Besides the stadium, what are some special BUFFALO BILLS places to see or experience in the upstate New York area

[BillsFan619]

Hey bills mafia!

 

My family and I are traveling from SoCal to upstate New York at the beginning of July. It’s not as glamorous as it sounds, we’re driving. 😳😱 That said, it will be fun.

 

I was curious, is there any special Buffalo bills places to see or experience besides the stadium? We’re just going to miss training camp and we’ve been in and seen the stadium many times.

 

I love being immersed in the bills because I’ve never lived in the area. So, is there a Buffalo Bills restaurant, a top-notch Buffalo Bills bar, a Buffalo Bills store (besides at the stadium) that has tons of bills merchandise, a place in the city or surrounding area(s) that’s just littered with bills stuff everywhere and pays homage to the bills,  a Buffalo Bills experience that’s in the city or surrounding areas? Or, whatever you can think of that’s Buffalo Bills related.

 

Maybe there’s nothing, but I thought I would ask. Thanks and go Bills!

Edited June 25, 2022 by BillsFan619

[ganesh]

I think a trip to Canton to visit the HoF would be worth it to see the legendary Bills there.

[BillsFan619]

11 minutes ago, ganesh said:

I think a trip to Canton to visit the HoF would be worth it to see the legendary Bills there.

Good suggestion. I’ve never been.

 

it’s about four hours from Buffalo. Is it expensive to get in?

Edited June 25, 2022 by BillsFan619

[Htt2821]

Depending on far East you are traveling, Cooperstown is a must. 

[WotAGuy]

15 minutes ago, BillsFan619 said:

Good suggestion. I’ve never been.

 

it’s about four hours from Buffalo. Is it expensive to get in?

No, but you have to make it through 4 or 5 rounds of voting!

[Augie]

19 minutes ago, BillsFan619 said:

I’ve never been.

 

it’s about four hours from Buffalo. Is it expensive to get in?

 

Since you’re driving, it might be (almost) on your way? 

 

A lady who works with my wife just went to visit her friend in Buffalo a few weeks ago. She knew more about Buffalo in a few days than I did when i left at 17 for college!

 

I wish I had her itinerary, as they covered it all: City Hall and the viewing floor; Frank Lloyd Wright house; museums; Niagara Falls (do NOT miss the Maid of the Mist); Beef on weck with wings, and much more……..

 

EDIT: They actually went to Toronto and had a drink at the highest elevated bar in North America (so they said). 

Edited June 25, 2022 by Augie

[Peace Frog]

Beef on Weck at Schwabl's in West Seneca.

Fish fry at Wiechec's Lounge in Kaisertown.

OneFootCock liquor sampling at Buffalo Distilling Co. in East Buffalo.

Buffalo wings at Anchor Bar in downtown Buffalo.

Niagara Falls, of course.

Letchworth State Park because, awesomeness.

Edited June 25, 2022 by Peace Frog

[chongli]

1 hour ago, BillsFan619 said:

Good suggestion. I’ve never been.

 

it’s about four hours from Buffalo. Is it expensive to get in?

 

$33 for each adult (13-64). $29 for 65+. $26 for 6-12. Under 6 is free. $10 for parking. Free if you just go to the gift shop or if you join.

 

https://www.profootballhof.com/visit/

 

Edited June 25, 2022 by chongli

[Awwufelloff]

The Adirondacks in the fall. 

[BillsShredder83]

Visit Tempo Restaurant, there's always high level meetings happening there 😄

[BillsPride12]

A lot of people are suggesting great WNY things that have nothing to do with the Bills 

 

To answer the OP's question it's a must to stop in the Big Tree Inn for some drinks and wings.  Historic little dive bar on the corner of Abbott right by where the stadium is.  There's some pretty cool Bills memorabilia hanging in the bar and it's important to keep in mind that is the infamous watering hole of a lot of the players and legends themselves.  Plus the atmosphere in there is always a blast. 

[BADOLBILZ]

I don't think you are going to find a lot of "Buffalo Bills places"..........the Bills are just part of the fabric of the community........there are public displays of affection for the Bills all over but it more like that........little bits everywhere.   As people have mentioned, the things to visit are places like Niagara Falls(including the more touristy Canadian side) and a great state park like Letchworth and, of course,   all the regional food places.   The stadium is nice to visit and the Bills store is open year round there but you will find that when you roll up that it's a huge parking lot and stadium dropped into the outskirts of a middle class neighborhood.   

