Assumption Church Interior Tour

Built in 1914 for the growing Polish community of Black Rock, the Romanesque Revival church reflects “old world” architectural styles, with Norman brick, Spanish roof tiles and twin towers topped with seven-foot crosses.  Assumption originally accommodated 1,500 parishioners inside of its walls, making it one of the largest religious buildings in Buffalo. Today, it is still one of only five 1,000+ seat churches in the city. Visitors will view the church’s wood ceiling, richly painted in the European tradition, colorful rose-wheel windows and two rows of 50 highly decorated stained glass windows depicting the lives of Christ and the Saints. Also on view are murals by Polish artist Jozef Slawinski, whose first commission in the U.S. was here at Assumption Church.

One of the momentous events in Assumption’s history occurred in 1969, when Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope and Saint John Paul, II, visited the church. 

This tour meets inside Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Church, located at 435 Amherst St., Buffalo, NY 14207.  Parking is available in the church’s lot located off of Peter Street.  Street parking is also available.  Enter the church through the side door, by the parking lot, adjacent to the red rectory building.

Check in 10:45am

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 15 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. 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.