Buffalo Tourism Guide

Things to Do in Buffalo NY with Kids

An Amur tiger and her cub walking through snow at the Buffalo Zoo, one of the classic things to do in Buffalo NY with kids
Amur tigers in the snow at the Buffalo Zoo in 2008. The zoo is open every day of the year, which makes it the easiest family stop to plan around.

The best things to do in Buffalo NY with kids are compact, affordable and close together. Explore & More Children’s Museum and the Naval Park’s warships sit side by side at Canalside; the Buffalo Zoo and the Museum of Science are a few minutes apart on the East Side’s parkways; and the Botanical Gardens’ glass conservatory, the waterfront parks and a restored antique carousel fill in the gaps. Most stops take two hours or less, most cost under $25 for an adult and less for children, and nothing is more than 20 minutes from downtown. The trick is matching the stop to the age, and the day to the opening hours.

This guide is for parents, grandparents and anyone traveling with children from babies to teenagers. It sorts Buffalo by age band, stamina and weather, with stroller and sensory notes, nap-friendly routes and a few realistic day plans. The caveat that catches visiting families is the calendar: the children’s museum closes on Mondays and Tuesdays, the Canalside carousel runs only Friday to Sunday outside summer, and several waterfront extras are summer-only. Hours, prices and seasonal changes were checked September 23, 2026 against each venue’s own website.

Buffalo with Kids at a Glance

Here’s how the main family stops compare. Prices are for one child, with the adult price after it where they differ.

StopBest agesTimeChild / adult priceStrollerRain?
Explore & More Children’s Museum1–82–3 hrs$16 (ages 1–59); under 1 freeEasy; elevatorYes
Buffalo Zoo1–122–3 hrs$19.95 (2–12) / $25.95EasyPartly
Buffalo Museum of Science4–142–3 hrs$19 (2–17) / $23, cash pricesEasy; two elevatorsYes
Naval & Military Park6+1.5–2 hrs$18 (5–12) / $23; 4 and under freeNot on the shipsPartly
Botanical GardensAll1–1.5 hrsFree (12 and under) in September / $19EasyYes
Buffalo Heritage Carousel1–1030 min$3 donation per ridePark it outsideYes
Canalside and Buffalo Harbor State ParkAll1–2 hrsFreeEasyNo

If you’re planning a mixed trip with some grown-up stops too, our guide to the best things to do in Buffalo covers the whole city, and flags which of its headliners work with children in tow.

How to Choose by Age

Buffalo works for every age, but not every stop works for every age. Here’s how to match them.

Babies, toddlers and preschoolers

For the under-fives, keep each outing short, keep drives under 20 minutes, and build the day around one big stop and one small one. Explore & More Children’s Museum is the anchor: it’s designed for toddlers through third graders, with hands-on exhibits about Buffalo across several floors, an elevator to every floor, and admission of $16 for anyone aged 1 to 59, with babies under 1 free. The Buffalo Zoo is the other obvious choice, and children under 2 get in free. For a short, cheap treat, the Buffalo Heritage Carousel at Canalside costs a $3 donation per ride and runs quiet rides, with the music turned down, on Sunday mornings from 11 a.m. to noon for children who are sensitive to noise.

Toddlers also do well at the Botanical Gardens, where the glass domes are warm, the paths are flat, and children 12 and under got in free during September, and at Canalside, where there’s room to run between the canal, the boardwalk and the lawns. Skip the Naval Park’s ships with a toddler: the ladders are steep, the hatches are tight and strollers stay on the dock. Our Buffalo with toddlers travel guide has nap-friendly schedules and changing-table notes for each stop.

Young children, 5 to 9

This is the age when Buffalo shines. Everything on the at-a-glance table works, and a few more stops open up. The Naval Park’s cruiser, destroyer and submarine are a thrill for any child who likes climbing and pretending, and youth tickets for ages 5 to 12 cost $18. The Museum of Science has four floors of hands-on galleries, with youth tickets at $19 in cash for ages 2 to 17. In fall, the Great Pumpkin Farm in Clarence is free on weekdays and runs festival weekends with rides and shows. And children aged 6 to 12 ride the Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls for $19.75, while children 5 and under ride free with a paying adult.

