Sites of a City: Charles E. Burchfield’s Buffalo by Bus

This new bus tour in collaboration with the Burchfield Penney Art Center will visit the tree-lined streets where Charles E. Burchfield lived and iconic buildings, factories, and railroad yards in the city that inspired his work. Burchfield’s love and respect for nature is the central theme in the majority of his work. However, Burchfield was also intrigued by Buffalo’s urban landscape. You’ll view Burchfield’s paintings and sketches and hear excerpts from his journals as we visit sites across downtown including the Electric Building, and Genesee Corridor, the places where he lived on the West Side and the industrial areas including the grain elevators and the Central Terminal.

Charles Ephraim Burchfield (1893-1967) is best known for his dream-like paintings of nature and America’s landscapes. He moved to Buffalo in 1921 to work for the M.H. Birge & Sons wallpaper company as a designer. He lived in the city until 1925 when he moved to Gardenville-West Seneca with his family. He left Birge in 1929 because he anticipated being able to support his family with art sales at the Rehn Gallery in New York. He remained in the same house until his death in 1967.

In 1928, artist Edward Hopper wrote, “The work of Charles Burchfield is most decidedly founded, not on art, but on life, and life that he knows and loves best.”

The tour meets in front of the Burchfield Penney Art Center, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222 where the tour begins. Free parking is available in the Burchfield Penney parking lot. This museum is dedicated to the art and vision of Charles E. Burchfield and the art and artists of our Western New York region. Sites of a City: Charles E. Burchfield’s Buffalo by Bus is approximately two hours in length. Restrooms are available prior to the start of the tour. There is currently no wheelchair access onto the bus.

One free pass to the Burchfield Penney Art Center is included in the ticket price.

• Advance reservations are required for all tours, including for Explorer Pass members. Walk-ups without reservations cannot be accommodated. Please note that space is limited for this bus tour.      
• 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: There is currently no wheelchair access onto the bus.
• 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. 
• Photography is welcome and encouraged on this tour. 
• See our FAQs page for our refund policy and answers to other questions.