Both the location and appearance of Buffalo's Central Terminal has been know to scare people, but don't succumb to that impulse - this place is totally worth visiting! When you walk around inside the terminal, more likely than not the sights and the feel of this place will start your mind wondering about what happened here when this place shut down... If you' not brave enough to exlporing inside, the lines and shape of the main building and the lovely clocks all around are reason enough by themselves to at least do a drive-by :-) read more

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If this were the Buffalo Dental Terminal, you could get your teeth fixed here. Whereas if it were the Mental Terminal, then they'd perform gruesome lobotomies. Come to think of it, this building seems just about haunted enough for that to be true. And if it were the Petal Terminal, well then it'd be a harmless Flower Market. Then again perhaps a Flower Market is a synonym for something gruesome. Hmm. Let me think on that one. I recently represented Yelp here at a booth, and that was really cool, to hang out inside it for a whole day. They really, really need some better Air Conditioning though! Lol. I guess the 1920s was pre-global-warming or something. I've been here many times. I've taken a self-guided tour (which I wasn't supposed to), I've taken an actual tour (which was free, because I know someone who knows someone), and I've even done a photo shoot here (for my first CD). I used to live about 10 minutes walk from this place. It hasn't changed much in all the time since I first saw it. Very run down. And yet it's so haunting and perfect that I love it. This is one of the most instantly recognizable buildings in the beautiful and remarkable old skyline of Buffalo. It towers above the East Side with its broken windows, it's massive haunting dark open shaft (minds out of the gutter), and its glowing clock faces. There have been concerts here, as well as ghost tours, but it remains largely in disrepair. Everyone and their mother is hoping that it never gets demolished, and is eventually restored. The sad thing is that once upon a time it was a truly great place, bustling and full of passengers heading to the other Central Terminal... Grand Central in NYC. The pictures of this place full of well-to-do Upstate New Yorkers getting on and off trains is very depressing. America has changed so much and not always for the better. It's one of my favourite places in Buffalo, and was featured in the booklet of my first CD for good reason. Let's make sure it never gets knocked down. In other news, my cat Harley just pooped all over my carpet. Scuse me while I kiss this guy. I mean clean the poop. Same thing really. read more

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Growing up in Toronto, Canada, Buffalo has always had a special place in my heart. Watching Buffalo Bills games on television since Toronto never got a NFL team. Day trips to the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls on Military Road to shop. Keep in mind that Toronto never had outlet shopping malls 20-25 years ago and if you wanted to buy discounted high end clothing, you went across the border to Buffalo. Recently, I discovered the Buffalo Central Terminal and I couldn't believe it was essentially abandoned and I had to see for myself. I love architecture and history. It's located 10 minutes from downtown, Buffalo. The Buffalo Central Terminal opened on June 22, 1929 and closed in 1979 with the last train departing on October 28, 1979. With the invention of airplanes, automobiles and the decline in economic activity in Buffalo all factors leading to the closure and service being diverted to a smaller station in Buffalo-Depew. I never got a chance to go inside since it would be considered trespassing, there are social events held throughout the year and monthly tours during the summer if you want a chance to visit the interior of the building. The art deco architecture is beautiful, it's 17 stories high and absolutely beautiful and majestic at the same time with such a rich history in Buffalo culture. It's an absolute travesty to see that this historic landmark has been abandoned and neglected for so many years. From my understanding it's now owned by the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation who are making efforts to restore this landmark. They were recently granted 5 million dollars by the state to help restore the building and the money would go first towards restoring the restaurant inside to make it eventually a year round destination. Can you imagine if Union Station in Toronto was abandoned or Grand Central Terminal in New York City, it's the equivalent. If you are in the Buffalo area, stop by for a tour in the summer or just drop by to take pictures and see something that's so beautiful and majestic firsthand. Hopefully they are able to do something with this landmark and make make it a year round destination sooner than later, it has so many possibilities. read more

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The Buffalo Central Terminal is absolutely a stunning work of art, "Beautiful Architecture lost in TIME". Would love the opportunity to explore this building and take pictures inside. This is truly beautiful architecture in the city of Buffalo, NY. A historic former railroad station in Buffalo, New York. An active station from 1929 to 1979, the 17-story Art Deco style station was designed by architects Fellheimer & Wagner for the New York Central Railroad. After years of abandonment, it is now owned by the non-profit preservation group Central Terminal Restoration Corporation, which is working to restore and re-purpose the complex. read more

Buffalo Central Terminal - Buffalo Central Station - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Christmas tree lighting at Central Terminal. Music, vendors, food and Santa Claus. A nice way to see the terminal from the inside. What a beautiful building. You can do a tour in terminal as well. read more

