Buffalo Central Terminal — Attraction in Buffalo

In the past 2 decades,many volunteers have done terrific work in restoring the historic art-deco BUFFALO CENTRAL TRAIN TERMINAL to its former beauty & importance. Here is book excerpt giving a hint, from the 1960s, of what it once was & what it had become: BIPOLAR BUFFALO–a Mosaic of Minds Journey, # 46 Buffalo Central Train Terminal. (Time: Mid 1960s): “ … This cavernous, once glorious art deco building is nearly deserted. In the 300-foot long passenger concourse with its large marble-encircled clock at the center, I count fewer than a dozen people. The train terminal, which opened in 1929, was built to accommodate 3,000 persons per day. In the daytime, windowed light should waltz into the waiting room from the four high vaulted arches. I look above: the flaked and peeling ceiling, painted like a blue sky to enhance the open feeling of our City of Light, no longer fulfills its promise. At night, internal light should bounce off the glass and chrome fixtures, giving it a soothing reflective glow. The aliveness of light that is shown in early station photographs has vanished. …I gaze at the marble, chrome, and glass-mirrored horseshoe shaped art deco restaurant with its swivel seats and terrazzo floor. Age has dulled its sheen, but it is still beautiful, still comforting…. I go there for a cup of coffee. I am the solitary customer. Planners had high expectations when the terminal project, located more than two miles from the heart of downtown Buffalo, began in 1925. An expanding metropolis of over one million people was expected to reach the train station. The terminal is situated in the southeastern Broadway-Fillmore part of Buffalo, originally a Polish section called “Polonia” with its own ethnic Broadway Market and a boulevard named Paderewski Drive, after the world-admired pianist. In its early days, Paderewski Drive was ornamented with lights, trees and flowers as it led up to the terminal entrance. The main station entrance featured a prominent fifteen-story clock tower that rose powerfully to...

One of the best places I have ever been to. While not normally open to the public, frequent events are held here ranging from fairs and small scale conventions that sell a wide variety of goods. Historic tours of the property take you indepth and show you more than the main concourse - you'll get to see other floors and spaces that the team here has worked hard to clear of debris. New areas are always being opened. During late spring, summer and fall, paranormal investigations, or "ghost hunts" if you will, are held here with very large popularity and turn out. These hunts are hours long and completely worth it.

Word to the wise, do not trespass on this property. It will be tempting but just don't do it. The police are excellent friends with the owners of the building and are generally always close by. Enjoy this historic site properly, don't break in and risk getting hurt - it is in bad shape in some areas.

Absolutely worth every effort to visit when open to the public. A must see in the...

my experience of going to the Buffalo Central Terminal was a nightmare it was closed it was daytime you know later in the afternoon and I got approached not 3 minutes after I was there police came and you know they just act like it was just not an area for me but I see thousands of people going over there and I have no appropriate authorities and nobody with them you know they an unattended going there with whoever they want you know it's not like I'm you know speculating that it's just that they gave me a problem and we're going there that I always wanted to visit that place when I got older just to look at it and I want to see you I heard a lot of stuff about I just go in there and I'm older and I wanted to just look at it and please just act like I can never and I was never supposed to be over there and I didn't even you know go close to where I just came over and looked at it for a little bit with 2 3 minutes in police game shut my whole...