If you want to fit in some architecture, the standard 75-minute Martin House tour is free for children 8 and under, though a long guided house tour tests most young children’s patience. The two-hour Plus tour isn’t open to children under 8.

Tweens, 10 to 12

Tweens can handle longer days and more adult stops. Add the Pierce-Arrow Museum’s cars and its Frank Lloyd Wright-designed filling station ($10 for children 12 and under, open Thursday to Saturday), skating or curling at Buffalo RiverWorks, a walk around the grain elevators of Silo City, and a full day at Niagara Falls, where Cave of the Winds takes you to the foot of the Bridal Veil Falls. The Naval Park is at its best for this age, when children are old enough to read the exhibits and brave enough for the submarine.

Teenagers

Teens usually want what adults want, with more food. A Sabres game at KeyBank Center or a Bills game in Orchard Park is the easiest win. The Buffalo AKG charges $10 for ages 5 to 18, and its 2023 Gundlach Building has the kind of big, playful art that holds a teenager’s attention. The Burchfield Penney Art Center is free for anyone under 18. The City Hall observation deck is free, and the climb up the last three floors from the elevators adds a little adventure. Our guide to Buffalo activities for teenagers covers the rest, down to the best wing spots for a hungry 15-year-old.

Planning Around the Week

The most common family mistake in Buffalo is arriving at the children’s museum on a Monday. Opening days vary more here than in most cities, so sketch your week against this table before you book anything. It reflects fall 2026 hours; summer brings longer days at several stops.

DayOpen for familiesClosed or limitedBest plan
MondayZoo, Museum of Science, Botanical Gardens, CanalsideExplore & More, History Museum, carouselZoo and Museum of Science
TuesdayZoo, Museum of Science, Botanical Gardens, CanalsideExplore & More, History Museum, carousel, Buffalo AKGZoo, then the gardens
Wednesday and ThursdayAll the family stops except the carouselCarousel; the Buffalo AKG on WednesdaysExplore & More and the Naval Park
Friday and SaturdayEverything, including the carouselNothing majorA full Canalside day
SundayMost stops; quiet carousel rides from 11 a.m.Explore & More’s hours varyCarousel, then the zoo or Museum of Science

Two seasonal notes change the picture. The Naval Park is open daily through October but only on weekends in November, and then offers guided weekend tours from Thanksgiving to March. And the waterfront extras, from the bike ferry to the splash pads, are mostly summer-only, while Canalside’s skating and winter activities arrive in November. If your trip spans a Monday and Tuesday, save those days for the zoo, the Museum of Science and the Botanical Gardens, all of which open daily, and keep Canalside’s indoor stops for later in the week.

Buffalo’s Best Family Attractions

These are the stops most families build a trip around. Our comparison of kid-friendly museums in Buffalo goes deeper on the indoor ones, and our Buffalo museums and arts guide covers the exhibits in detail.

Explore & More Children’s Museum

Explore & More moved into a purpose-built home at Canalside in 2019, and it’s the best rainy-day stop in the city for young children. The exhibits are built around Buffalo itself, its history, inventions and industries, and they’re designed for play rather than reading. Plan on two to three hours, and pair it with the waterfront next door. It closes on Mondays and Tuesdays, which is the single most important thing to know when you’re planning a week.

The brick Explore and More Children's Museum building at Canalside in Buffalo, with the HarborCenter tower behind
Explore & More Children’s Museum at Canalside in October 2019, the year it opened in its new building.

Plan it: 130 Main Street at Canalside; open Wednesday to Saturday 10 a.m.–4 p.m., with Sunday hours that vary, and closed Monday and Tuesday; $16 for ages 1 to 59, $15 for seniors 60 and over, free under 1; elevator to all four floors; free parking at Canalside.

The Buffalo Zoo

The Buffalo Zoo, in Delaware Park, is one of the oldest zoos in the country and a manageable size for small legs: you can see most of it in two to three hours. It’s open every day, which makes it the natural choice for a Monday or Tuesday, when the children’s museum is closed. In fall, its Enchanted Pumpkin Trail, which opened September 17, adds a seasonal extra; check the zoo’s website for nights and tickets. Bring snacks and a plan for the gift shop, which you will pass on the way out.

