Welcome to your future activity list friends! Well, I should say, welcome to the beginning of your future activity list. Why is that? This is going to be a 3 part article series. This week you will get the 1/3 of the activities. This article will suggest to you 5 Adventure/Exploration activites.
Shall you dare experience ALL 5 of these activities? Below you’ll be able to get an overview of each activity, sorted by price range. No worries, I won’t hold you up any longer.
ADVENTURE/EXPLORATION
- Wildflowers for Buffalo
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Price range: FREE
Location: 465 Washington St., Buffalo, NY 14203
Overview: Buffalo, NY is home to a diverse set of art pieces. One of these beautiful pieces, being Wildflowers for Buffalo by artist Louise Jones.I highly suggest that you take the time to experience this huge work of art, as it is free of cost, a gorgeous place to take pictures, and perfect for expanding your horizon within Buffalo!
According to Albright-Knox Organization’s website, artist Louise Jones’ floral motifs for her incorporations into Wildflowers for Buffalo were inspired by the local landscape! Based on conversations with horticulturists and with her own research, Louise Jones identified a variety of plants native to the region as the basis for this mural.
Wildflowers for Buffalo mural From top left to bottom in Wildflowers for Buffalo mural, these native plants include: red clover, coneflower (echinacea), burdock, chicory, queen Anne’s lace, thistle, lamb’s quarters, swamp rose, and yarrow. The artist was drawn to these species for their connection to the Buffalo region, and for their role in herbal medicine traditions as aides for contributing to one’s well-being.
Later, she supplemented this selection of flora with what she called “special cultivated guests”: strawflowers and pussy willows that she encountered thriving on a farm in Eden. At 80 feet tall by 160 feet wide, Wildflowers for Buffalo is the largest mural of Jones’s career and the largest AK Public Art Initiative mural to date (2018). View the aritst and her beautiful work below!
Louise Jones, WIldflowers for Buffalo Source: https://www.albrightknox.org/community/ak-public-art/wildflowers-buffalo
- delaware park Japanese garden
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Price range: FREE
Location: 1 Museum Ct., Buffalo, NY 14216
Overview: The Japanese Garden of Buffalo arises from a gentle, horticultural gesture of friendship between sister cities, Kanazawa, Japan and Buffalo, New York! Friends of the Japanese Garden, describe the Japanese Garden as Buffalo’s treasure, where Mirror Lake reflects it’s beauty. The Japanese Garden is a jewel within the Olmsted Parks System, adjacent to The Buffalo History Museum on Nottingham Terrace. The Buffalo Japanese Garden is said to be unique aside from all other Japanese gardens in the United States. The garden is completely open to the public, on public parks land, with free access (including parking) and a natural, flowing design!
“The current garden expresses an eclectic combination of American nature, Fredric Law Olmsted’s lush green park plan and Japanese esthetic. Stone lanterns, small islands, plantings of grasses, red maples and blossoming cherries, mark this site as a dynamic, peaceful six acre oasis in the heart of Buffalo.”
Delaware Park Japanese Garden sign The 2022 Cherry Blossom Festival is an event you and your loved ones should attend if that sounds intriguing to you. The Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival is an event that began in 2014 with the original goal to bring awareness towards the Cherry Tree Grove in Buffalo’s Japanese Garden. The festival also sought to support the upkeep of this natural beauty and beloved treasure. Since then, the mission of the annual Cherry Blossom Festival has expanded in efforts to encourage the plantings of Cherry Trees in Buffalo. These efforts help create a springtime ‘Blizzard of Blossoms’ to Buffalo, which follow after Buffalo’s famous winter blizzards. Isn’t that so sweet? That genuine individuals dedicate their love and time to preparing/maintaining natural beauty, so that ALL can experience it? That’s beautiful.
Buffalo Cherry Blossoms and Japanese Garden The Japanese Garden often holds events at the Buffalo History of Museum, which definitely sounds like something you should look into occasionally to stay updated on what’s going on. Here’s a recent event. Culture and history are great things to learn about, helping you expand your knowledge, respect, and diversity of experience.
