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Explore Buffalo’s tours are still going strong through October

Sep 21, 2017 | Arts & Culture

Even with the calendar nearly ready to turn to October, there’s no slowdown in the amount of quality tours being offered by Explore Buffalo!

TURN OF THE CENTURY TREASURES
9:30 a.m. Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27
Meet: Western New York Book Arts Center, 468 Washington St., Buffalo, corner of Washington and Mohawk streets. Two-hour parking is available on surrounding streets, and the Mohawk Parking Ramp is on the opposite corner. The Lafayette Square Station of the Metro Rail is around the corner on Main Street.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

This tour showcases Buffalo commercial architecture at the turn of the 20th century, when the city was the eighth largest in America and hosted the Pan-American Exposition. Many were designed by prominent local architectural firms, including Green & Wicks and Esenwein & Johnson, and exemplify the Beaux Arts architectural style popular at that time. Popular around the turn of the 20th century, Beaux Arts, which translates as “Beautiful Arts” and began in Paris, is characterized by elaborate detail and ornamentation, with many classical influences. Many of the buildings on this tour have been meticulously restored in recent years to meet current needs, including the Electric Tower and Curtiss Hotel

MASTERS OF AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE
10 a.m. Oct. 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28
Meet: Western New York Book Arts Center, 468 Washington St., Buffalo, corner of Washington and Mohawk streets. Two-hour metered parking is available on surrounding streets, and the Mohawk Parking Ramp is on the opposite corner. The Lafayette Square Station of the Metro Rail is around the corner on Main Street.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

At the turn of the 20th century, Buffalo had grown to become the eighth largest city in America. The wealth generated by commerce and industry enabled the city’s businesses, organizations and citizens to hire some of the nation’s most prominent architects and use the finest materials available. On this downtown walking tour, see signature works by some of America’s greatest architects, including the Guaranty Building by Louis Sullivan & Dankmar Adler, the Ellicott Square Building by Daniel Burnham & Co., and St. Paul’s Cathedral by Richard Upjohn. Learn about the prominence of Buffalo on a national scale at the turn of the 20th century while visiting buildings such as the Old Post Office, St. Joseph’s Cathedral and Old County Hall.

DELAWARE AVENUE MANSIONS
1 p.m. Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; 10 a.m. Oct. 7 , 21, 28
Meet: Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site, 641 Delaware Ave., Buffalo. Parking is available in the TR Site’s parking lot accessible from Franklin Street or Delaware Avenue.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

The richest of the rich in Buffalo put their wealth on full display on this section of Delaware Avenue, home to the grandest collection of mansions built in the city. Marvel at these grandiose monuments to the Gilded Age and enjoy the intriguing stories of the families who built them – many were related – on this tour of Delaware Avenue from North Street to Bryant Street. This is an exterior-only tour (interiors are available once per month on the Inside Delaware Avenue Mansions tour).

EAST AURORA WALKING TOUR
10 a.m. Oct. 13
Meet: Roycroft Campus Power House, 39 South Grove St., East Aurora.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

Join Explore Buffalo for a walking tour of the charming Village of East Aurora to discover its rich history and many connections to the Arts & Crafts movement! Elbert Hubbard, one-time partner of John Larkin of Buffalo’s Larkin Soap Company, was one of the chief promoters of the Arts & Crafts style in architecture, furniture, stained glass, wallpaper and other hand crafts in the United States. The base of Hubbard’s operations was the Roycroft Campus in the Village of East Aurora, where this tour begins and ends. The tour will include interior visits to the Hubbard Museum, featuring an engaging variety of handcrafted antiques, as well as the Baker Memorial Church, featuring a complete set of color-rich stained glass windows by the Tiffany Company. At the end of the tour, the Roycroft Inn is the perfect place for an optional lunch (not included in the tour price).

