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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10/22/2026

October Trivia Night

10/24/2026

Canalside Lecture Series: Halloween an Anthropological Perspective on a Festival with Many Meanings

10/28/2026

Buffalo 101: How History Shaped the Queen City – Session 4

11/04/2026

You Live on Stolen Land: The American Revolution and Haudenosaunee Homelands

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 – November

11/12/2026

Trivia Night – November

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

Tuesday, October 20

Skyway opens, 1955

Buffalo waterfront

Presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan addresses large crowd, 1900

The Broadway Market, 999 Broadway, Buffalo, NY 14212, USA

Storm on Lake Erie sinks 27 ships, 1905

Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village dedicated, 1973

Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village, 3755 Tonawanda Creek Rd, Amherst, NY 14228, USA

Wednesday, October 21

St. Columba cornerstone laid, 1888

Presidential candidate Warren Harding campaigns in Buffalo, 1920

Broadway Auditorium

WPA Workers Strike for Higher Wages in Buffalo, 1935

Saturn Club founded, 1885

Thursday, October 22

Cartoonist Tom Toles born, 1951

Buffalo, NY, USA

Niagara Frontier Industrial Exposition opens, 1923

Broadway Auditorium

Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, African-American soprano, debuts in Buffalo, 1851

Townsend Hall, Main & Swan

50,988 fans attend Bennett-Kensington football game, 1948

Civic Stadium, 1100 Jefferson Ave, Buffalo, NY 14208, USA

Friday, October 23

Twentieth Century Club incorporated, 1894

Deaconess Hospital opens, 1895

Presidential candidate Dwight Eisenhower campaigns in Buffalo, 1952

President Lech Walesa of Poland visits Buffalo, 1994

St. Stanislaus B&M Roman Catholic Church, 389 Peckham St, Buffalo, NY 14206, USA

Saturday, October 24

Anna Edson Taylor plunges over Niagara Falls in barrel, 1901

Niagara Falls, NY, USA

Meeting to protest Fugitive Slave Bill, 1850

Collins Center, Collins, NY, USA

Juneteenth Festival incorporated, 1985

Birth of Belva A. Lockwood, 1884 presidential candidate, 1830

Royalton, NY, USA

AAM Accredited Museum Badge