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Took a Ghost Hunting tour this structure and building are amazing, so much history and so much to explore, just fascinating. read more

Buffalo Central Terminal - Buffalo Central Terminal - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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What building has a car hanging down the front of it? The Buffalo Central Terminal. This is an amazing structure. Built in the 1920's and opened in 1929, closed a few times here and there in between, new owners, demolition of some parts of the complex in the 1960's. In 1984 the station is placed on the State and National Registers of Historical Places. But its more or less neglected after that for two decades. Then, a group of people start to generate interest in restoring it in the late 1990's. in 2003 the terminal is re-opened for tours in May 2005 the concourse clock returns to Buffalo and is installed. Its been moved to the M&T headquarters since. 2006 sees the take off of tourism for the site. 2007 has Dyngus day there for the first time in decades. Now there are tours to go take, which you should do, whether you live in Buffalo or are passing through. The neighborhood is not great, but its improving daily. The site is safe if you just want to see the outside of the building. http://buffalocentralterminal.org/ (My father (an immigrant) was one of the last to arrive in Buffalo at this station in the 1960's, when he first came to Buffalo. As such, it does hold a special place for our family.) read more

Buffalo Central Terminal - Suspended Car, Buffalo Central Terminal, March 2013 - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Such a fascinating piece of history in buffalo just thinking about all the people that passed through here.i attended a ghost hunting tour here where you were able to explore the building, its just amazing the architecture to this place. read more

Buffalo Central Terminal - Buffalo Central Terminal - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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On a number of occasions, my travels through the city of Buffalo have always led me back to the Buffalo Central Terminal. I don't know, maybe it's my old soul telling me to stop there and pick up a friend who's coming in from out of town. Unfortunately I won't find a bustling train terminal inside, or even much of anything save for what relics remain from the Terminal's hay day. But still, my appreciation for this building does not falter. My first encounter with the terminal was actually back in high school, around 2009 or so. This was all before the preservation society began doing major overhauls with hopes of restoring this beautiful building. Our school was holding an art show, which actually took place inside of the main halls of the terminal itself; I remember being absolutely blown away by how beautiful the building was, even in its dilapidated state. At that point a lot of the walls were still ripped up and in shambles, and it was dangerous to try to explore any other area of the building. But, that hardly took away from its beauty. (We also had a bit of an odd occurrence. While wandering to a part of the building, my cousin and I asked the open area, "if anyone is here, make some sort of noise." We played back the recording she had made on her phone, and we actually heard some muffled sounds that we had not heard before. I am sure some of you are skeptical of the paranormal, but I stand by that story.) After that point, it seemed apparent that Buffalo wanted to be sure that an important part of its history be saved, preserved, maintained. As a self-proclaimed, sentimental history buff, let me say that I am SO relieved that we can still see the Terminal today. I know that Dyngus Day celebrations are held here; I don't think they hold the party inside of the terminal anymore, but I remember them having done so in the past. I think they just set up tents in the parking lot, but I still think it's pretty cool that a yearly party can bring attention to this building. It just makes me kind of sad that I haven't had the chance to see what the interior looks like now, after having been treated with restoration. They do hold building tours, as well as ghost hunts and other events, but the only problem is the 'Historical Building Tours' only happen once a month, and the ghost hunt/candlelight tours don't start up until October! When there isn't anything going on at the terminal, it's just...shut up tight. And that sort of upsets me. I wish there were more opportunities to explore such an incredible building; I'm sure if we were given more opportunities to enjoy the Buffalo Central Terminal, people would take advantage. read more

Buffalo Central Terminal - photo of the turminal during the 7/6/15 Slow Roll - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Stepping into this building you can almost feel the rumble of trains, sense the bustle of people coming and going dressed In their travel finery, imagining a bygone era. This renovation has been a labor of love for almost 19 years with multiple owners. The tour explained the history of the building ( 24 months to build) interesting facts about Buffalo and the painstaking renovation process still ongoing . What an incredible space inside, used for movie sets ( the Natural, and most recently , Marshall). Fantastic photo ops, but word of warning, the tour guides frown on picture taking when they are speaking as it appears you are not paying attention. All in all, volunteer guides extremely knowledgeable. And the facility is a site to see. Hoping others see the benefit of this place and put some real money into the renovation So many possibilities read more

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Finally took the historical tour. What a delight! The sold out tour of about 100 curiosity seekers had 3 well informed tour guides as well as other volunteers. We were split into 3 groups and each ventured to separate areas. This is great opportunity for those curious about the history of this grand structure. Be warned there's a lot of walking, standing and flights of stairs. Wear comfortable shoes, bring your cameras and get ready to be transported back in time! $15 well spent! read more