SILO CITY GROUNDED
1 p.m. Oct. 7, 14, 28; 11 a.m. Oct. 8, 15, 29
Meet: Silo City, 120 Silo City Row, Buffalo. Turn from Ohio Street onto Silo City Row and enter Silo City through the gate. Ahead on your right will be a small brick office building where the tour will assemble. Ample parking is available on site.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

At ground level, experience the monumental scale of the grain elevators constructed in Buffalo in the first half of the 20th century, and also see how they are now being repurposed. On this guided walk around the grounds of Silo City, you will enter the ground floor work areas of a flour mill, two grain elevators and a malthouse. You will also see new projects including “Elevator B.”

BEST OF BUFFALO
1 p.m. Oct. 3, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28
Meet: Western New York Book Arts Center, 468 Washington St., Buffalo, corner of Washington and Mohawk streets. Two-hour metered parking is available on surrounding streets, and the Mohawk Parking Ramp is on the opposite corner. The Lafayette Square Station of the Metro Rail is around the corner on Main Street.
Cost: $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

Join Explore Buffalo for a downtown walking tour of the best of Buffalo architecture and history! The buildings included on this overview tour help to tell the story of Buffalo’s rapid rise to prominence, from the opening of the Erie Canal to the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. Buildings seen on this tour were designed by both nationally and locally significant architects, including Louis Sullivan, Richard Upjohn, Louise Bethune and EB Green.

Perfect for both visitors and residents alike, this tour is an excellent introduction to Buffalo’s architectural heritage. This is an exterior-only tour; for building interiors, please see our in-depth downtown tours – American Masters, Turn of the Century Treasures and Downtown Deco.

OLD FIRST WARD
11 a.m. Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Meet: Mutual Riverfront Park at 41 Hamburg St., Buffalo. Street parking is available on Hamburg and South streets by the park. Please do not use the parking lot for the Waterfront Memories & More Museum.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

Join us for a walking tour of one of the oldest neighborhoods in Buffalo! The First Ward is the neighborhood adjacent to the Buffalo River, located in the shadows of the grain elevators that employed many of the neighborhood’s residents. On this tour you will learn about how the growth and development of the neighborhood was closely tied to the rise of the grain trade at Buffalo’s harbor. A neighborhood with a proudly Irish heritage, the First Ward has been the birthplace and home to some of Buffalo’s most famous citizens, including Michael Shea, Jimmy Slattery and Fingy Connors. Come on this tour to learn their stories and many more! The tour will end at Gene McCarthy’s Tavern and Old First Ward Brewing, the perfect place to enjoy a pint after the tour.

ALLENTOWN MOB
2 p.m. Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Meet: Cafe 59, at 62 Allen Street and the corner of Franklin Street. Street parking on Allen, Franklin and other nearby streets is available and free on weekends or after 5 p.m.
Cost: $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

When Italian and Sicilian immigrants came to Buffalo, many of their local customs came with them – and so did the Mafia. Through much of the 20th century, the Allentown neighborhood was a hotspot for Mob activity. Do you want to know how a Rembrandt painting stolen from a French museum found its way to Buffalo? Or how one Buffalo mobster got the nickname “Lucky Pants?” Come on the Allentown Mob Tour to find out!

RIVERFRONT RENAISSANCE
10 a.m. Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28
Meet: Buffalo & Erie County Naval Park, 1 Naval Park Cove, Buffalo (near the Liberty Hound building).
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

On the Riverfront Renaissance tour, you’ll learn all about the fascinating history of Buffalo’s waterfront, today one of our most exciting public spaces! After the tour, grab some sun and have fun designing your own grain elevators. All craft materials provided by Explore Buffalo, and youth participants also receive an Honorary Explorers Certificate, our Downtown Activity Book and more!

Water has always been important to Buffalo’s growth – the Erie Canal ended here, grain elevators were invented here, and today, our waterfront is helping to reenergize the city and fuel our renaissance! Join us on this tour in one of Buffalo’s most vibrant public spaces, Canalside, and explore one of the oldest neighborhoods in Buffalo. On this tour, you’ll get to explore some of the most important aspects of our city’s past, as well as the new waterfront attractions that are bringing Buffalonians to its water once again.

