# Travel >> Destinations >> North America

Unique Things to Do Buffalo, New York

With its proximity to Canada and Niagara Falls, there is no shortage of unique and impressive attractions in the area surrounding Buffalo, New York. However, there are more than a few distinctive things to do right in the city itself. Motherland Connextions brings guests into the heroism of the Underground Railroad. At the Iron Island Museum, visitors are invited to explore the paranormal in the 1895 building that was once a chapel and funeral parlor. Nature enthusiasts can explore the delicate ecosystem in Buffalo's parks and rivers on tours led by Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper. There are several other uniquely Buffalo activities that should be added to any "must do" list.

The Colored Musicians Club
- From its inception in 1918, the Colored Musicians Club in Buffalo has nurtured some of the foremost African-American jazz musicians. After it took up residence at its present address in 1934, the venue saw legendary performances by kazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Billy Holliday, Count Basie and Ella Fitzgerald. Today, the club offers regular jazz performances most evenings in its intimate setting that still holds the aura of legends past. On Sundays nights, musicians of any age can sit in on the club's "Jam Sessions." Lucky summer visitors will be in town for the club's Queen City Jazz Festival held out front of the club annually.
  
  The Colored Musicians Club
  
  145 Broadway
  
  Buffalo, NY 14203
  
  716-855-9383
  
  coloredmusiciansclub.org
Forgotten Buffalo: Urban Tours
- Promising to take tourists to all the hip places and lost taverns off the beaten path, the tours by Forgotten Buffalo combine food, drinks and history. Declared by the Buffalo News to be a form of educational bar hopping that is "hands down, the best local entertainment," television personality turned tour guide, Maxwell Truth, keeps guests laughing through the city's history. Beyond the beer and chicken wings served up at tavern stops, the tour winds its way through Buffalo's many unique neighborhood, forgotten historic sites and city oddities like the largest collection of grain elevators in the world.
  
  Forgotten Buffalo: Urban Tours
  
  244 Potters Rd.
  
  Buffalo, NY 14220
  
  716-883-5211
  
  forgottenbuffalo.com
Spirit of Buffalo
- Sailing the historic Erie Canal Harbor beneath the iconic red sails is just the tip of the iceberg of voyages offered on the Spirit of Buffalo. Nautically-inclined tourists can take on the educational programs offered by the company where they'll not only learn to hoist sails as they sail Lake Erie, they'll learn the ins and outs of urban runoff, fish biology, navigation and water quality. For visitors who prefer to experience a relaxing fantasy, the Spirit of Buffalo offers Pirate Adventures. During the swashbuckling voyage, professional pirates entertain guests with treasure hunts, face painting, sea shanties and tales of pirate adventures. Other excursions offered on the Spirit of Buffalo include sunset sails and wine tasting trips.
  
  Spirit of Buffalo
  
  One Naval Park Cove
  
  Erie Canal Harbor-Central Wharf
  
  Buffalo, NY 14202
  
  716-796-7210
  
  spiritofbuffalo.com