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Courtesy Visit Buffalo/Getty
When you think of Buffalo, New York, a few things probably come to mind: chicken wings, drunk Buffalo Bills fans jumping through tables, and the nearby Niagara Falls. I don’t blame you. As a native Buffalonian, I’ll be the first to agree that for most of my life, these were the main offerings for tourists.
But over the past 20 or so years, the Queen City has been mounting an unlikely comeback thanks to a confluence of investments in the city’s arts, architectural legacy, and waterfront. Consider the Albright-Knox Art Gallery's recent $230 million campus expansion. And the $180 million from the state's Regional Revitalization Partnership funding additional waterfront expansion. Or the $56 million spent preserving architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy across the city via the renovation of the Darwin Martin House and the construction of a new visitor center at Graycliff Estates.
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Over the past 20 or so years, the Queen City has been mounting an unlikely comeback.
Courtesy Visit Buffalo
For sports fans, there’s never been a better time to visit Buffalo, as the Sabres are atop the NHL’s Eastern Conference and slated to break a 14-year playoff drought while the Buffalo Bills are kicking off next season in a brand new, $2.2 billion stadium. Meanwhile, Buffalo’s dining scene has exploded and attracted the attention of national food critics and a handful of James Beard Awards semi-finalist and finalist nods, signaling a new and exciting chapter in Buffalo’s dining history. The city even began branding itself as a “climate refuge” in 2019 after a Harvard Study named Buffalo one of the best cities to move to when escaping the risks of climate change.
For these reasons and more, we’ve named Buffalo one of The Best Places to Go in the US in 2026. When you do go, consider this your local guide for where to eat, stay, and play while you’re in town. Because, as former Buffalo Bills head coach Marv Levy has moaned for years, “Where else would you rather be than right here, right now?”
FAQ:
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Buffalo is famous for its wings, and there is no shortage of joints serving up mouth-watering renditions.
Courtesy Bar-Bill Tavern