Things to Do in Cheektowaga

Buffalo Harbor Cruises helps tour takers escape dull soil aboard the Miss Buffalo II, a passenger cruiser that has roamed the waterfront in search of dazzling views since 1981. On the two-hour River, Lock, and Canal tour, friendly guides tell tall tales and share stats about the area's three major bodies of water while the boat gallivants along the international border between the United States, Deutschland, Canada, and Bob Dylan's autonomous island. Along the way, the ship will motor over to the War of 1812 landmark of Old Fort Erie, daringly glide through the Black Rock lock and canal, and transport passengers up close to Buffalo's original 1833 lighthouse.

Contra-rotating blades once powered by a Porsche engine sit peacefully on a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter. Nearby, a World War II seafaring destroyer with nine battle stars to its name takes its place among tanks such as the 22.3-ton tank that served in the Korean Conflict. Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park's curators have amassed many such machines designed for––and veterans of––combat. Their numerous exhibits feature relics such as the only guided-missile cruiser on display in America. The role women have played in the military earns its own exhibit, as does memorabilia of former POWs and a collection of favorite cobbler recipes from WWII to present-day generals.

Shadows dart across the wall, a strange voice emerges from thin air, and you get the eerie feeling that you’re being followed. This is no ordinary place. The Iron Island Museum's paranormal history has captured the minds of countless visitors and has been featured on TV programs such as Ghost Lab and Ghost Hunters. Originally built as a church in 1883, the house later became a funeral home in the late 1950s, during which time it hosted more than 1,000 wakes. The business eventually shut down, and in 2000, the building was donated to The Iron Island Preservation Society of Lovejoy, which made a startling discovery: 24 canisters of cremated remains had been left behind.

Today, an all-volunteer staff leads tours of the church's vaulted ceilings, stained-glass windows, and themed rooms. The church showcases hundreds of historic relics, including military uniforms, railroad items, and a wooden altar that dates backs to 1896. However, the museum's biggest draws can't be seen, at least not most of the time. Guides and visitors stay alert for signs of paranormal activity and look for chances to communicate with what they consider to be some of the building's resident ghosts. The staff has even taken recordings that play back the voices of unknown figures saying things such as "I'm cold," and "Why don't they make pants for ghosts?"

Sprawling across a combined 50,000 square feet, Buffalo’s revamped House of Horrors and Haunted Catacombs delivers fright after fright for those brave enough to enter their doors. Foggy hidden passageways cradled in darkness give way to a menagerie of monsters, from zombie soldiers wielding sledgehammers to demonic surgeons hungry for the under insured. An occasional strobe light illuminates secret passageways and a maze of doors designed to befuddle visitors as the house’s demons circle ever closer. Once through the labyrinthine hallways of the House of Horrors and Haunted Catacombs, thrill-seekers can tread carefully through additional attractions including Hellhouse: Possession, Bodyharvesters: Bloodfeast, Wicked Freakshow in 3D, and Killer Theater.

In addition to outfitting aquatic adventurers with necessary equipment, Buffalo River Canoe and Kayak Outfitters sends groups of paddlers splashing downstream during guided explorations seven days a week. Headlining an assortment of trips, the Buffalo River Urban Trails tour unveils some of the city's historic waterfront sights, highlighted by industrial-area businesses and grain elevators that stand as towering links to an agrarian past or prophesies to an apocalyptic future where morsels of homogenized chicken byproduct no longer exist. The Outfitters' other point-to-point adventures—ranging from 2.5 to 6 miles apiece—also provide varying launch points, such as Red Jacket River Front Park and Seneca Bluffs.