Delaware Park: Hoyt Lake Walking Tour

Built as one of Frederick Law Olmsted’s original Buffalo parks by the early 1870s, Delaware Park is the largest park in Buffalo’s system of parks and parkways designed by Olmsted. This tour of the Hoyt Lake section of Delaware Park will circle Hoyt Lake as it visits some of the park’s landmarks and statues. Along the way, learn about the history of Frederick Law Olmsted in Buffalo, his vision for our city, and the specific design and evolution of Delaware Park. 

The tour meets at the statue of Abraham Lincoln in front of the Rose Garden in Delaware Park, across Lincoln Parkway from the Buffalo AKG Art Museum. Use 199 Lincoln Parkway, Buffalo NY 14222 for GPS & Google Maps. Abundant free street parking on Lincoln Parkway is available: please plan on 10 minutes to find a spot and walk to the Abraham Lincoln statue. This tour is approximately ninety minutes and 1.8 miles in length. This tour includes some hills and stairs, and goes off the park paths onto the grass at some points. 

Tour Procedures & Policies: 

• Reservations are required for all tours, including for Explorer Pass members. Walk-ups without reservations cannot be accommodated. Walking 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). 
  • 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: This tour includes some hills and stairs, and goes off the park paths onto the grass at some points. Please contact us at [email protected] 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.