See

Canalside

A 20-acre (8 ha) park home to the Commercial Slip, once the western end of the mighty Erie Canal, on the side of which are the restored foundations of buildings dating to the mid-19th century. As well, the park has tour boats, a restored canal bridge, interpretive plaques, and the enthralling Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park.

outdoors

Getting there: along the north shore of the Buffalo River between the Commercial Slip and the foot of Main Street; Metro Rail: Erie Canal Harbor
Website: buffalowaterfront.com (opens in a new tab)

Directions Suggest a nearby place

Listing from Wikivoyage: Buffalo, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

Close by

SeeRuinsDowntown
Canalside
Situated on 20 acres (8 ha) of formerly idle land at the harbor, Canalside combines the celebration and preservation of Buffalo's rich history as a rough-and-tumble canal town with an expansion of waterfront recreational opportunities for Buffalonians of today to enjoy. At Canalside, amenities such as tour boats offering cruises of the harbor, river, and lake, a lengthy slate of festivals, and one of the city's favorite new restaurants (Liberty Hound) can be enjoyed in an environment that also pays tribute to history with features such as a recreation of the Commercial Slip — once the western end of the mighty Erie Canal — on the side of which are the restored foundations of old Canal District buildings, dating to the mid-19th century and rediscovered in the early 2000s. As well, a restored canal bridge, interpretive plaques, and the enthralling Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park are on the scene. With further expansion of the offerings slated for the near future, such as two new hotels, a children's museum, a sports complex, and restaurants and shops, Canalside is only going to get better as time goes on.
EatIce cream shop
Bryce's Ice Cream
1 Naval Park Cv
SeeHistory museum
Erie Canal Packet Boat Exhibit
DoSightseeing tour agencySouth Buffalo
Buffalo River History Tours
Choose your own adventure with this boat tour outfit operating from the Central Wharf at Canalside. The classic Buffalo River Tour aboard the River Queen leaves five times daily, destination Elevator Alley: you'll feel the wind whip through your hair as you listen to the captain recount the history of the grain elevators and their contribution to the huge importance of Buffalo Harbor in the 19th and 20th centuries. Other tours include the Silo City Tour, which also offers a brief walking tour inside three of the grain elevators themselves, and the Silos and Steamships Tour for a close-up look at the SS Columbia, which at the time of its retirement in 1991 was the last of the old passenger steamers that once plied the Great Lakes. For something a bit less in-depth, non-narrated one-hour cruises around the harbor and Canalside are offered on a separate boat.
Buffalo River Tour departs daily 10:30AM, 12:30PM, 2:30PM, 4:30PM & 5:30PM, Silo City tour daily 11:30AM, Silos and Stemships Tour daily 2PM, harbor cruises daily 12:30PM, 2PM & 3:30PM; season runs May-OctBuffalo River Tour $23, children $12; harbor cruise $15, children $10; all other tours $33, children $18