architecture buffs will enjoy the Buffalo Water Authority's historic Colonel Francis G. Ward Pumping Station, built between 1909 and 1915 in a style that's an eclectic hybrid of Beaux-Arts Neoclassicism and the Romanesque Revival.
Aside from the several-times-weekly performances of the Buffalo Philharmonic, Kleinhans features performances by other orchestras, small theatrical shows and popular music acts.
Nietzsche's stands out from the pack on Allen Street through sheer longevity; it's been presenting first-rate live music since well before most of the hipsters at the bar were born. In addition to the usual slate of local rock bands and singer-songwriters, Nietzsche's has been known to sneak in a nationally-known name here and there.
Hosts a diversity of fare, including stand-up comedy sets and off-Broadway-style material that's often written and performed by Buffalo-area natives.
Buffalo's premier venue for lavish Broadway-style musicals such as Dreamgirls, The Lion King, and Wicked, as well as live music and performances such as Sesame Street Live and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
Offers plays and musicals year-round in a comfortable and intimate setting, including "Buffalo Quickies" (a festival of one-act plays by local writers), the Maxim Mazumdar New Play Competition, and an annual presentation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol each December. Also home to Theatre Plus, a troupe that puts on performances geared toward women.