LINCOLN PARKWAY
10 a.m. Oct. 8, 14, 22, 28
Meet: At the Abraham Lincoln in front of the Rose Garden in Delaware Park. Abundant free street parking on Lincoln Parkway is available.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted to be the principal approach to the jewel of his Buffalo park system, Delaware Park, Lincoln Parkway is one of the most beautiful streets in Buffalo. The homes along Lincoln Parkway, constructed in the early part of the 20th century by some of Buffalo’s wealthiest families, represent a wide variety of architectural styles. This tour will be a “walk in the park” as we explore the neighborhood and the stories of the families who have lived there!

SILO CITY VERTICAL
10 a.m. Oct. 7, 8, 14, 15, 28, 29
Meet: Silo City, 120 Silo City Row, Buffalo. Turn from Ohio Street onto Silo City Row and enter Silo City through the gate. Ahead on your right will be a small brick office building where the tour will assemble. Ample parking is available on site.
Cost: General $40, Student $35, Explorer Pass $35

This tour is an experience unlike any other tour in the world! Silo City: Vertical will take you to the top of the American and Perot grain elevator complexes. Approximately 2.5 hours in length, you will experience all of the history and mechanics of the grain elevator, as well as the malt production process in the Perot malthouse on this in-depth tour. A look at some of the regenerative projects ongoing at Silo City is included.

Please note that Silo City: Vertical is not recommended for those with a fear of heights. Participants in this tour must be physically able to go up approximately 100 feet (10 stories) of stairs and a short interior ladder to reach the top — and then come back down! The elevators have been out of commission for years, so stairs are the only way to go. Reservations are required for this tour! Due to space limitations, we must limit this tour’s group size to a small number.

DOWNTOWN MOB TOUR
4 p.m. Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28
Meet: Spot Coffee at 227 Delaware Ave., at the corner of Chippewa Street. Metered street parking downtown is free on weekends on Delaware Avenue and other nearby streets, or private parking lots are available; the closest is on Delaware Avenue next to Spot Coffee. The nearest MetroRail station, Fountain Plaza, is three blocks away.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

A major part of Buffalo’s criminal history will be revealed on this tour! Throughout much of the 20th century, the Mafia played in important role in the Queen City, and Stefano Magaddino not only controlled mob activities in Western New York for 52 years, but was also a national crime figure. No part of Western New York was untouched by his criminal organization. Join us on this walking tour of downtown Buffalo to learn about the impact the mob had on Buffalo, from daily life to major government building projects. Among the stories uncovered on this tour are the Buffalo Zoo warehouse, the Barrel Murder of 1903, and the hit at Caruso’s Restaurant. Walking among some of the downtown locations that mob members would have been familiar with as they plotted their next moves, you will understand the power the local mob once wielded.

SCANDALOUS BUFFALO
10 a.m. Oct. 1, 15, 29
Meet: Spot Coffee at 227 Delaware Ave., at the corner of Chippewa Street. Two-hour metered parking is available on Delaware Avenue and other nearby streets, or private parking lots are available; the closest is on Delaware Avenue next to Spot Coffee. The nearest MetroRail station, Fountain Plaza, is three blocks away. Street parking downtown is free on weekends.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

Join us for a tour of the scandalous side of Buffalo history! On this downtown walking tour, you’ll learn some of the darker stories of the Queen City’s past. Stops included on the tour include the site of a triple hanging in 1825 and the former location of a Ku Klux Klan office. You’ll also find out what happened to the assassin who shot President William McKinley at Buffalo’s 1901 Pan-American Exposition.

On this tour, you’ll learn about the role some of Buffalo’s lawmen played in maintaining civil order, including a popular anti-Prohibition Mayor and the Erie County Sheriff who became the only American President to have executed a prisoner by hanging. The architectural landmarks of downtown Buffalo provide a magnificent backdrop for these stories, many of which sound straight from a movie script – but they’re all true!