Plan it: 300 Parkside Avenue; open daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m., last admission 4 p.m.; $19.95 for ages 2 to 12, $25.95 for ages 13 to 64, $22.95 for seniors, free under 2; parking $6 for the first two hours, then $2 an hour to a $12 maximum.

Buffalo Museum of Science

The Museum of Science, on Humboldt Parkway a few minutes from the zoo, has hands-on galleries across several floors, from dinosaurs to space. It’s certified as sensory-inclusive, with free sensory bags and a quiet Comfort Room, and it lends wheelchairs and strollers for free. It’s open every day, and on weekends until 5 p.m., so it pairs well with the zoo on a day when the weather turns.

The limestone Buffalo Museum of Science with its green observatory dome on a snowy winter day
The Buffalo Museum of Science in December 2009. Its galleries make a reliable warm-up on a cold day.

Plan it: 1020 Humboldt Parkway; open Monday to Friday 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; $19 for ages 2 to 17 and $23 for adults in cash (a little more by card); free under 2; free parking; two elevators.

Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park

Children climb all over a guided-missile cruiser, the USS Little Rock, and a submarine, the USS Croaker, at this park on the Canalside waterfront. The destroyer USS The Sullivans is here too, though its below-deck areas are closed for preservation work. It’s the most memorable stop in the city for many school-age kids and the least suitable for toddlers, because the ships are all ladders, hatches and narrow passages. The park hasn’t published accessibility information, so plan on stairs.

The gray guided-missile cruiser USS Little Rock moored at the Buffalo Naval and Military Park
The cruiser USS Little Rock at the Naval Park in October 2012. Kids can climb through most of the ship.

Plan it: 1 Naval Park Cove; daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (last admission 4 p.m.) through September, daily 10 a.m.–4 p.m. in October (last ship ticket 3 p.m.), then weekends only in November, with guided weekend tours from Thanksgiving through March; $18 for ages 5 to 12, $23 for adults, free for 4 and under; allow 1.5–2 hours.

Canalside and the Buffalo Heritage Carousel

Canalside is Buffalo’s waterfront park, built where the Erie Canal once met the lake, and it’s free to wander from dawn to dusk year-round. In summer there are concerts and water activities; in winter, from November, it turns into an ice rink with skating, curling and ice bumper cars. The Buffalo Heritage Carousel, a restored antique carousel in a solar-powered pavilion, is the best small treat in the city: a ride costs a $3 donation, it has a chariot for wheelchair riders, and it runs quiet rides for children with auditory sensitivity.

Plan it: Canalside is free, open daily dawn to dusk, with free parking; the carousel is at 1 Marine Drive and currently runs Friday and Saturday noon–5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m., closed Monday to Thursday, with quiet rides on Sundays from 11 a.m. to noon; winter activities return in November, with 2026 dates still to be posted.

Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens

The Botanical Gardens’ Victorian glass conservatory, in South Park, is warm, green and stroller-friendly, and children tend to love the towering palm dome. It’s a good 60- to 90-minute stop, especially on a cold or wet day, and its outdoor children’s garden adds hands-on play in the warmer months.

Plan it: 2655 South Park Avenue; open daily 10 a.m.–4 p.m., with the last tickets around 3 p.m.; $19 for adults; children 12 and under got in free in September 2026, so check the current family pricing; about 15 minutes from downtown by car.

Buffalo Harbor State Park and the Outer Harbor

Buffalo’s first state park inside the city limits sits on the Outer Harbor, across the Buffalo River from Canalside. It has a marina, a pier and boardwalk, a playground and lake views, with free parking. Swimming isn’t allowed, and the splash pad is closed until Memorial Day weekend 2027, but it’s a fine place for a run-around and a picnic by Lake Erie. Nearby, Tifft Nature Preserve has boardwalks and trails through a marsh; its Accessible Trail stays open while other trails are resurfaced through early October, and its Education Center opens Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A paved path along the breakwater at Buffalo Harbor State Park, with the marina and downtown Buffalo in the distance
The breakwater path at Buffalo Harbor State Park, with downtown across the water. Flat, paved and good for scooters.

