Tour de Olmsted – South Bike Tour

The father of the public park movement in America, Frederick Law Olmsted (FLO) was brought to Buffalo in 1868 for his far-sighted belief that parks, parkways, and residential communities were essential social institutions with great humanistic appeal. With his partner, Calvert Vaux, he left an indelible mark on our city that is still, today, the most complete parks and parkway system in the USA. 

On this 21-mile, 3-hour bike tour we visit the second set of parks and parkways that Olmsted and his firm designed in Buffalo (Front, South, and Cazenovia Parks) as well as several of his parkways, circles, and pocket parks. We also experience “once-were” parks, designed-but-not-implemented parks, parkways, and circles. The tour also covers multiple Buffalo neighborhoods (West Side, Downtown, South Buffalo, East Side), architectural highlights, Canalside, the Outer Harbor, and “the Parade” which is today known as Martin Luther King Park.

Our tour begins at Front Park by the statue of Commander Oliver Perry.

Please note that this is a tour for experienced and in-shape cyclists who can keep a 14-15 mph pace. Participants will be “in the saddle” for 2 hours. There are five significant hills (OK, overpasses) and several smaller but still challenging hills. It is an excellent opportunity for e-bike enthusiasts There is significant on-street bike lane and in-traffic riding involved, and many of the streets are in rough condition.

Check in 7:45am

Bike Tour Policies: 

• Helmets are required for all bike tour participants. 
• Each tour participant must have a bicycle in good working condition. Please check your tire pressure and bike chains before the tour, and bring a water bottle. 
• Participants are required to agree to our Bike Tour Waiver & Release of Liability as part of the online reservation process.
• The minimum age for bike tours is 14 years old.

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 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.