WEST SIDE MOB
10 a.m. Oct. 8, 22
Meet: Providence Social restaurant at 490 Rhode Island St., Buffalo. Free street parking is available on Rhode Island, Chenango and other nearby streets.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

Buffalo’s West Side was once a hotbed of mob activity and government surveillance as law enforcement tried to make a dent in the criminal underworld, often with little success. Find out how the mob succeeded at eluding the government men for decades on this entertaining tour. This tour is adapted from Mike Rizzo’s book “Gangsters and Organized Crime in Buffalo.”

The home of two presidents, Millard Fillmore and Grover Cleveland, Buffalo has also played host to many American presidents for important speeches and other occasions, the most infamous being President McKinley’s visit to the Pan-American Exposition in 1901 that ended tragically with his assassination. Some of the presidential stories in Buffalo are often told, while others are less widely known. Join us on this tour to learn about presidents who are prominent in Buffalo history, particularly Millard Fillmore, Abraham Lincoln, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.

GATES CIRCLE
10 a.m. Oct. 29
Meet: This tour meets at the southwest corner of Gates Circle and Chapin Parkway. Street parking is available along Chapin Parkway or Lafayette Avenue.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass FREE

Buffalo’s streets and public spaces are dynamic with a variety of histories, architectural styles and uses. Gates Circle is an excellent example of this variety, which this walking tour around the circle and surrounding streets will explore. Learn about the history of Gates Circle itself, along with the Olmsted & Vaux park system and surrounding streets including Lafayette, Delaware and West Delavan avenues and Chapin Parkway. Along the way, examine the architectural styles present on both residential and commercial buildings.

DOWNTOWN LOCKPORT
10 a.m. Oct. 7
Meet: Flight of Five Winery in Old City Hall at 2 Pine Street, Lockport. Parking is available on the street or in the adjacent parking lot.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

Lockport is a canal town unlike any other on the Erie Canal. Growing out of a need to scale the Niagara Escarpment, the Flight of Five is an engineering feat that has long attracted visitors to this area. While Lockport is well known for its important role in the success of the Erie Canal, there is more to Lockport than just the Locks. This tour will explore the development of Lockport from the early 1800s to modern times, including the humble Quakers who founded the town, inventors who brought about economic and cultural development, beautiful architecture and even a stop on the Underground Railroad.

LARKIN DISTRICT
11 a.m. Oct. 21, 28
Meet: Outside Flying Bison Brewing at 840 Seneca St., Buffalo, at the corner of Seneca and Lord streets.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

The Larkin District, or Larkinville, is the reborn former home of the Larkin Soap Company. In the early 1900s, the Larkin Company was one of the largest mail order companies in the country, and one of its executives, Darwin D. Martin, was responsible for bringing Frank Lloyd Wright to Buffalo. Today, the former Larkin factories and warehouses have been brought back to life and the area is bustling with activity once again. Join us to explore the Larkin Company’s past while enjoying the revitalized neighborhood.

MICHIGAN STREET AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE
12 p.m. Oct. 14
Meet: In front of Michigan Street Baptist Church at 511 Michigan Ave., Buffalo.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

African-American history in Buffalo is centered in the neighborhood surrounding the Michigan Street Baptist Church. Join us for a tour of important locations in this neighborhood to learn about the major milestones in African-American history in Buffalo, as well as how this affected national history. Buffalo has played a major role in African-American history, from the days of the Underground Railroad to the formation of the Niagara Movement, a precursor to the NAACP. This tour includes an interior tour of the Michigan Street Baptist Church, Nash House Museum and the Colored Musicians Club Museum, three important landmarks in this neighborhood.

PRESIDENTS IN BUFFALO
10 a.m. Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Meet: Western New York Book Arts Center, 468 Washington St., Buffalo, corner of Washington and Mohawk streets. Two-hour metered parking is available on surrounding streets, and the Mohawk Parking Ramp is on the opposite corner. The Lafayette Square Station of the Metro Rail is around the corner on Main Street.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

The home of two presidents, Millard Fillmore and Grover Cleveland, Buffalo has also played host to many American presidents for important speeches and other occasions, the most infamous being President McKinley’s visit to the Pan-American Exposition in 1901 that ended tragically with his assassination. Some of the presidential stories in Buffalo are often told, while others are less widely known. Join us on this tour to learn about presidents who are prominent in Buffalo history, particularly Millard Fillmore, Abraham Lincoln, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, and Theodore Roosevelt.