[Food_Pyramid_Wrong]

you can go see the area Joseph Smith found the Golden Plates in Palmyra New York, or maybe go visit some peelers in Niagara Falls Canada.

[Buffalo_Stampede]

You can drive by JP Losman’s old house.

[machine gun kelly]

7 hours ago, Peace Frog said:

Beef on Weck at Schwabl's in West Seneca.

Fish fry at Wiechec's Lounge in Kaisertown.

OneFootCock liquor sampling at Buffalo Distilling Co. in East Buffalo.

Buffalo wings at Anchor Bar in downtown Buffalo.

Niagara Falls, of course.

Letchworth State Park because, awesomeness.

Good ideas, but back on the day Eckels, in OP was better for beef on Weck.  Schwab else was like white bread 30 years ago.  Letchworth with that 3000ft. Gorge was fantastic.  I also am particular to Chestnut Ridge in the Southtowns.  
 

If going to the Falls, Maid if the Mist is great, but Cave of the winds with clothes that dry is even better.  619, on the American side, you can walk underneath some of the Falls.  You’ll be soaking wet, but it’s worth it.

 

Have a great time bud and put up some pics when you get back.  You know the crew would love it.  
 

I might be up for the Steelers game.

[BillsShredder83]

6 hours ago, SaratogaMike said:

you can go see the area Joseph Smith found the Golden Plates in Palmyra New York, or maybe go visit some peelers in Niagara Falls Canada.

For the authentic seedy feel I believe establishments need to have, I recommend Colonie Lounge lol the mixed excitement of girls you can take home, with "will I get shot", creates quite the rush

[hondo in seattle]

8 hours ago, BillsPride12 said:

A lot of people are suggesting great WNY things that have nothing to do with the Bills 

 

To answer the OP's question it's a must to stop in the Big Tree Inn for some drinks and wings.  Historic little dive bar on the corner of Abbott right by where the stadium is.  There's some pretty cool Bills memorabilia hanging in the bar and it's important to keep in mind that is the infamous watering hole of a lot of the players and legends themselves.  Plus the atmosphere in there is always a blast. 

 

As an out-of-state Bills fan the only Bills place I normally visit in Buffalo is the gift shop at the stadium. 

 

If you've heard the sordid stories, the Big Tree Inn would be a good second stop. 

 

I'm hard pressed to think of any worthy Bills places worth visiting.  Is there any kind of marker when the Rockpile used to be?

 

Almost forgot: I learned the Buffalo History Museum has a Bills exhibit though I haven't seen it yet.  

[Since1981]

I agree. It’s like asking to see beaches in Florida. “Bills” in Buffalo, it just is.

 

two others interesting 

canal 716 etc 

https://www.visitbuffaloniagara.com/business-type/canalside/

 

late July Rochester training camp 60 min from Buffalo. You get to be close to the players. 

https://www.buffalobills.com/training-camp/

[SoCal Deek]

The OP asks an interesting question but having been to dozens of NFL cities I cannot say that any of them have team related sights to see, other than the stadium itself.

 

Something that I didn’t see mentioned here however is that you can still drive by the site of the old Rockpile. If I recall, it’s a sports park now but they did preserve the original stadium entry structures on the street corner.

[BillsFanNC]

Not the stadium, but nearby is the Big Tree. Where many Bills current and past have enjoyed wings. Andre talked about it in his HOF speech.

[Giuseppe Tognarelli]

Dave & Adam's has a good amount of memorabilia, as do stores in the Walden Galleria.

[Might Rather]

11 hours ago, Peace Frog said:

Niagara Falls, of course.

Letchworth State Park because, awesomeness.

Agreed!

[strive_for_five_guy]

10 hours ago, BillsPride12 said:

A lot of people are suggesting great WNY things that have nothing to do with the Bills 

 

 

Reading comprehension is not a strong suit here 😂 

[Kwai San]

3 hours ago, strive_for_five_guy said:

Reading comprehension is not a strong suit here 😂 

 

Amen to that brother!  Amen!

[BillsPride12]

4 hours ago, Giuseppe Tognarelli said:

Dave & Adam's has a good amount of memorabilia, as do stores in the Walden Galleria.

This is a good one!

