Buffalo Family Fun

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Youth comes but once in a lifetime.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Assembling the frame of a house at Explore and More

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Explore & More Children's Museum

Explore & More Children's Museum is a great place to visit for babies and the toddler set and the museum has many different themed areas to enjoy. Although my kids (5 and 7) are a bit too old now for this museum, we had many fond memories there and hope you do too! The museum is still located in East Aurora, NY for the time being while the brand new Explore & More continues to be built in the heart of downtown Buffalo. It’s a great place to visit on a rainy day and at $7 per admission (kids under 1 free) the price is right too. 

PRO TIP -  For free admission The Buffalo and Erie County Library system has a free family pass you can check out just like a book good for a family of four.

Explore & More is a smaller sized museum and our family typically spent no more than two hours there in a visit. There is a lunchroom down the hall if you want to pack your own lunches, or you can explore Main St. in East Aurora for a plethora of dining choices (or McDonald’s if you must). Once a year this museum sponsors a Touch-a Truck event in downtown Buffalo and it’s a real hoot. Below is a quick highlight of some of the attractions.

Building Curiosity: Inside Architecture allows kids to use safe and fun construction equipment to design and build! Inside the architect's studio, kids can draw their dream house and then build it in 3-D.

The cross-section of a house is the perfect place for them to explore how electricity, plumbing, siding and flooring all work.

Food Glorious Food! is a fun exhibit for young kids to create delicious and unique food.

They can fish, go to the farm stand or pick apples from a "tree" before entering the kitchen, where there's plenty of ways to serve all that food.

A nearby international food station features treats from around the globe.

Kids can continue learning about other countries at Explore and More's Culture Corner. They will be immersed into the sights and sounds of life in several different countries – all guided by their own "passport to adventure”.

The museum's youngest visitors can enjoy some safe play in the Babies' Garden – a special spot for infants.

Nearby, preschoolers and toddlers can test their climbing skills on the new traversing wall.

Explore & More is located at: 300 Gleed Ave., East Aurora NY 14052.

For hours and admission visit www.exploreandmore.org

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USS Little Rock - Buffalo, NY

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Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park

The Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park is a great summer place to visit with kids of all ages and it’s an annual visit for our family. 

The highlight of the park is three decommissioned naval crafts, The USS The Sullivans destroyer, the USS Little Rock guided missile cruiser, and The USS Croaker, a Gato-class submarine. Tours are self guided and you follow a yellow line through all three ships so as not to get lost (yes they are that big!). Inside the destroyer and cruiser are wartime displays of historical models, maps, and uniforms. There is so much to see that you could probably spend all day there if you wanted to. My kids prefer to zip through those areas and just appreciate the enormity of the ships and their seemingly infinite number of rooms.

Even though the USS Croaker is at the end of your tour, make sure to at least go through quickly. It is absolutely amazing to see how small it is inside and to imagine sailors living onboard for weeks at a time.

Other than the three ships, there are some other displays in the park consisting of tanks, airplanes, helicopters, and a PT boat as well as memorial walls for wars the United States was involved in.

Where you are finished grab a bite at one of downtown Buffalo’s newest pub eateries, ‘Liberty Hound’ right next door to the park.

Admission is $10 (17+) and $5 for kids (6-16). Under 6 is free.

PRO TIP - Check Groupon. They usually have some great deals on tickets for the park. 

The Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military park is located at: One Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, NY 14202.

For more information visit www.buffalonavalpark.org

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Albright-Knox Art Gallery Buffalo

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Albright-Knox Art Gallery

If you want to introduce your kids into that amazing world of art, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery is a great place to start!

The Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo is probably best suited for slightly older kids who show an interest in the arts. My budding artist 7 year old can appreciate the vastly different works of art on display but my 5 year old could care less. There are some big name ‘celebrity’ artists here such as Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso, and Monet. Kids like seeing those and can’t believe we are lucky enough to have them right in our backyard.

The great thing about the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, is that it teaches kids that art isn't just paintings! If you look at the permanent collection on display - there are sketches, life art, paintings, sculptures, and tapestries. 

The gallery shows kids that art comes in all forms, and there is no right or wrong. Yes, even the Jackson Pollock that everyone says they could make given a few buckets of paint.

The exhibitions at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery often change, so make sure you check out the dates so you know you're not missing out on something you really want to see.

The gallery isn't just art - it's very hands on with their programs - one of which is the educational workshops. My son took a six-week class last winter and absolutely loved it. The class goes on a ‘field trip’ into the museum before they get to their own designs for inspiration.

There are lessons, animation workshops, theater workshops and activities over summer for the kids to be involved in too.

Get creative with the family at this world-class gallery right here in Buffalo!

For hours and admission fees visit: www.albrightknox.org

PRO TIP - Admission is free on the 1st Friday of every month!