DOWNTOWN DECO
2 p.m. Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26
Meet: Western New York Book Arts Center, 468 Washington St., Buffalo, corner of Washington and Mohawk streets. Two-hour metered parking is available on surrounding streets, and the Mohawk Parking Ramp is on the opposite corner. The Lafayette Square Station of the Metro Rail is around the corner on Main Street.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

This downtown walking tour focuses on downtown buildings built in Buffalo in one of the 20th century’s most distinctive architectural styles: Art Deco. Prevalent during the 1920s and 1930s, Art Deco is a unique style combining traditional motifs with modern imagery and materials of the Machine Age. Characterized by its use of bold geometric shapes, rich colors and lavish ornamentation, Art Deco buildings stand out for their beauty and symbolism.

The Court Street corridor of downtown Buffalo, from Lafayette Square to Niagara Square, puts the Art Deco style on grand display. Buildings featured on this tour include Buffalo City Hall, Rand Building, Industrial Bank Building, Michael Dillon Federal Courthouse, Walter J. Mahoney State Office Building and the lobby of the Hotel Lafayette. While visiting these Art Deco gems, you will learn about Buffalo during the 1920s and 1930s when these buildings were being built.

INSIDE DELAWARE AVENUE MANSIONS
10 a.m. Oct. 14
Meet: American Red Cross at 786 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, at the corner of Summer Street. Parking is available in the Red Cross parking lot, accessible from Delaware Avenue or Summer Street.
Cost: General $20, Student $10, Explorer Pass $10

Join Explore Buffalo for a tour that features the interior of two historic mansions on Buffalo’s Millionaire’s Row. This tour will be a trip back in time to the Gilded Age, as you learn about the fascinating history of Buffalo’s business leaders at the turn of the 20th century. As Buffalo’s elite tried to outdo one another, they built larger and larger mansions along Delaware Avenue, hiring prominent architects and using the best materials available.

This tour visits the interiors of the former Clement Mansion, now the American Red Cross, and the former Lockwood Mansion, now home to Child & Family Services. Explore Buffalo is proud to partner with both organizations to showcase the history of their buildings, and thanks them for their support.

CITY OF LIGHT BUS TOUR
1 p.m. Oct. 14, 28
Meet: Buffalo Seminary, 205 Bidwell Parkway, Buffalo.
Cost: General $40, Explorer Pass $35

At the end of the 19th century, Buffalo was a major American city in the forefront of technological progress. It was a busy inland port and a railroad hub with heavy industry and state-of-the-art electricity – all of which brought great wealth to the city. These economic and technological developments culminated in 1901 when Buffalo hosted a spectacular world’s fair: the Pan-American Exposition. Experience Buffalo through the eyes of the narrator of Lauren Belfer’s historical novel, City of Light, which is set in Buffalo at the dawn of the 20th century.

BIDWELL PARKWAY
10 a.m. Oct. 21
Meet: Soldiers Place, Buffalo. Abundant street parking is available along Bidwell, Chapin or Lincoln parkways.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

The gorgeous houses on either side of Bidwell Parkway, especially those designed by the well-known local firm of Esenwein & Johnson, are the highlights of the tour. The beautiful Parkway with its rows of trees became one of Buffalo’s most fashionable residential addresses, and its popularity continues today as the center of the Elmwood Village.

While strolling the Parkway designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux as part of their park and parkway system for the growing city of Buffalo, learn about the “Civil War District” they laid out that included Soldiers Circle, Lincoln Parkway, Bidwell Parkway, Bidwell Place, Chapin Parkway and Chapin Place. Along the way, see a house designed using H. H. Richardson’s plans and examine the large sculpture by Larry Griffis, “Flight of Birds,” and the newest public art in Buffalo, “Eden.”

