My Time at the Buffalo History Museum!

Welcome to Wandering the 716! Last Friday, I went to the Buffalo History Museum, located at 1 Museum Court. The museum features John Mix Stanley’s The Trial of Red Jacket (1868), a 9 by 6 foot oil painting; the John R. Oishei Native American Gallery, which follows the region’s first inhabitants; Icons, an exhibit that captures Buffalo’s extensive sports history; and Continuum, which follows the history of Erie County. The museum also has some temporary exhibits, one of which celebrates the 175th anniversary of Buffalo Seminary. In addition to their exhibits, they also host a myriad of events ranging from guest speakers to musical performances! 

My personal favorite exhibit was the Continuum. The exhibit walks you through art and artifacts in chronological order, dating back thousands of years. The section that stood out to me the most was the section connected to the Pan-American Exposition, including the story of President William McKinley’s assassination.You can even see the Iver-Johnson revolver used by Leon Czolgosz. Continuum was made for Erie County’s bicentennial and (as someone who isn’t a Buffalo native) it was really interesting to get an extensive overview of the region's history. I got to learn about the people, events, and innovations that shaped the area. (I even got to learn about the impacts of my school, the University at Buffalo, on Buffalo’s history!)

My favorite thing about the museum overall was the history behind the building itself. The building is from the 1901 Pan-American Exposition and it’s the only permanent structure from the fair that still exists today. The Pan-American Exposition was a huge event, with more than 8 million people in attendance. It covered 350 acres and it was meant to celebrate the achievements all across the Americas, bringing them closer together. Using the rushing waters of Niagara Falls, they generated electricity that powered thousands of lights every night that lit up the buildings in Buffalo, earning it the nickname the “City of Light”. Though it may be hard to imagine Buffalo this way today, the Buffalo History Museum has an exhibit called “Return to the Rainbow City" which walks you through the story of the fair including photos and keepsakes! The building that now houses the museum was originally the New York State Building during the fair where it held exhibits about the state. After that, it became home of the Buffalo Historical Society and has been working to preserve local history ever since.

Old photograph of the New York State Building!

The Buffalo History Museum offers pay what you wish tickets (though they recommend $12 per person) and they also have M&T Third Fridays where they offer free admission from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the third Friday every month. Whether you are a long time Buffalo resident or just passing by, the Buffalo History Museum is a must go for anyone, especially people who are interested in local and presidential history!

Written by Renee Wong

Want to recommend a place? Send it to me at rewong716@gmail.com!