Buffalo History Museum facts for kids
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The Buffalo History Museum
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South facade, 2023
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | One Museum Court, Buffalo, NY |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1901 |
| Architect | Cary, George |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002606 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 23, 1980 |
| Designated NHL | February 27, 1987 |
The Buffalo History Museum is a cool place to learn about the past! It's located in Buffalo, New York, right inside Delaware Park. This museum was first known as the Buffalo Historical Society. It later changed its name to the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society before becoming The Buffalo History Museum.
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A Look at the Museum's History
The building where the Buffalo History Museum is today was built in 1901. It was made for a big event called the Pan-American Exposition. This museum building is the only permanent structure left from that huge fair! As planned, the Buffalo Historical Society moved into the building after the exposition ended.
A famous Buffalo architect named George Cary designed the building. Its front entrance looks a lot like the ancient Parthenon temple in Greece. Because of its special history and design, the building was named a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
The Buffalo Historical Society started way back in 1862. Its very first president was Millard Fillmore, who was once a U.S. President! The museum offers many exhibits and events for kids, families, and students. For over 100 years, it has celebrated Lincoln's Birthday. You can even see a bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln by Charles H. Niehaus on the museum's front porch.
From 1879 to 1947, the Society published important books and papers. These works shared the history of the Niagara Frontier area. Many of these old writings are now available to read online.
The museum's name has changed a few times. In 1960, it became the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society. Then, in 2012, it officially became The Buffalo History Museum.
What You Can See: Museum Exhibits
The museum has three floors filled with interesting exhibits. You can explore the Rotary Gallery, which has amazing model trains. There's also the Pioneer Gallery, the Erie County Room, and the State Court. Other galleries include the Community Gallery, Native American Gallery, Neighbors, and ICONS.
In October 2014, a special recreation of journalist Tim Russert's office opened. This exhibit was first shown at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.
In November 2017, the museum opened a new exhibit called Icons: The Makers and Moments of Buffalo Sports. This exhibit explores Buffalo, New York's rich sports history. It shows the special connection between fans and their favorite teams and sports heroes. You can see cool items like Ralph Wilson's Hall of Fame jacket. There's also the only helmet Scott Norwood wore when he played for the Buffalo Bills. The exhibit also features changing displays, like one about the Buffalo Beauts.
Discoveries in the Research Library
The museum's Research Library is a great place for people who love history. It's perfect for learning about family history or old buildings. Some important collections include:
- The Millard Fillmore Papers
- The Peter Buell Porter Papers
- The Mary Burnett Talbert papers
- The Larkin Company records and items
- The Pan-American Exposition collection
- Maris B. Pierce's papers
The library also has many other resources, like:
- 100,000 artifacts
- 20,000 books
- 200,000 photographs
- 50,000 plans
- Drawings
- Maps
- Posters
- Prints
- Old advertisements
- 6,500 microfilms of newspapers
- Church records
- Cemetery records
- Census information
- Pamphlets
- Clippings
All these items help tell the story of the people, places, buildings, groups, businesses, and events in the Buffalo and Niagara frontier region. You can even search FRANK, the library's online catalog, to find books and old writings.
Amateis Pediment
The top part of the museum's front, called the pediment, was designed by Edmond Amateis. It features different figures in its design.
