The Buffalo History Museum

Waterway of Change

Visit Us at Canalside

This exhibit invites visitors to explore the transformative story of the Erie Canal. It begins with the traditional homeland of the Haudenosaunee and the canal’s opening in 1825, tracing how it helped turn Buffalo into a bustling port and shipping hub by the late 19th century.

It also highlights the diverse perspectives of Indigenous Peoples, Black individuals, women, and immigrant communities affected by the canal’s development, offering a richer understanding of its cultural and historical significance.

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01/22/2026

Trivia Night

02/04/2026

Happy Hour History: It Is Up to Us

02/07/2026

“Return to the Rainbow City” Indoor Walking Tour

02/10/2026

Memory Cafe

02/15/2026

Lincoln’s Birthday Celebration

02/18/2026

3rd Annual Presidential Palooza

02/19/2026

Trivia Night

02/20/2026

M&T Third Friday

02/20/2026

Junior History Buffs

02/21/2026

Voices for Freedom: African American History in Buffalo Tour

Shop Uniquely Buffalo Gifts

Museum Shop

Find a variety of gifts in-person at our Museum Shop as well as a selection of gifts in our online store.

Picture Store

Browse our extensive photo collection and decorate your home or office with classic Buffalo images.

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On This Day In Buffalo

Saturday, January 17

First regular air mail service begins, 1927

Buffalo Niagara International Airport, 4200 Genesee St, Buffalo, NY 14225, USA

Buffalo Fire Historical Society chartered, 1984

Hotel Lenox construction begins, 1897

First episode of "Meet the Millers" airs, 1950

Sunday, January 18

Milton Rogovin dies, 2011

Buffalo, NY, USA

Buffalo Evening Times loses two buildings in a fire, 1920

Storm hits, 77mph winds, 0 temp, 1885

First Statler Hotel opens, 1908

Washington & Swan

Monday, January 19

Erie County Poorhouse burns, 1918

Presently the site of UB South Campus

First Lady Hillary Clinton visits The Buffalo History Museum, 2000

Artist/photographer Cindy Sherman born, 1954

Buffalo, NY, USA

Emma Goldman has brief layover in Buffalo while traveling to Chicago, 1902

Exchange Street Station

Tuesday, January 20

Death of Red Jacket, 1830

First issue of Weekly Express, 1846

Robert F. Kennedy visits UB, 1967

"Courier-Express" Features Buffalo's First Woman Bus Driver Edna L. Smith, 1953

Wednesday, January 21

Tewksbury crashes into Michigan St. bridge, 1959

$1 million hanger to be built Buffalo Airport, 1957

Iroquois Door factory destroyed by fire, 1923

Exchange & Larkin St.

Old Settler's Festival at St. James Hall, 1869

AAM Accredited Museum Badge