Plan it: 1111 Fuhrmann Boulevard; free, with free parking; playground, pier and boardwalk; no swimming; splash pad closed until Memorial Day weekend 2027; about 10 minutes by car from downtown.

One more waterfront park is on the way. Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park, the rebuilt LaSalle Park on the West Side, is still largely under construction. Its skate plaza is open now, but the big Play Garden, the destination playground at its heart, is a future phase, so don’t plan a trip around it yet.

Stroller, Sensory and Accessibility Notes

Buffalo is mostly flat, and its big family stops are generally easy with a stroller. The children’s museum has an elevator to all four floors, the Museum of Science has two elevators and lends strollers, and the zoo, the Botanical Gardens, Canalside and Buffalo Harbor State Park have wide, paved paths. The exceptions are the Naval Park’s ships, which are stairs and ladders throughout, the City Hall observation deck, which requires climbing three flights from the elevators, and Shea’s Buffalo Theatre, which has no elevator. Our guide to stroller-friendly Buffalo attractions rates each stop.

For children with sensory needs, the city does better than most. The Museum of Science is certified sensory-inclusive, with free sensory bags and a quiet Comfort Room. The Buffalo History Museum has sensory kits available at all times and holds a Sensory Hour on Sundays from 11 a.m. to noon. The Heritage Carousel runs quiet rides on Sunday mornings. And the Buffalo AKG says all its galleries, entrances and facilities are wheelchair accessible and lends wheelchairs and walkers free. If your child finds crowds hard, go on weekday mornings, when school groups are the main traffic, and avoid Canalside on summer concert nights.

Nap-Friendly Routes and Realistic Day Plans

The best family days in Buffalo pair one big stop in the morning with one lighter stop after lunch and a rest, and keep the car time short. These plans assume you’re staying downtown or nearby.

A Canalside day (Wednesday to Sunday)

Arrive at Explore & More when it opens at 10 a.m. and give it until about 12:30. Have lunch at Canalside, then head back to the hotel for a nap, or let the little ones sleep in the stroller along the waterfront. In the afternoon, older children can tackle the Naval Park’s ships while a parent and a toddler ride the carousel, if it’s a Friday to Sunday. Finish with a walk along the canal. Total driving: none, if you stay downtown.

A Delaware Park day (any day)

Start at the zoo at 10 a.m. and give it two to three hours. Eat lunch in the park or on Elmwood Avenue, and let the youngest nap in the car on the short drive to your afternoon stop: the Museum of Science on a rainy or cold day, or a walk around Hoyt Lake on a nice one. Older children can swap in the Buffalo AKG, which has a lot for them on a Thursday to Monday. Total driving: about 30 minutes.

A rainy-day plan

Make it the Museum of Science in the morning and the Botanical Gardens’ conservatory in the afternoon, or Explore & More and the Naval Park’s museum buildings if you’re downtown. On a weekend in fall or winter, add the carousel, which sits under cover in its pavilion. Our guide to Buffalo family attractions for a rainy day has more options, and our guide to indoor things to do with kids in Buffalo covers every indoor stop in the city.

A Niagara Falls day

For a family day at the falls, drive up early, park, and walk the flat paths to Prospect Point and Goat Island before the crowds. Ride the Maid of the Mist mid-morning, eat lunch, and head back to Buffalo by mid-afternoon for naps. Our guide to Niagara Falls from Buffalo covers the drive, parking and boats, and our guide to Niagara Falls with kids goes deeper on strollers, restrooms and which attractions suit which ages.

For full weekend plans with times, our Buffalo itineraries include a family weekend, and our Buffalo family weekend without a car shows how to do it on the Metro Rail and buses.

Rainy Days and Winter with Kids

Buffalo has plenty to do indoors, which matters in a city where the lake can send rain in any month and snow for a third of the year. The children’s museum, the Museum of Science, the Botanical Gardens’ conservatory and the zoo’s indoor exhibits will fill a wet weekend, and RiverWorks adds year-round skating and curling for older children. Rainy weekend mornings are the busiest time at the indoor museums, so arrive at opening.