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A nice Xmas market, but very limited in vendors. I hope more vendors will come to sell their wares next season, or perhaps another Saturday this year! It sure was chilly inside, but expected as this beautiful, old building rarely gets used. We stayed long enough to see Santa arrive at 3 p.m., but not long enough to see the tree lighting. read more

An aging starlet is waiting for her chance to shine once more. Not unlike an aging starlet, Buffalo Central was once forgotten. Well, you don't miss the water till the well runs dry. If the BCT were a water well, Buffalonians are parched. What a fascinating tour. The art deco-inspired BCT was built in 1929 for an astonishing $14 million. For those of you trying to envision what is on the inside, imagine what $14 million bought you in 1929. The building was adorned with art deco lights, vaulted tile ceilings, Bronze framed ticket stations, terrazzo flooring, walls made of Botticino marble and enormous arched windows surrounding the terminal. At it's peak, there were 1500 employees and the structure could accommodate 3200 passengers. This is an imagine of what it was and what could have been. What remains is a structure pilfered by vandals and destroyed by the elements. Oddly, the building slowly slipped into decay for decades, but was accelerated in the 1990's. Unbelievable. What's left? Hope. The BCT is part of an ongoing preservation project and I believe the tours help to fund the preservation project. Why should I tour? Many Buffalonians I spoke with weren't aware that tours were available. BCT tour is a behind-the-scene look at the preservation efforts and the beauty of what remains. The tour guides tell the tale about an art-deco structure throughout the decades, the folklore, evolution of the surrounding neighborhoods and most importantly, a story about Buffalo. Here are a few tv and movie roles, collected from Wikipedia, that featured this lovely lady: *The station appears in an episode of Route 66 (TV series) 1960-1964. *The station appears in Best Friends. It was shot in 1982. *The station appears in Vamping (film). It was shot in April 1983. *The station appears in The Natural. It was shot in August 1983. *The station is featured in the September 24, 2008 episode of Ghost Hunters. *The station is featured in the December 2, 2009 episode of Ghost Hunters Academy. *The station was featured on Ghost Hunters Live Halloween special on October 31, 2010. *The station was the setting for the music video "The Frail", produced by Park School Media. *The entire video was shot on site. *The station is featured in the June 27, 2011 Buffalo episode of Off Limits (TV series). read more

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*tour review* The Buffalo Central Terminal offers a tour of the facility from May-September (since the building has no heat, this is when it's feasible for them to do it) on certain Sunday's (check their web site for schedule). The tour is filled with information about the building's history, architecture and the countless human stories that are embedded within this space. The tour is over two hours long and most of it will be spent on your feet. I found it interesting as a local, but it may be more challenging for tourists / out-of-towners to relate. I was with someone who was visiting Buffalo and although she found the tour and information fascinating, she could not relate to a lot of the information (as there's very specific Buffalo-jargon, east/west sides mentioned and street names that only locals may be familiar with). Despite that, it's a damn cool building to walk through and learn the history of so don't be afraid to bring your out-of-town friends. You will get the opportunity to take some amazing pictures. The tour only costs $10 and the money goes back to the non-profit organization in charge of preservation for this terminal. For the two hours that you will spend, you can feel great about contributing to the cause as well as learn a bit about Buffalo's history. With that said, it's a long tour so make sure you eat some lunch beforehand. We ended up rushing here and skipping breakfast and were not very comfortable, especially when the tour went 20+ minutes over its scheduled end-time. So plan accordingly :). This building is starting to be used for some events (such as Dyngus Day) and the development seems to be coming along nicely. It's inspiring to see this organization stepping up and preserving this building. Can't wait to see what they do with it in the future! read more

I came here for a beer event and was very surprised that this place even exists! Though I believe there are a few minor safety issues - it is an amazing place with or without the beer! read more

Now THIS was a fun tour. Here's a happy little slide show for your amusement (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBKSeDqLncs&feature=related). The total duration of the tour took about 2 hours (there was a slight delay because of the rain and our tour group was over 100 people, so we had to split up a some point). And yes, two hours sounds daunting but hey, I have ADHD and even I found it interesting enough to want to pay attention (most) of the time. If you love architecture, history, or just poking around a big, gothic terminal (or if you've seen that episode of Ghost Hunters) this will surely be the place for you. Before you go: 1.) It's best to call ahead and make an appointment. The tour itself costs $10 per head and goes right back to the preservation efforts of the terminal. 2.) Bring nice walking shoes. You'll be standing, climbing and walking a lot so leave the clear 6 inch heels at home (for now). 3.) If you're taking someone older or with health issues, the whole walking and standing portion will he hard on them. There aren't many place to sit. 4.) Don't forget your camera! You can get some beautiful shots here. read more

