Olmsted's Park System Runs Through Buffalo

Buffalo didn’t just get a park. It got a coordinated system of parks and parkways designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the man behind New York’s Central Park. Starting in 1868, Olmsted and his partner Calvert Vaux laid out green spaces linked by tree-lined parkways, so you could travel across the city without leaving the calm of the trees. Olmsted once called Buffalo one of the best-planned cities in the world.

The crown jewel is Delaware Park, 350 acres of meadow, woods, and water. Olmsted called the western half the “Water Park.” It holds Hoyt Lake, made by damming Scajaquada Creek for boating and skating. Today you’ll also find a public golf course, a Japanese Garden, a rose garden, tennis courts, ball fields, and shaded picnic spots.

The parks are cared for by the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, and Delaware Park has even been recognized by the National Park Service. It’s free to walk in any time. In warm months you can rent a rowboat on Hoyt Lake or catch free Shakespeare in the park. Check the Conservancy site for current dates.