[LabattBlue]

Hopefully the new stadium will have an attached Bills HoF which would be open year round.  Wouldn’t it be nice to go on a stadium tour and visit the HoF in the offseason?

 

Great for locals and out of town visitors. 

[Wacka]

Ilio Di Paolo's  Restaurant (Italian) on South Park. A  few miles away  but  a lot of Bills go there when they want a nice Italian meal. Kelly, Tasker and others used to go there on the way home from practice, Ilio was a pro wrestler in the 50s  and his kids have a lot of is photos still up.

[TC in St. Louis]

Take a walk down Devil's Hole to the bottom of the gorge.  You'll be afraid to stick your toe in that raging water.  

[Dan Darragh]

The Bills played a couple of preseason games at Holleder Stadium in Rochester back in the 1960s.  But it's been torn down and now it's an industrial park. https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/lifestyle/2013/11/30/whatever-happened-to-holleder-stadium/3773223/

 

More seriously, Buffalo is the best located place for a Hall of Fame tour, all within 4 hours of Buffalo by car:

• Rock and Roll HOF in Cleveland
• Pro football HOF in Canton, OH
• Hockey HOF in Toronto
• Baseball HOF in Cooperstown

Cleveland and Canton are very close to each other.  Leave enough time for each though; we spent 5+ hours at each of them.

 

Toronto is about a 90 minute drive from Buffalo.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Isn't the front of War Memorial Stadium still standing?  You could drive past that. Not sure what is around there.  

[machine gun kelly]

16 hours ago, Wacka said:

Ilio Di Paolo's  Restaurant (Italian) on South Park. A  few miles away  but  a lot of Bills go there when they want a nice Italian meal. Kelly, Tasker and others used to go there on the way home from practice, Ilio was a pro wrestler in the 50s  and his kids have a lot of is photos still up.

Thats funny.  Dennis is a close family friend.  We had my Dad’s 90th birthday there.  I still remember after our bowling season (yeah not much to do in Blasdell) we’d go there for a celebration lunch.  I went to OMGC before St. Francis of course, and Ilio would shake five elementary school boys hands at once and pinky would touch his thumb.

 

That was one large man.  A nice one too.  Good pasta 619.  You can look at Georgia’s George pics and so on.

[SoCal Deek]

1 hour ago, Ethan in Portland said:

Isn't the front of War Memorial Stadium still standing?  You could drive past that. Not sure what is around there.  

I mentioned that earlier as it was the only truly Bills related historic site that came to mind. Unfortunately, it’s only two short blocks south of the recent mass shooting at the Tops market, so it’s a bit somber these days.

[BarleyNY]

2 hours ago, Dan Darragh said:

The Bills played a couple of preseason games at Holleder Stadium in Rochester back in the 1960s.  But it's been torn down and now it's an industrial park. https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/lifestyle/2013/11/30/whatever-happened-to-holleder-stadium/3773223/

 

More seriously, Buffalo is the best located place for a Hall of Fame tour, all within 4 hours of Buffalo by car:

• Rock and Roll HOF in Cleveland
• Pro football HOF in Canton, OH
• Hockey HOF in Toronto
• Baseball HOF in Cooperstown

Cleveland and Canton are very close to each other.  Leave enough time for each though; we spent 5+ hours at each of them.

 

Toronto is about a 90 minute drive from Buffalo.

Good recommendations.  If you go to Cleveland for the Rock Hall I’d also recommend going to the West Side Market (Steve’s Gyros is great) and the Cleveland Museum of Art, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Edited June 26, 2022 by BarleyNY

[machine gun kelly]

On 6/24/2022 at 8:39 PM, BillsFan619 said:

Hey bills mafia!

 

My family and I are traveling from SoCal to upstate New York at the beginning of July. It’s not as glamorous as it sounds, we’re driving. 😳😱 That said, it will be fun.

 

I was curious, is there any special Buffalo bills places to see or experience besides the stadium? We’re just going to miss training camp and we’ve been in and seen the stadium many times.

 

I love being immersed in the bills because I’ve never lived in the area. So, is there a Buffalo Bills restaurant, a top-notch Buffalo Bills bar, a Buffalo Bills store (besides at the stadium) that has tons of bills merchandise, a place in the city or surrounding area(s) that’s just littered with bills stuff everywhere and pays homage to the bills,  a Buffalo Bills experience that’s in the city or surrounding areas? Or, whatever you can think of that’s Buffalo Bills related.

