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.

Join Us

View All Events

11/04/2026

The American Revolution, Genocide and Seneca Dispossession: Or, Why an Indigenous Right to the Land Remains in Western New York

11/05/2026

A Look at the Life of a Visionary – Edythe “Kitty” Turgeon

11/06/2026

History Meets the Huddle: Behind the Scenes Tour of the World’s Largest Buffalo Bills Collection

11/07/2026

Return to Rainbow City Tour

11/08/2026

19th Annual Japan Culture Day

11/10/2026

Memory Cafe

11/12/2026

Trivia Night – November

11/18/2026

Youth Forum: The Next 250 Years

11/20/2026

M&T Third Friday

11/20/2026

Junior History Buffs – November AM

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.

View Full Calendar

On This Day In Buffalo

Wednesday, October 28

Last train leaves New York Central Terminal, 1979

Charter granted to the Western NY Library Resources Council, 1966

President Jimmy Carter gives speech, 1978

Richard "Candy Kid" Whittemore robs the Bank of Buffalo, killing two guards in the process, 1925

Thursday, October 29

Phyllis Wheatley Club holds first open meeting, 1899

President John Quincy Adams attends church with Millard Fillmore, 1843

First Unitarian Church

Leon Czolgosz executed by electrocution, 1901

Leon Czolgosz executed by electrocution, 1901

Friday, October 30

Led Zeppelin performs, 1969

Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Cir, Buffalo, NY 14201, United States

Ontario grain elevator collapses, 1904

Evans Ship Canal

Presidential candidate William Howard Taft campaigns in Buffalo, 1898

First Gym for Women Opens in Buffalo, 1886

Saturday, October 31

Groundbreaking ceremony for UB Amherst Campus, 1968

International Railroad Bridge opens, 1873

Black Rock/Fort Erie

Association of Ice Cream Supply Men opens 5 day convention in Buffalo, 1921

Elmwood Music Hall

WKBW broadcasts remake of "War of the Worlds" radio drama, 1968

Sunday, November 1

Joseph Ellicott born, 1760

Bucks County, PA

Buffalo Gay Men's Chorus incorporated, 2000

Roswell Park Cancer Institute dedicated, 1913

Lewiston-Queenston Bridge opens, 1962

AAM Accredited Museum Badge