Field Trips: College Groups

Bring your students, club members, or other group out and experience the city of Buffalo on an Explore Buffalo tour! Whether you’re marveling at downtown landmarks such as City Hall and the Guaranty Building or exploring the Perot Elevator at Silo City, our tours are sure to bring your syllabus to life. These tours are great options for  college students.  Please go to this page for information on tours for K-12 school groups.

We are now booking field trips for Winter & Spring 2025! 

For more information, please contact School Tour Coordinator Lori DeMaria at 716-245-3032 ext. 204 or lori@explorebuffalo.org

Narrated Bus Tours
Available All Year Round

Explore Buffalo is proud to offer step on docents for college group bus tours! We have experience partnering with college groups from the University at Buffalo, Buffalo State University, and other schools, including prospective students at open houses, international students, Women in Engineering, and more. What a great way to show students around the Buffalo area!  Tours can be curated to include areas including Downtown Buffalo, Silo City, Canalside and more.  We can combine tours with other cultural experiences-such as the Science Museum, AKG, Martin House, Buffalo Maritime Center and more!  There are so many ways to enhance your students’ experience and to show what this great city has to offer!

Cost: $15 per student
Bus is provided and paid for by the college/university. Explore Buffalo can help with you with bus company contacts and quotes.
Each tour is uniquely curated to your individual group’s needs. Bus tours are typically 90 minutes to two hours, depending on your group’s needs and starting/ending location. 

Unique Special Request Walking Tours
Available Year Round

We offer tours that meet your class and curriculum needs.  The themes include architecture, engineering, art and history. These tours can be arranged on the day and time of your choosing, subject to docent availability.  Please choose from one of the tours listed below and list it on your booking form and our School Tour Coordinator will work with you to plan your tour.

Available Tours: Architecture Timeline   |   Masters of American Architecture   |    Presidents in Buffalo   |   Hertel Avenue Murals    |   Downtown Murals 

Cost: $12 per student
These tours are all 90-minute tours.
Capacity for most tours is 20-25 students. 

Downtown Highlights
Available May-October

This 60-minute tour is perfect for students that are interested in just the highlights of Downtown Buffalo. Begin at Seneca One, the tallest building in Buffalo.  Go inside the Ellicott Square Building, learn about St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral and Buffalo’s first skyscraper – the Guaranty Building. You’ll end with a tour inside the lobby of Seneca One, which is filled with unique treasures and great views. Plan lunch for your group at the cafeteria at Seneca One or the Pearl Street Grill & Brewery. This tour ends two blocks from Canalside – your group can enjoy the views and activities of Canalside after their tour.

Cost: $10 per student
This walking tour is 60 minutes
Maximum group size: 75 students

Delaware Park: Explore History, Landmarks, and Art
Available May-October

Students will enjoy Buffalo’s beautiful Delaware Park and experience the natural beauty, architectural landmarks, and captivating art in the park. Your group will see the Young Lincoln Statue and the exterior of the AKG and walk to the exterior of the Buffalo History Museum and through the Japanese Garden. We end after crossing the Three Tribes Bridge, the original entrance to the 1901 Pan Am Exposition. Your students will hear about the park’s history, the exterior art installations at the AKG, as well as the architectural significance of the Buffalo History Museum, Buffalo State University, the bridges, and the natural surroundings including Hoyt Lake and Scajaquada Creek. Groups can take advantage of showing students new to Buffalo this beautiful area and pair it with a walkthrough of the AKG, Burchfield Penney or the Buffalo History Museum.

Cost: $10 per student
Groups can choose from a 60-minute or 90-minute walking tour.
Maximum group size: 75 students

City Hall
Available year-round, Monday-Friday
Tour Times 9am-3pm

An interior walking tour that introduces students to the diverse and meaningful art throughout this Art Deco masterpiece.  Learn about different levels and responsibilities of government.  If the weather is nice, you can step outside at the observation deck for an amazing 360-degree view of Buffalo!

Cost: $8 per student
Group size limited to 50 students
Choose from a 60-minute tour that is interior only or a 90- minute tour which will include Niagara Square and the exterior of City Hall
Please Note: observation deck access is at the discretion of City Hall. The observation deck requires three flights of stairs and is not handicapped accessible.

Silo City Ground
Available May-October

A unique interior and exterior walking tour where students learn the importance and history of grain elevators, the Erie Canal, industrialization, the history of Buffalo’s waterfront and grain industry, and more. Have students experience for themselves the unique engineering and construction of these silos. Walk through the grounds with our knowledgeable docents and inside the impressive silos on the grounds.

Cost: $12 per student
This is a 90-minute walking tour

Best of Buffalo 
Available May-October

Join us for a downtown walking tour of the best of Buffalo architecture and history! The buildings included on this overview tour help to tell the story of Buffalo’s rapid rise to prominence, from the opening of the Erie Canal to the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. Buildings seen on this tour were designed by both nationally and locally significant architects, including Louis Sullivan, Richard Upjohn, Louise Bethune, and EB Green. Perfect for students new to Buffalo and those that have grown up here, this tour is an excellent introduction to Buffalo’s architectural heritage. This is an exterior-only tour.

Cost: $10 per student
This is a 90-minute walking tour

For more information, or if you have a tour request that is not listed above, please contact School Tour Coordinator Lori DeMaria at 716-245-3032 ext. 204 or lori@explorebuffalo.org