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This is an architectural gem and historical landmark that should be preserved. A dedicated volunteer team is slowly doing work on it to try and restore its former grandeur, but that will take time and money. It's not open every day, but they do have tours and hold many events (including Dyngus Day!!). Thanks to the Volunteers of the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation for all they do. read more

I love this building, it's an amazing treasure and an architectural masterpiece of old time Buffalo. I've been here several times for different events, The East Side festival, train shows, Haunted central terminal and it's ghost tours and more! There are events and concerts happening here all the time and the building itself is just truly stunning. It's a far cry from where it was in it's heyday but you can imagine all the people coming to and from this place once upon a time. There has been an ongoing movement to save and restore this beautiful place for years and they have slowly made progress sealing up all the main portions of the building and preventing further damages to the interior. This place is a must see for anybody visiting Buffalo, and a tour when available is super interesting and will tell you all about the old city, it's people, and Buffalo's importance as a destination in the United States. read more

Amazing. Simply amazing. I thought this was an AWESOME venue for the Jack Craft Fair and I hope more events are held here into the future. There was tons of close parking, amazing photo ops both inside and outside of the terminal. I'm glad to see it full of life, like it deserves. It's very cool! The day of the fair though it was freaking hot as hell out. The air in the terminal was hot and still. Everyone was withering from the heat. It would be great if this was restored to allow for some sort of HVAC or better airflow in general. But, it's still worth a visit even if it's not perfect in all ways. I loved being here in the Terminal, and I definitely LOVE Jack Craft Fair! read more

Even if you are not an architecture or restoration buff, the Central Terminal will grab your attention and you won't ever be able to get it out of your system. The building and the surrounding grounds are magnificent. Spacious, with intricate details. All with a story behind it. Not to mention, if you like haunted spaces, this place is right up your alley. I don't easily subscribe to such things, but the stories they tell are pretty damn convincing. What impresses me most about this building and the restoration, is the fact that there are people here who are really working their fingers to the bone to bring this building back to its former glory. Their expectations are reasonable; one step at a time. They are all working tirelessly to clean it up, fix the roof and create a space that can be used for multiple events. I'm excited to see what is in store for this oft-forgotten wonder right in our own backyard. read more

Okay so if you're like me and you are totally into iconic Buffalo sites, Buffalo history, urban infrastructure and transportation (or any combination of the above) then you must come here for the tour or any other event that they offer that allows you to explore the interior and grounds of the Buffalo Central Terminal. It is really awesome that they offer tours of this place. I recently took the hard hat tour and I feel this is the way to go if it will be your first time going inside the terminal. They only offer tours from May through September (usually on Sundays) because they do not have working heat inside the building. They also offer some ghost walks in October. The hard hat tour really gives you the run down on the history of the place, takes you to all the different areas of the building, and finally shows you what they are doing to restore the terminal. Check it out on their website: buffalocentralterminal.org. This is one of the greatest tours I've ever taken in my life. This may be the native Buffalonian in me but I can't tell you enough how much I enjoyed this tour. The best part for me was just exploring the remains of this timeless structure and picturing what it was like during its heyday when Buffalo was a boom town. While I was standing in the main hall in front of the old clock I couldn't help but think of all the people who had stood in that exact spot way back when. If this interests you in any way I urge you to check out their website and consider attending one of the many events they offer here. read more

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One of Buffalo's finest cultural and historical gems, sadly neglected, but imbued with new hope for restoration and reuse. read more

Loved the Jack of All Trades Art/Craft Fair there. I hope they find more uses for this beautiful art deco station. Truly beautiful. I would to see this restored to its former glory. read more

Visited the Buffalo Central Terminal for the Polish Oktoberfest and it was a blast!! My date and I arrived a bit later than we expected and had to catch up to everyone beerwise. We grabbed a couple dope Oktoberfest brews and headed to a table to people watch and witness the festivities. The band started playing soon after we sat down. It was a Polish cover band called "Those Idiots". They were a riot!! We eventually were intoxicated enough to head up there and start dancing. Let me tell you, this is quite possibly the most fun I have ever had dancing with a group of people. Everyone was jolly and drunk, dancing the polka. Stumbling and spilling the occasional beer was inevitable. Nobody cared how they looked, and everyone was genuinely happy. But, enough about that specific event. The building is enormous and architecturally beautiful. It really is a sight to behold. If there are more events I'd like to check out at this venue, I will most certainly be back in the near future. If there is another Oktoberfest here next year, there is a 100% chance I'll be back!! read more