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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11/11/2025

Memory Cafe

11/12/2025

Groundbreakers: Women in Small-Scale Development Panel

11/13/2025

Ely S. Parker: From Exclusion to Admission

11/13/2025

Trivia Night

11/19/2025

Shakespeare in Delaware Park & University Express Present “Romeo & Juliet”

11/21/2025

M&T Third Friday

11/21/2025

Junior History Buffs

11/21/2025

The Erie Canal in Our Lives: Contemporary Connections to the Canal

11/28/2025

5th Annual Makers Market

11/29/2025

5th Annual Makers Market

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

Thursday, November 6

Independent Order of Odd Fellows Niagara Lodge founded, 1839

South Division Street, S Division St, Buffalo, NY, USA

Woman suffrage passes in New York State, 1917

Death of William Wells Brown, 1884

W.S Grattan fireboat arrives, 1900

Buffalo harbor

Friday, November 7

Mark Twain's son Langdon born, 1870

472 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14202, USA

Buffalo Bucha opens, 2015

Horsefeathers building

Gas first manufactured in Buffalo, 1848

County Executive Mark Poloncarz born, 1967

Saturday, November 8

Zonta Club founded, 1919

Niagara County Community College founded, 1962

Eastern Hills Mall opens, 1971

Second German Baptist Church votes to dissolve congregation, 1911

Sunday, November 9

Dr. Martin Luther King speaks in Buffalo, 1967

Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Cir, Buffalo, NY 14201, USA

Author Toni Morrison gives speech, 2017

Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Cir, Buffalo, NY 14201, USA

Massive fire at former Bethlehem Steel site, 2016

Route 5, NY-5, Lackawanna, NY, USA

M. Wile closes factory, 2006

Monday, November 10

Buffalo International Fringe Festival incorporated, 1993

S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald sinks in Lake Superior, 1975

Metallica performs in Buffalo, 2009

KeyBank Center, 1 Seymour H Knox III Plaza, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA

Completion of Buffalo City Hall construction, 1931

Niagara Square, Buffalo, NY 14202, USA