Things to Do in Buffalo: Canalside, the Waterfront and a Day Across the Border

Visitors to Niagara Falls often treat Buffalo as the airport and nothing more. That is a mistake. The city's old harbour, where the Erie Canal once met Lake Erie, is now Canalside, a free waterfront with recreated canals, a historic carousel, retired warships and, in winter, a big outdoor skating rink. NiagaraFallsLimo.net drives guests from Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake to downtown Buffalo and back in one day, crossing the border with them, and collects travellers from Buffalo Niagara International for a waterfront stop on the way to the Falls. Below are the best things to do in Buffalo around Canalside, how the crossing works, and how long to give it.

What are the best things to do in Buffalo on a day trip from Niagara Falls?

From Old Town Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canalside is about 59 km (37 mi), usually 55 minutes plus the border. From Buffalo Niagara International (BUF) it is about 19 km (12 mi), roughly 20–25 minutes, with no crossing. From Toronto Pearson the drive is about 152 km (95 mi), usually two hours before the border queue, and longer on Friday afternoons.

Canalside at a glance

The Buffalo Waterfront site describes Canalside as free, open year-round, seven days a week from dawn to dusk, with longer hours for events. It lists kayak rentals in summer, skating in winter, dining and lake views, and says parking is free at Canalside and the Outer Harbor.

The harbour has been rebuilt piece by piece. According to Empire State Development, the state's economic development agency, the completed projects include:

• Recreated canals aligned with the historic Erie Canal, Hamburg Canal and Commercial Slip, crossed by pedestrian bridges, which in winter become New York State's largest outdoor ice-skating rink.
• Explore & More, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children's Museum (2019), with seven hands-on play zones for children from birth to age 12.
• The Buffalo Heritage Carousel (2021), a nearly century-old DeAngelis wooden carousel in a roundhouse so it can run year-round.
• The Longshed (2020), home of the "Waterway of Change" exhibit on the Erie Canal bicentennial.
• The Chandlery (2025), which houses a Visit Buffalo reception desk and retail store.
• Nightly lighting of the historic Connecting Terminal grain elevator across the river.

The warships: Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park

Next to the canals, three retired vessels sit in their own inlet: the destroyer USS The Sullivans, the cruiser USS Little Rock and the submarine USS Croaker, according to the Naval & Military Park at 1 Naval Park Cove. The park lists daily hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with last admission at 3 p.m. Ship decks, ladders and hatches mean this is a stop for people steady on their feet; ask the park about access if anyone in your group uses a wheelchair.

More things to do in Buffalo near the waterfront

• KeyBank Center, a short walk from Canalside, home of the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bandits. It opened in 1996 and hosted the NHL Draft in 2026. Bags, backpacks and purses are banned; small clutches are allowed.
• Buffalo AKG Art Museum, formerly the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, reopened in June 2023 with the new Jeffrey E. Gundlach Building; the campus's first building dates from 1900. It is a short drive north of downtown; see buffaloakg.org.
• Outer Harbor, across the water, with concerts at Terminal B, bike trails and sunset views.
• Highmark Stadium, the Bills' new stadium in Orchard Park, opened in 2026. Game-day rules for limos and Sprinters are strict; our concerts and sports transportation page explains them.

For hotel, dining and event listings across the city, Visit Buffalo is the official tourism bureau.

Plan your Buffalo day by the hour

Summer and winter on the waterfront

Canalside changes character with the seasons. In summer the canals are for kayaks and strolling, the Outer Harbor hosts concerts, and evenings by the lake are long and busy. In winter the same canals freeze into the skating rink, the carousel and the children's museum carry on indoors, and the wind off Lake Erie makes a warm coat essential. Snow can also slow the drive from Niagara, especially on the approaches to the bridges, so on a winter day we suggest an earlier start and an open-ended return time. Whatever the month, check the waterfront's event calendar before you choose a date, because big events bring extended hours, crowds and closed streets downtown.