Odori no kai- Japanese Folk Dance group You can even rent a boat from the Buffalo Maritime Center and ride the super cute flamingo boat on Mirror Lake, to observe and admire the Japanese Garden! Amazing.
Buffalo Maritime Center partnership and history - tifft nature preserve + BUFFALO MUSEUM OF SCIENCE
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Price range: FREE
Location: 1200 Fuhrmann Boulevard, Buffalo, NY 14203
Overview: Tifft Nature Preserve maintains a natural setting to this day, being made up of ponds, marshes, woodlands, trees, wildflowers, wildlife, and so much more. This land conservation features miles long trails, boardwalks, fishing opportunities, snow shoe rentals, and much more.
The history behind Tifft Nature Preserve coming about, in relation with the Buffalo Museum of Science, started in 1982. Around then was when the Buffalo Museum of Science decided to have Tifft Farm Nature Preserve become a part of their department. The name was changed, and the title of ‘Farm’ was dropped, in effort to better reflect the land’s purpose of being a preservance of nature’s beauty. The preserve is a nonprofit nature refuge, dedicated to environmental education and conservation.
Tifft Nature Preserve boardwalk Below I have provided you with the ‘About Us’ section of the organization’s website, that way you can have the ability to view the many opportunities you can experience whilist admiring the preserve. There’s quite a few activites to do! Don’t hesitate to check them out! I would list them out for you, but I wouldn’t want to spoil the beginning of your research.
Tifft Nature Preserve is a natural beauty which can bring a great amount of serenity to anyone, and that is why I am recommending this place for you to experience. If you could experience this pretty scenery and the Buffalo Museum of Science in the same day, that would be amazing for you! I know I would like to do that.
Here is another cute picture from the preserve’s Instagram profile! Check them out.
Fluffy bird Source: https://www.tifft.org/
3A. Buffalo Museum of science
Price range: $$= Moderately expensive, between $10-$25
Location: 1020 Humboldt Pkwy, Buffalo, NY 14211
Overview: Buffalo’s very own museum of science presents a variety of fun, educational, interactive opportunites where all can come learn and have fun! This museum of science features programs like workshops, events, classes, and camps. Along with a range of exhibits for everyone to visit and explore.
ANTARCTIC DINOSAURS: THE EXHIBITION BUFFALO IN SPACE FIND WHY OUR MARVELOUS EARTH SENSERIE ARTIFACTS BUG WORKS IN MOTION PLANETARIUM SEYMOUR & STANLEY BIODIVERSITY EXPLORE YOU KELLOGG OBSERVATORY RETHINK EXTINCT YUM! PRESENTED BY WEGMANS Buffalo Museum of Science exhibits! Here is a Facebook post from Buffalo Museum of Science, explaining their Antarctic Dinosaurs Exhibition. The following post reads:
“Though Antarctica today is a forbidding land of snow and ice, 200 million years ago it was part of the supercontinent Gondwana, a wooded, lush habitat where dinosaurs thrived.
Antarctic Dinosaurs: The Exhibition tells the stories of the expeditions that led to the discovery of several new dinosaur species and features never-before-seen fossils that reveal a rich history of diversity on the “Lost Continent”—shedding new light on our planet’s ever-changing climate.
Pictured here is an Antarctic Glossopteris leaf mat fossil from the exhibition. This fossil is from the late Permian period in Antarctica dating to around 254 million years ago. Glossopteris trees grew up to 90 feet high, and were deciduous trees – they shed their leaves annually.”
