Throughout the year, the Buffalo Zoo offers guests fascinating animal exhibits, naturalistic wildlife habitats, beautiful garden areas and several unique areas in which to enjoy an environment that is full of fun, adventure and history. The Buffalo Zoo is open daily rain or shine!
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East Amherst and Orchard Park locations. Rolly Pollies® offers Western New York's most dynamic, fun-filled Gym, Summer and Holiday Camp, Birthday Parties, Creative Arts, and Music programs for children 6 months through 12 years old in a safe, nurturing environment.
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Kelkenberg Farm of Clarence is a family-operated business open for tours and group parties for all ages year-round. We are a real livestock and horse farm that has been welcoming farm visitors for over 30 years. There is fun for everyone every season of the year. Pumpkin pickin’ in the fall, sleigh rides in the winter, baby animals in the spring, and summer picnics. Come for your birthday, with your school, for pumpkins, or just for fun.
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Buffalo. The Buffalo Museum of Science is a non-profit educational institution dedicated to the study and interpretation of the natural and physical sciences. BMS offers traveling exhibits, a 3D cinema and permanent exhibit halls, including our hands-on early childhood gallery, Explorations, and the new interactive health science studio, Explore YOU presented by Independent Health. Our museum offers free parking and is handicapped accessible.
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East Aurora. Spark your kids' creativity, curiosity, and imagination at Western New York's only museum designed just for kids! Located in beautiful East Aurora.
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MPSS is a learn-to-swim program for ALL ages and abilities! Swim classes include personal safety, stroke development, water sports and more!
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The mission of the Aquarium of Niagara is to broaden the public’s awareness of aquatic ecosystems through innovative and stimulating exhibits, displays, and educational and recreational programs that promote conservation and support research.
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Canalside is a growing regional destination and entertainment district, situated on 21 historic acres along downtown Buffalo’s emerging waterfront on the Buffalo River.
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Grand Island. Martin's Fantasy Island is a family-friendly theme park that’s just minutes away from almost anywhere in Western New York. It features thrill rides, live shows, a water park, a petting zoo, miniature golf, and other attractions.
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Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve is a 292-acre complex of forests, ponds and wetlands. We offer a variety of opportunities to explore and learn about nature for families and people of all ages, including guided walks, seasonal programs and events.
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It's a bit of a trip, but the "delicious fun" of the place triumphs over travel time for lots of families. Late spring, summer, and fall, it has lots to offer kids and families for several hours of low-cost fun. Pick-your-own fruit: Strawberries, raspberries, cherries, blueberries, apples, pumpkins, and more! Then for a small additional fee, play in the Barnyard Adventure. A corn maze, goats, a bunny town, and a slide you can go down with your kids make Brown's Berry Patch a WNY family favorite!
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Darien Center. Darien Lake is Western New York's largest and most comprehensive theme park, featuring roller coasters and other high-speed rides, a water park, a Ferris Wheel, and on-site hotel and camping. They also have lots of special events and concerts throughout their season, as well as a Fright Fest / Fall Family Fun Fest event on weekends in September and early October.
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Buffalo. Where Imagination Comes to Play! TOY is a non-profit professional theatre company that engages and challenges young audiences with theatre.
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Hamburg. The Erie County Fair happens for 12 days every August in Hamburg at the fair grounds, just 20 minutes south of Buffalo. It is justifiably one of the most famous county fairs in the United States. Find great food, lots of free great concerts and more! Admission for kids 12 & under is FREE every day of the Fair!
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In the shadow of Olcott’s famous Lighthouse is a wonderful vintage amusement park. It features a 1928 style Hershell-Spillman two row carousel. Five vintage kiddie rides, and a wonderful 1931 Wurlitzer band organ
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North Java. Visit their miles of forested trails at the nature center and preserves across Western New York, open from dawn to dusk every day. At the Center itself, you'll find exhibits, a natural history library, and places to watch birds up close. Learn about birds, wildlife, and conservation issues through classes, lectures, and programs. Volunteer to help others learn too!
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Cheektowaga. Indoor Trampolines for lots of jumping, active fun! They even have a weekly Toddler Time, a special program offered exclusively to parents and children up to age FIVE; it's a fun and unique event that allows kids to jump, roll, crawl, bounce and most importantly, have fun on Sky Zone's all-trampoline walled, playing court!
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Tifft Nature Preserve is a 264-acre nature refuge dedicated to conservation and environmental education. Operated by the Buffalo Museum of Science, Tifft Nature Preserve is located along Buffalo’s Outer Harbor across from the new Buffalo Harbor State Park. With a mission of Valuing Nature’s Wisdom, thousands of people participate in school tours and workshops, public programs, birthday parties and scout programs annually. For more information, Tifft's Visitor Center can be reached at 716.825.6397.
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Hidden Valley Animal Adventure is a Wild Game Safari Park located in Varysburg, NY just off Rt. 20A. Escape to the wild as you get up close and personal with over 300 animals representing 40 different species including zebra, bison, camel, ostrich, emu, elk and many more! Click here for the KidsOutAndAbout.com review of Hidden Valley Animal Adventure.
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20. My Local Library
Of course, our local library system is not really ONE place, it is MANY places... but it's important to emphasize how valuable libraries are for family learning and fun. The libraries in our area are wonderful about posting their events to the KidsOutAndAbout calendar so you always can get ideas for free things to do with your kids that celebrate education and imagination. KidsOutAndAbout.com takes this opportunity to salute the wonderful children's librarians who serve our community with such dedication.
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The best places to take kids in Buffalo, Erie County, and the Niagara Region of New York, based on KidsOutAndAbout's annual reader survey. But there is LOTS more to do in Western NY! Get great ideas here! What is listed below are far from the only opportunities for family fun and learning; they're just what was voted this year. To stay on top of ALL of the opportunities for kids in our area, please make sure to sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter!
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