Skaters on the outdoor ice rink at Canalside in Buffalo in winter, with downtown buildings behind
Skating at Canalside in March 2015. The rink and winter activities return each November.

Winter with kids is better than most visitors expect. From November, Canalside becomes a skating rink with rentals, curling and ice bumper cars, and the Sabres play at KeyBank Center next door. Sledding hills in the city and county parks fill up after every good snowfall. The Naval Park switches to guided weekend tours after Thanksgiving, and the zoo stays open every day. Dress children in layers and waterproof boots, and plan indoor breaks every hour or two. Our guide to Buffalo family activities in winter covers the season in full.

The white glass domes of the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens conservatory under a gray sky
The Botanical Gardens’ conservatory stays warm and green in any weather.

Free and Cheap Family Days

Buffalo is an easy city for families on a budget. Canalside, Delaware Park, Buffalo Harbor State Park and the Outer Harbor are free, and so is the City Hall observation deck on weekdays. The Buffalo History Museum is pay what you wish, with $12 suggested for adults. Children under 10 ride NFTA buses and the Metro Rail free, and adults pay $2 a ride or $5 for a day pass. The carousel costs a $3 donation per ride, and the Great Pumpkin Farm is free on fall weekdays. Put together, a family can spend a full day at Canalside and the Outer Harbor for the price of lunch. Our guide to free family attractions in Buffalo lists them all.

The Waterfront with Kids

Buffalo’s waterfront is its best free playground. Canalside has the canal, the lawns and the carousel; across the river, the Outer Harbor has Buffalo Harbor State Park’s playground and pier, and Tifft’s marsh boardwalks. In summer, the Queen City Bike Ferry crosses between Canalside and the Outer Harbor from Memorial Day to Labor Day, a 5- to 10-minute ride that children treat as an attraction in itself. Our guide to Buffalo waterfront activities with kids covers boats, bikes and beaches, and our Buffalo waterfront guide explains how the whole shoreline fits together.

Eating Out with Kids

Buffalo’s food is naturally kid-friendly. Pizza, wings with mild sauce, chicken fingers, charcoal-grilled hot dogs and frozen custard cover most young palates, and the taverns and pizza shops that serve them are casual, loud and forgiving. The Friday fish fry works for families if you go early, before 6 p.m., when the taverns fill up. For a special treat, a box of sponge candy or a frozen custard cone at a summer stand beats most desserts. Our Buffalo food guide explains the local dishes, and our guide to kid-friendly restaurants in Buffalo lists the best places to eat with children near each attraction.

Getting Around with Kids

A car makes a family trip easier, especially with babies and toddlers, because the zoo, the Museum of Science, the Botanical Gardens and the Outer Harbor are a short drive apart but awkward by bus. Parking is free at Canalside, the Museum of Science and Buffalo Harbor State Park, and $6 for the first two hours at the zoo. Without a car, stay downtown near the Metro Rail, and remember that children under 10 ride free. Rideshare drivers don’t usually carry car seats, so bring your own or a travel booster.

Where to Stay with Kids

Families usually choose between two bases. A downtown hotel near Canalside puts the children’s museum, the Naval Park, the carousel and the waterfront within walking distance, which is ideal for a car-free trip with young children. A suburban hotel in Amherst or near the airport offers pools, free parking and more space for less money, with the zoo and the Museum of Science 15 to 20 minutes away. Our guide to where to stay in Buffalo NY compares the areas, with a family section.

Traveling with Grandparents

Multigenerational trips work well in Buffalo because so many stops suit every age. The Botanical Gardens, the zoo, Canalside and the Museum of Science are flat and accessible, with places to sit. Grandparents who love architecture can take the standard Martin House tour, which is mostly wheelchair accessible and free for children 8 and under, while the grandchildren who can’t sit still take a walk in Delaware Park. The Naval Park appeals to veterans and children alike, with a $16 ticket for veterans. Plan the day around the least mobile member of the group, and build in more rest than you think you need. Our guide to Buffalo activities for multigenerational families has plans that work for every generation.

