Buffalo Harbor State Park

Buffalo Harbor State Park is a 190-acre (0.77 km2) state park and marina on the shore of Lake Erie in the city of Buffalo in Erie County, New York. The park encompasses Gallagher Beach, the former NFTA Small Boat Harbor, and the waterfront land in between.[2]

Buffalo Harbor State Park
Gallagher Beach at Buffalo Harbor State Park, May 2021
Buffalo Harbor State Park is located in New York
Buffalo Harbor State Park
Location of Buffalo Harbor State Park within New York State
TypeState park
Location1111 Fuhrmann Blvd.
Buffalo, New York[1]
Nearest cityBuffalo, New York
Coordinates42°50′46″N 78°51′42″W
Area190 acres (0.77 km2)[2]
Created2015 (2015)[3]
Operated byNew York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Visitors283,077[4]
OpenAll year
WebsiteBuffalo Harbor State Park

The park is 1 of 80 New York State Parks that are in the path of totality for the 2024 solar eclipse, with the park experiencing 3 minutes and 46 seconds of totality.[5]

History

Buffalo Harbor State Park was created in 2014 from a portion of a larger transfer of 340 acres (1.4 km2) of land from the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority to the Empire State Development Corporation. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation was scheduled to take over park operations in November 2014.[6] The $15 million development of the new park is part of an overall initiative to revitalize Buffalo's outer harbor.[2]

The park officially opened to the public on May 24, 2015.[3] Although first-year visitors praised the park's modern playground,[7] some marina slipholders expressed displeasure with the marina's new operator, a private company from Tennessee.[8]

A second phase of park improvements, featuring $3.76 million in breakwall and revetment enhancements for the park's harbor, was announced in November 2015. Plans call for the installation of a paved walkway and bike path for accessing the breakwall, in addition to improved lighting and a new fishing platform.[9] The improvements are scheduled to be completed by fall 2016.[10]

Park facilities

The park features a 1,000 slip marina, boat launches, a fish cleaning station, a nautical-themed playground, and picnic pavilions, and a restaurant. A beach is also available, however swimming is not permitted as of 2015.[1][3] Kayak rentals and improvements to the park's restaurant, including the addition of an 1,800-square-foot (170 m2) patio, were announced in 2016.[11][12]

See also

References
  1. "Buffalo Harbor State Park". NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  2. Sommer, Mark (August 27, 2014). "Buffalo's first state park to start taking shape on outer harbor". The Buffalo News. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  3. Schneider, Avery (May 24, 2015). "New York's newest state park is Buffalo's newest waterfront attraction". WBFO 88.7. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
  4. "State Park Annual Attendance Figures by Facility: Beginning 2003". Data.ny.gov. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  5. R, Mike (September 22, 2021). "New York 2024 Eclipse State Parks Resources". CosmosPNW. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  6. "Governor Cuomo Announces New Buffalo Harbor State Park". Office of the New York State Governor. May 12, 2014. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  7. Sommer, Mark (June 9, 2015). "Add a kid-friendly playground to waterfront attractions". The Buffalo News. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  8. Sommer, Mark (November 6, 2015). "New marina operator had a choppy start at Buffalo Harbor State Park". The Buffalo News. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  9. Mroziak, Michael (November 24, 2015). "Second phase of Buffalo Harbor State Park work set to begin". WBFO 88.7. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  10. "Governor Cuomo Announces Next Phase of Multi-Million Dollar Transformation Underway at Buffalo Harbor State Park". Office of the New York State Governor. November 23, 2015. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  11. "State Parks Announces New Restaurant and Additional Recreation Activities at Buffalo Harbor State Park". NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. May 6, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  12. Mroziak, Michael (May 6, 2016). "New eatery Charlie's Boat Yard opens in Buffalo Harbor State Park". WBFO 88.7. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
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