 

Maybe there’s nothing, but I thought I would ask. Thanks and go Bills!

If you want a good fish fry which is a staple on Friday nights during lent at least, Hoak’s.  It’s right across the street from my alma mater, St. Francis HS.  Alma mater to Chris Polian, Tom Telesco, Dave Caldwell, and Coach Daboll.  Maybe the priest will let you walk the tunnel.  There is really a tunnel between the two buildings as it was so darn cold in the winters off the Lake.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

2 hours ago, SoCal Deek said:

I mentioned that earlier as it was the only truly Bills related historic site that came to mind. Unfortunately, it’s only two short blocks south of the recent mass shooting at the Tops market, so it’s a bit somber these days.

Wow I didn't know that.  Such a tragedy.  I saw Mike Meyers on Colbert wearing a Sabres jersey the following week as a shout of to Buffalo.  

[Chicharito]

A walk around canal side is pretty nice in Buffalo. Give yourself some extra time in Utah. Utah was the most beautiful state I have ever driven thru!

[I'm Spartacus]

3 hours ago, machine gun kelly said:

If you want a good fish fry which is a staple on Friday nights during lent at least, Hoak’s.  It’s right across the street from my alma mater, St. Francis HS.  Alma mater to Chris Polian, Tom Telesco, Dave Caldwell, and Coach Daboll.  Maybe the priest will let you walk the tunnel.  There is really a tunnel between the two buildings as it was so darn cold in the winters off the Lake.

Hoak's has a good fish fry, but it is alway's packed.

I like Rodney's across the street and about 100 yards down the road. Better fish fry in my opinion...

[billybrew1]

I’d advise you to subscribe to the Buffalo News and read their Friday magazine that comes with it called, “Gusto,” ang you see schedules of things to do and places to go and learn a lot about Buffalo.

Buffalo has a lot of “affordable” restaurants that offer really good food and portions much better than big city offers. They also have a few restaurants that have adopted pricing from other cities and they’re good but expensive. I can’t really afford them so I go to the restaurants that are priced for most Buffalonians.

Buffalo has a lot of beautiful architecture to see and they are expanding and improving on-line tours all the time. Just google them.

 

unfortunately, two of the things I’m most excited about in Buffalo aren’t built yet. We have one of the top modern art museums in the country but it is being totally remodeled and expended.

the other thing is Lasalle park. It is also being remolded and expended. It is undergoing a name change as well… it is changing to Ralph Wilson Park.

I don’t know when either will reopen or how it is going right now.

 

Buffalo does a nice, Shakespeare in the park. It is located in Delaware Park. It is a beautiful in the city park that also gestures Hoyt Lake, which is pretty. There is also a good restaurant in the park. It is called the Terrace and it is one of the very good, affordable restaurants and I recommend. It is a seafood restaurant mostly.  It is a nice park too to exercise or walk around. I reccomend all of it. It has public restrooms as well.  The history museum is also there so there is a lot to offer there. A rose garden…. It’s a nice place. Go see the Shakespeare. It’s free, take some fruit cheese and wine, etc…a blanket…. A babe…. Used to be my favorite date about a hundred years ago….oh! The zoo is in there too and it is decent as well.

Lastly, I’d like to recommend another park…. It is about 90 minutes outside (and is close to another park that is truly gigantic and I highly recommend that one to! Allegany State Park. Allegany has three beautiful lakes two to swim and is in the Allegany mountains. I love it look into it!) but the park close to is Sculpture Park. It was helped to expend a lot by the 100000 Maniacs. They live close to there. Sometimes sculpture park has concerts. Look into it. Go to both parks. Spend a some time there.  A very unique park.

I hope this helps you and you guys have a blast!

[without a drought]

It's Buffalo, every bar is a Bills bar and wherever you go, you'll see people in their Bills attire.

[Nextmanup]

The only Buffalo Bills related attraction I can think of would be to venture into the East Side of town and look at the site of the former "Rock Pile" or War Memorial Stadium where the Bills used to play until the current stadium was built in the early '70s.  OJ Simpson made a lot of his history there.  

 

There isn't much of the old stadium left now, but there is still something to see. 

 

This also has the double benefit of being about 2 blocks from the site of the recent Tops grocery store mass killing if you have a morbid fascination in seeing where that took place.

 

Edited June 26, 2022 by Nextmanup