Family Highlights by Season

Each season brings something different for children. In summer, the bike ferry, the splash pads, the waterfront concerts and festivals such as the Taste of Buffalo keep families outdoors; our Buffalo summer guide has the details. In fall, the pumpkin farms, the zoo’s pumpkin trail and the fall color in the parks take over; our Buffalo fall guide has the dates. In winter, skating at Canalside and sledding in the parks are the highlights. And in spring, the Maid of the Mist returns to Niagara Falls in late April, and the parks come back to life by mid-May. For the city’s parks and trails in every season, see our Buffalo parks and outdoors guide.

What to Pack and Practical Tips

Buffalo’s weather is the main thing to pack for. Even in summer, the breeze off Lake Erie can make Canalside and the Outer Harbor feel cool by evening, so bring a sweatshirt for every child. In spring and fall, layers and waterproof shoes matter more than anything else, and a spare set of clothes earns its place if you’re riding the Maid of the Mist or letting toddlers loose near the canal. In winter, children need snow pants, waterproof boots, hats and mittens, and a second pair of mittens for when the first gets wet.

A few practical habits make the days smoother. Arrive at the indoor museums at opening on weekends and rainy days, when they fill fastest. Eat lunch early, before 12:30, when the Canalside and museum cafes are quietest. Use the elevators at the children’s museum and the Museum of Science rather than fighting a stroller up stairs. Keep small children close along the canal edges, piers and breakwaters, where the water is deep and cold even in summer. And keep a rainy-day option in your back pocket for every outdoor plan, because in Buffalo you’ll probably need it at least once.

Finally, pace the trip. Most families find that two major stops a day is plenty, with a rest in between, and that a slower day in the middle of a longer trip keeps everyone happier. Buffalo’s attractions are close together, which makes it easy to head back to the hotel for an hour and still fit in an afternoon outing.

Buffalo with Kids FAQ

What is there to do in Buffalo with toddlers?

Explore & More Children’s Museum at Canalside is designed for toddlers through third graders, with an elevator to all four floors and free entry for babies under 1. Add the Buffalo Zoo, free for children under 2, the Buffalo Heritage Carousel at $3 a ride, the Botanical Gardens’ conservatory and the open lawns at Canalside. Keep drives short and plan one big stop a day.

Is the Buffalo Zoo worth it with kids?

Yes. It’s compact enough to see in two to three hours, open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and priced at $19.95 for ages 2 to 12 and $25.95 for adults, with children under 2 free. Because it’s open on Mondays and Tuesdays, when the children’s museum is closed, it’s the easiest family stop to fit into any week.

What can kids do in Buffalo when it rains?

Head to Explore & More Children’s Museum, open Wednesday to Sunday, or the Buffalo Museum of Science, open every day. The Botanical Gardens’ glass conservatory stays warm in any weather, and the Heritage Carousel at Canalside runs under cover from Friday to Sunday. Older children can skate or curl at Buffalo RiverWorks, and the zoo has indoor exhibits too.

Are there free things to do in Buffalo with kids?

Plenty. Canalside, Delaware Park, Buffalo Harbor State Park and the Outer Harbor are free, as is the City Hall observation deck on weekdays. The Buffalo History Museum is pay what you wish. Children under 10 ride NFTA buses and the Metro Rail free, and the Great Pumpkin Farm in Clarence is free on fall weekdays.

Is the Naval Park good for young children?

It’s best for children about 6 and older. The cruiser, destroyer and submarine involve steep ladders, tight hatches and narrow passages, and strollers can’t go aboard. Children aged 5 to 12 pay $18 and children 4 and under are free, so a family with a toddler can visit, but expect to carry them and to skip parts of the ships.

When is Explore & More Children’s Museum open?

Explore & More, at 130 Main Street at Canalside, is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with Sunday hours that vary, and it’s closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Admission is $16 for anyone aged 1 to 59, $15 for seniors, and free for babies under 1. Plan on two to three hours.

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Sources and How We Checked

Hours, prices, routes and other details in this guide were checked on September 23, 2026 against the official sources below. The guide is compiled from those operators and agencies rather than from other travel lists, and it doesn’t describe first-hand visits. Details change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the operator before you go.

Buffalo Tourism Guide is an independent publication. We are not affiliated with Visit Buffalo Niagara, the City of Buffalo or any attraction listed here, and no one paid to be included.

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