BUFFALO NIAGARA MEDICAL CAMPUS
10 a.m. Oct. 19
Meet: Innovation Center at 640 Ellicott St., Buffalo. Metered parking is available along Ellicott Street or in the paid parking lot across the street from the Innovation Center.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is a hive of construction activity and development, with gleaming new medical facilities rising each year. See soon-to-open additions to the campus, including the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital. This tour includes interior stops at the Innovation Center, University at Buffalo Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics, and Gates Vascular Institute. This tour is made possible by the support and cooperation of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.

PARKSIDE ARTS & CRAFTS
10 a.m. Oct. 22
Meet: 119 Summit Ave., Buffalo.
Cost: General $20, Explorer Pass $15

Join us for a walking tour of the historic Parkside neighborhood focused on the Arts & Crafts style in residential design. The Parkside neighborhood adjacent to Frederick Law Olmsted’s includes many excellent examples of the Arts & Crafts and Craftsman style homes. This tour will include history and background of the Arts & Crafts movement, as illustrated by various Arts & Crafts homes in the Parkside neighborhood. This tour will include the interior of one private residence. Proceeds from this tour benefit the Parkside Community Association and Explore Buffalo.

SEEING DOWNTOWN THROUGH BINOCULARS
10 a.m. Oct. 8
Meet: Western New York Book Arts Center, 468 Washington St., Buffalo, corner of Washington and Mohawk streets. Two-hour metered parking is available on surrounding streets, and the Mohawk Parking Ramp is on the opposite corner. The Lafayette Square Station of the Metro Rail is around the corner on Main Street.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

Bring your binoculars and come ready to look up on this downtown walking tour! Many downtown buildings are topped with ornate details that can be difficult to see from ground level. On this tour, you will discover some of the most beautiful details in downtown Buffalo that are hiding in plain sight!

NICHOLS CAMPUS TOUR
6 p.m. Oct. 12, 26
Meet: Nichols School at 1250 Amherst St., Buffalo, in front of the bell tower on the school’s quad. Parking is available in the school’s parking lot, entered from Amherst Street.
Cost: Free

The Nichols School, established in Buffalo in 1892, was first created as an Ivy League only preparatory school for the Protestant upper class of Buffalo. First located on Norwood Avenue, the school moved to its current Amherst Street campus in 1909. This 90-minute walking tour highlights the beautiful “English Scholastic” architecture of this campus, while also trying to capture the school’s unique culture and history, particularly its role in Buffalo history.

Highlights of the tour include a detailed walk around the campus grounds, a thorough history of the school’s founding and progression from 1892 until today, and a look into three of the school’s academic buildings, two of which were designed by E.B. Green. This tour is given by a current Nichols School student.

ART OF THE SUBWAY
10 a.m. Oct. 15
Meet: University Metro Rail Station on the University at Buffalo’s South Campus. Plentiful free parking is available adjacent to the University Station in the Park-and-Ride parking lot.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Free

Buffalo’s Metro Rail system is an oft-overlooked treasure trove of modern art! Each station features unique artwork by a variety of artists, which will be seen on this tour as you travel from one end of the Metro Rail system to the other, getting off at each station along the way.

SPOTLIGHT TOUR: HISTORIC CORNELL MANSION
6 & 7:30 p.m. Oct. 21
Meet: The Cornell Mansion at 484 Delaware Ave., Buffalo. Street parking is available along Delaware Avenue, which is free on weekends.
Cost: General $30, Explorer Pass $25

Join us to tour the Cornell Mansions, one of the many beautiful homes on Delaware Avenue, the Grand Avenue of Buffalo’s gilded age. The home was built in 1894 for S. Douglas Cornell, an eighth generation descendant of Cornells who came to America in the 1630s. S. Douglas was a member of the Buffalo Amateurs and loved theatrical performances. He created a theater on the top floor of the mansion and his granddaughter, Katharine Cornell, developed her passion for the stage from watching these productions. Katharine garnered the designation as “First Lady of the Theatre.” The current owner, attorney Tom Eoannou, purchased the home in 1993 and has been lovingly restoring it.