Which bridge to Buffalo

Two crossings make sense for a Buffalo day, and your chauffeur chooses based on live conditions:

• Peace Bridge, from Fort Erie straight into Buffalo, the most direct for downtown. Tolls are charged only entering Canada, and the Peace Bridge is now cashless: a car pays US$8.00 or CA$11.00 by card, or US$4.00 with E-ZPass (as of 2026).
• Rainbow Bridge, from the Falls into Niagara Falls, New York, then south on the interstate. Useful when you want to stop at the American Falls on the way.

Each passenger shows their own document at US inspection. For Canadian and US citizens that is a passport, an enhanced driver's licence or a NEXUS card (US citizens may also use a passport card); for most overseas visitors, a passport with an approved ESTA or visa plus an I-94, which carries a US$30 land-border fee. See documents for entering the USA. We never promise a crossing time; check CBP's Border Wait Times site going out and the CBSA's page coming home.

Shopping and what to declare

Buffalo invites shopping, and Canadians crossing back should know the rules. CBSA personal exemptions do not apply to same-day cross-border shoppers; after 24 hours away the allowance is CA$200, and after 48 hours CA$800, with alcohol and tobacco allowed only on the longer trip. Since 8 September 2026 the CBSA has also warned of surtaxes on certain US goods. Returning US residents have their own exemptions under CBP rules. Our duty-free and declarations page explains both directions.

A sample Buffalo day from Niagara Falls

1. 9:30 a.m. Pickup at your Fallsview or Niagara-on-the-Lake hotel.
2. Morning. Cross by the Peace Bridge; Canalside, the carousel and a walk along the canals.
3. Late morning. The Naval & Military Park, or Explore & More if you have young children.
4. Lunch. Downtown or by the water.
5. Afternoon. The Buffalo AKG Art Museum, or the Outer Harbor in good weather.
6. Late afternoon. North to Niagara Falls State Park for the American Falls, then home over the Rainbow Bridge.

On a game night, swap the afternoon for KeyBank Center and choose a return time after the final whistle. With an hourly chauffeur, the plan can change as the day does.

Arriving at BUF? Stop on the way

Guests flying into Buffalo Niagara International often have a few hours before hotel check-in in Ontario. Canalside is about 20 minutes from the airport, so a lunch stop by the water before crossing to the Falls is easy; the suitcases stay in the vehicle. Our Buffalo to Niagara Falls, Canada route page explains the drive and the crossing. Travelling by train instead? Amtrak's Buffalo-Exchange Street station is downtown, and we cover pickups on our train station transfers page.

Getting to Buffalo from Niagara: options compared

The honest view: once you are in Buffalo, a rideshare between Canalside and the art museum is perfectly fine, and a solo traveller with one bag can ride Amtrak's daily Maple Leaf, which stops at Niagara Falls, Ontario, and at both Buffalo stations. The pre-booked chauffeur wins when the day starts in Ontario, when there are children and car seats, when a group needs one vehicle, on game nights when rideshare surges, and whenever you need a ride that will definitely cross back into Canada. Our chauffeur vs taxi vs rideshare guide weighs the trade-offs in more depth.

Who a Buffalo day suits

• Individuals: architecture, art and the harbour make a full solo day that most Niagara visitors never think of.
• Couples: the canals, the art museum and dinner downtown; the Rainbow Bridge home after dark.
• Families: Explore & More, the carousel and winter skating make Canalside one of the best family stops in the region; see Niagara with kids.
• Groups: corporate teams staying in Niagara book Buffalo meetings and dinners by Sprinter; see corporate car service.

Book your Buffalo day in 3 steps

1. Route. Enter your hotel as pickup and "Canalside, Buffalo, NY" as the first stop, with date and time. Add the Naval Park, the art museum or KeyBank Center as further stops, or choose "By the hour".
2. Vehicle. Choose anything from a sedan to a Sprinter; the fixed fare appears beside each class. An Executive Sprinter seats up to 12, a Standard SUV up to 6.
3. Details. Add passengers, child seats and bags, pay securely, and get your confirmation by email. Check everyone's documents the night before.

Our cross-border car service page explains how we run every crossing, and the attractions hub lists more stops on both sides, including the Seneca Niagara casino on the way home.

Check your fixed fare to Buffalo