Winter break staycation ideas: The Buffalo History Museum, Explore & More and Canalside

Buffalo History Museum
credit: paulathompsonfreelance.com

Next week is winter break for many area schools, and if you’re staying in the Buffalo area and braving the cold, you can still have some family fun – check out these ideas.

Buffalo History Museum – on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the History Museum, located at One Museum Ct. in Buffalo, offers Break Out! – Presidents Past, where you’ll learn about Buffalo’s connections to US presidents, go on a scavenger hunt, make a craft and more. Hours are Wednesday 1 to 3 p.m., Thursday noon to 3 p.m. and Friday 1 to 3 p.m. Friday is also M&T Third Friday, with free admission from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find out more about the Museum at www.buffalohistory.org. 

Explore & More Children’s Museum – the East Aurora museum, located at 300 Gleed Ave.,  is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Monday, stop by from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and make a red, white and blue snack in honor of President’s Day; Tuesday through Friday, celebrate the Lunar New Year from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit www.exploreandmore.org for more information.

Canalside – for winter break, Canalside is open extended hours Monday through Friday, with open ice skating, ice bike rentals and curling daily from noon to 7 p.m. (ice bikes until 10 p.m. on Friday). You can also check out the Artisan Market in the Winter Village on Thursday and Friday from 2 to 8 p.m. Find a complete schedule of things to do at www.canalsidebuffalo.com.

Better Late Than Never: A Springtime Visit to the Japanese Garden and Buffalo History Museum

Sometimes, things don’t go as planned – kind of like my writing about this at the end of summer instead of in the spring when I went. My trip to the Japanese Garden at Delaware Park was another one of those things – I had originally wanted to go during the Cherry Blossom Festival in late April, but thanks to weather and life in general, I didn’t go until about a week after the festival ended.

That turned out to be a good thing.

It seemed like the festival was a little early thanks to the wacky Buffalo weather in winter and spring. When I went, it looked like the optimal time.

My trip to the Garden also included a trip to the Buffalo History Museum, which is located in front of the Garden. The Museum was hosting a Buffalo Sabres exhibit entitled “Forging a Connection,” a look at the early years of the Sabres, including the rise of the French Connection and the fall of Tim Horton. One of the coolest parts of the exhibit was the collection of tickets from Sabres games of that era – each one on a stand in a small box with its own light, filling an entire wall.

The Buffalo History Museum is also home to numerous other exhibits concerning – of course – Buffalo’s history. It will soon be the home of the Tim Russert exhibit that was on display at the NEWSeum in Washington, D.C.

Find out more about the Buffalo History Museum at www.buffalohistory.org, and the Japanese Garden at japanesegardenofbuffalo.blogspot.com and www.buffalocherryblossomfestival.com. 

all photos: paulathompsonfreelance.com