Downtown Icons & Hidden Treasures Walking Tour 2pm

Step into the grandeur of turn-of-the-century Buffalo on this downtown walking tour, where richly detailed facades and spectacular interiors reveal Buffalo’s rise as one of America’s great commercial centers. At the dawn of the twentieth century when Buffalo ranked among the nation’s largest cities and welcomed visitors from around the world prominent local firms such as Green & Wicks and Esenwein & Johnson shaped a downtown defined by elegance, ambition, and artistic craftsmanship.

Along the way, you’ll experience dramatic architecture up close with visits inside historic spaces such as the Goldome Bank and Electric Tower, while the intricate details of lesser-known downtown gems will reward curious explorers. You’ll see how thoughtful restoration has brought new life to historic buildings like the Curtiss Hotel. Together, the buildings on this tour create a vivid story of the enduring beauty of downtown Buffalo’s historic buildings.

This tour meets at Prova, a casual eatery located in the lobby of 40 Fountain Plaza, adjacent to the Rotary Rink reflecting pool. Fountain Plaza is located on Main Street between Huron and Chippewa Streets. Metered street parking is available along Main Street and other nearby streets. The closest parking ramp is the Augspurger Ramp at Huron and Pearl Streets. The Fountain Plaza Metro Rail station is on Main Street outside Fountain Plaza. This tour is approximately ninety minutes in length and 1.2 miles of walking. 

Tour Procedures & Policies: 

• Reservations are required for all tours, including for Explorer Pass members. Walk-ups without reservations cannot be accommodated. Tours are generally limited to a maximum of 18 people per group. 
  • Reservations close two hours before the tour’s scheduled start time (for example, reservations close at 8am for a 10am tour). 
  • To redeem an orange Explore Buffalo walking tour pass, please email explore@explorebuffalo.org at least 24 hours in advance to reserve your tour. 
  • The Explore Buffalo docent for your tour will have a list of tour reservations for their tour; you do not need to print or bring any tour confirmation. 
• Accessibility: Please contact us at explore@explorebuffalo.org or (716) 245-3032 if you plan to attend this tour and will require accommodations or if you have questions about accessibility. 
• Please wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather. Tours generally proceed rain or shine. In the event of weather that requires a tour cancellation, we will contact registered tour guests in advance of the tour. 
• See our FAQs page for our refund policy and answers to other questions.
• By confirming your reservation for any Explore Buffalo tour, you acknowledge and accept Explore Buffalo’s tour policies.