To top the tour, the top floor “theater” will be used as a stage for the first time in many years following its recent restoration. The conclusion of the tour will feature Vincent O’Neill, acclaimed co-founded and Artistic Director of the Irish Classical Theatre, performing selected readings in the Cornell Mansion theatre. This is a special opportunity that is not to be missed.

EXPLORE BOO!FFALO HALLOWEEN BASH
8 p.m. Oct. 28
Meet: The Barrel Factory in the Old First Ward, 65 Vandalia St., Buffalo. A parking lot is located off of Vandalia Street, behind the Barrel Factory. Street parking is also available on surrounding side streets.
Cost: General $40, Explorer Pass $35

Come raise the spirits with Explore Buffalo! Join us at the Barrel Factory in the Old First Ward for a spooky good time with supernatural entertainment, “revolting” refreshments and unique cocktails from Lakeward Spirits. Take a walk through our Founding Buffalonians Cemetery and wear your best BOO!ffalo themed costume for a chance to win a creepy prize. Costume contest judged by a panel of local celebrities!

Prizes awarded for Best Buffalo-themed, Best Couples and Best Overall costumes. Don’t forget to check out the Mummy Wine Wall and Casket Raffle (additional costs) for a chance to bring some spirits home with you! Admission includes one drink ticket, a digital souvenir photo, finger foods, entrance into the costume contest and music by DJ Sike.

FALL 2017 ARCHITECTURE COURSE: BUFFALO INTERIORS 101
7 p.m. Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24
Meet: Explore Buffalo’s headquarters in First Presbyterian Church of Buffalo (across from Kleinhans Music Hall). Parking is available in the church lot, which can be accessed from Pennsylvania Street, or on any surrounding side streets.
Cost: General $40, Student $35, Explorer Pass $35

Deepen your knowledge of architecture and all things Buffalo with this informational course led by Explore Buffalo’s Board President, Chuck LaChiusa. By popular request from last year’s architecture course, this year the emphasis will be on the interiors of a number of Buffalo’s most spectacular buildings – especially houses.

Expect “oohs” and “aahs” as Chuck illustrates examples of various revival styles using some of the hundreds of photos available on his website, “Buffalo Architecture and History” (BuffaloAH.com). Different revival styles, including the ever-popular Colonial Revival, Art Deco and Neoclassical, will be featured in each class.

Join us for this four-week course and get ready to immerse yourself inside Buffalo’s impressive buildings! Please note that this course can only be purchased as a whole.

ADVENTURES IN BUFFALO HISTORY FALL SPEAKER SERIES
7 p.m. Oct. 5, 19
Meet: Explore Buffalo’s headquarters in First Presbyterian Church of Buffalo (across from Kleinhans Music Hall). Parking is available in the church lot, which can be accessed from Pennsylvania Street, or on any surrounding side streets.
Cost: General $10, Explorer Pass Free

This speaker series features different Explore Buffalo docents presenting lectures on a wide variety of topics. Each session will have two different lectures.

Session 1: “Get to Buffalo Architecture”
Thursday, Oct. 5
Top Ten Architectural Features
Gordon Bunshaft: His Life and Architectural Achievement

Session 2: “Spirits of Bufffalo”
Thursday, Oct. 19
Spiritualism in WNY
Buffalo’s Most Haunted

Advance reservations are encouraged but not required for tours. Walk-ups are welcome!

For security reasons, all credit card payments must be made in advance. Advance reservations with a credit card can be made online until the tour starting time. Cash or checks are accepted at the start of the tour. If you make an advance reservation, please print your confirmation email or be prepared to show it on your phone.

Unless specified, most tours are between 90 minutes and two hours in length. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather! Reservations may be made online at explorebuffalo.org or by calling (716) 245-3032.

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