Buffalo Museum of Science, Antarctic Dinosaurs Now let us briefly get into some details about Buffalo Museum of Science’s beautiful urban nature sanctuary, Tifft Nature Preserve! Here is what the museum says about their passion to preserve Tifft:
“In 1982, the Museum entered a commitment for operation of the 264-acre Tifft Nature Preserve at Buffalo’s Outer Harbor for environmental education. The preserve, which is just minutes from downtown Buffalo, features five miles of hiking trails, a self-guided nature and fitness trail, a 75-acre freshwater cattail marsh and man-made lakes which attract wildlife throughout the year.”
Source: https://www.sciencebuff.org/
- buffalo botanical gardens
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Price range: $$= Moderately expensive, between $10-$25
Location: 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo, NY 14218
Overview: Buffalo Botanical Gardens offers the beauty of nature through exhibitions and other landscaping projects. Buffalo Botanical Gardens’ mission is to represent themselves as a historic living museum which inspires curiosity while connecting people to the natural world. Nonetheless, this place is a peaceful, calming choice to spend your time at whether you are alone, with a partner, with the family, and with friends!
Visit their website linked below to see the variety of activites you can do while visiting. Some activites they offer include: feeding their koi fish, viewings of Orchid Shows, viewings of their Gardens After Dark exhibit, viewings of their Spring Flower exhibit.
Buffalo Botanical Gardens’ description of their soon to come spring exhibit, includes details on which flowers will be displayed for your admiration and enjoyment. Listed are the flowers mentioned in their website: “…hyacinths, vibrant daffodils and tulips in a variety of pinks, reds, yellows, and whites” as well as a diverse mix of annuals which were grown at the Gardens!
In the near future, you will even be able to purchase plants from the gardens. These plants include: perennials, shrubs, annuals, and bulbs. For Mother’s Day, the gardens is holding a lovely Sip & Paint too! Yay!
Source: https://www.buffalogardens.com/
- Niagara falls STate Park
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Price range: FREE-$$$$= Very expensive, usually $50+
Location: 332 Prospect St., Niagara Falls, NY 14303
Overview: Niagara Falls State Park is recognized as America’s oldest state park within the United States, being open 365 days a year and 24 hours a day. This natural free-flow of high speed waters coming from four of the Great Lakes, enters into the Niagara River Gorge. Free Niagara crusaders, fought for over 15 years in efforts to preserve this natural beauty that attracts many to this day. These men and women who fought for our right to conserve this historic landmark, is the reason why we can enjoy the falls, native vegetation, landscape and all.
There is quite literally so much to do at Niagara Falls State Park, within any price range of your desire and accessibility, that I won’t be breaking down every activity. But, you can use the sources I’ve provided to do your own research at your own pace. I will list features of Niagara Falls State Park below!
Attractions and Tours:
- Aquarium of Niagara
- Cave of the Winds + “World Changed Here” Pavillion
- Fireworks
- Goat Island
- Hiking Trails
- Illuminations
- In-Park Dining
- Maid of the Mist
- Niagara Legends of Adventure Theater
- Niagara Shuttle
- Niagara Scenic Trolley
- Observation Tower
- Schoellkopf Power Plant Ruins Site
- Shop
- Top of the Falls
- Visitor Center
Niagara Falls State Park Winter Activites:
- Aquarium of Niagra
- Cave of the Winds
- Frozen Falls
- Goat Island
- Observation Tower
- Snow shoes
- Visitor Center
- + many features above, as they are not limited to seasons!
Wintry Niagara Falls State Park For more experience opportunities within Niagara Falls, USA, visit https://www.niagarafallsusa.com/ to see the variety of options available! There is something for everyone to enjoy. I highly suggest taking the day or a couple, to visit and explore Niagara Falls, NY. It’s an awesome city with it’s own unique features and activities. It’s close to Buffalo, NY and will give you the opportunity to see more than you might usually!
Source: https://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/niagara-falls-state-park
Source: https://parks.ny.gov/parks/46
As you’ve read already, there is so much to do in and around Buffalo, NY! You really just have to look. Making a list of things you want to experience is a great way to have yourself look forward to things, plan out dates, and it’s great for helping you get some exploring done. The right time is always now!