Movie Night: The Fighting Sullivans
2025-05-25 17:30 - 21:00 (America/Halifax) | Buffalo Naval Park, United States
Join us for a special screening of the 1944 film, THE FIGHTING SULLIVANS, based on the lives of the five Sullivans brothers. The event will take place in the Hangar Building on Sunday, May 25. Doors open at 5:30 PM, and the movie will begin immediately following a pre-film presentation at 6:00 PM.
This event is free to attend but a ticket is REQUIRED as space is limited.
Movie-style concessions will be available for purchase.
Runtime: 1h 52 m

Behind the Scenes Curator Tour
2025-05-26 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-06-01 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-06-15 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-06-29 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-07-06 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-07-13 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-07-14 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-07-24 13:00 - 15:00 and 2 more dates | Buffalo Naval Park, United States
Join the Buffalo Naval and Military Park’s Curator and Director of Museum Collections, Shane Stephenson, for a special behind the scenes tour of USS Little Rock, the last remaining Cleveland-class cruiser in the world.
This tour will give an in-depth look at our ships as artifacts and highlight some of the challenges in preserving them for future generations. You’ll visit spaces aboard USS Little Rock and USS The Sullivans that are not available on any other tour.
Each tour will last approximately 2 hours and will be limited to 11 people. When touring most areas of the ship, visitors should expect to traverse narrow passageways, be able to step over significantly raised thresholds, and climb up and down very steep ladders. We recommend that you wear comfortable clothes, closed-toe shoes, and bring a flashlight.
Due to the length of the tour and the spaces that will be visited, the Curator tour is for ages 11 and older.
Curator Tours will take place at 1:00 PM.
Click here to purchase your tickets!

EC200 Speaker Series: Shane Stephenson
2025-05-29 18:00 - 19:00 | Buffalo Naval Park: Hangar Building, 1 Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, NY, 14202, United States
In this kick-off speaker series event, Shane Stephenson will highlight the geographic history of Canalside and how the footprint has changed since the Buffalo Naval Park opened in 1979.
The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) is presenting the 2025 Erie Canal Bicentennial Commemoration at Canalside in Buffalo, NY from Memorial Day through September. The EC200 Speaker Series will take place in the Buffalo Naval Park’s Hangar Building on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
Speakers will include subject matter experts regarding Buffalo’s Erie Canal heritage and those who were key in helping develop the Waterway of Change: Complex Legacies of the Erie Canal exhibit in the Longshed Building.

Overnight Youth Encampment
2025-05-31 16:00 | Buffalo Naval Park, United States
Sat. May 31 @ 4:00 PM – Sun. June 1 @ 10:00 AM
Spend the night aboard USS Little Rock! Our overnight youth encampment is a unique adventure for scouts, youth groups, friends, and families.
During your overnight encampment, you will:
• Sleep in berthing compartments where the real Little Rock crew lived;
• Enjoy dinner and breakfast in the crew’s Mess Deck;
• Tour the USS Little Rock, USS The Sullivans, and USS Croaker;
• Participate in educational programs and activities to learn about life onboard ship (educational programs may vary).
Visit buffalonavalpark.org/overnight for additional information.

Two Wars: No Mail Low Morale Premiere Event
2025-05-31 17:00 - 19:00 | Buffalo Naval Park: Hangar Building, 1 Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, NY, 14202, United States
The Buffalo Naval Park proudly announces a movie premiere event of Two Wars: No Mail, Low Morale. This compelling installment is part of the acclaimed Two Wars docuseries, which has been honored with two Emmy Awards for its powerful storytelling and historical significance.
Two Wars: No Mail, Low Morale tells the story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-Black, all-female unit deployed overseas during World War II.
Tasked with clearing a massive two-year backlog of undelivered mail, these women played a crucial role in restoring morale among U.S. troops. Despite facing discrimination and difficult working conditions, the 6888th Battalion completed their mission with remarkable efficiency and determination, ensuring soldiers received letters from home.

Immediately before the movie premiere, Representative Tim Kennedy will present the Congressional Gold Medal to Janice Martin, daughter of Six Triple Eight member Indiana Hunt-Martin. There will be a panel discussion following the viewing, featuring:

Colonel Edna Cummings (Ret.) – Author and Six Triple Eight champion
Janice Martin – daughter of Six Triple Eight member Indiana Hunt-Martin
Molly Sampson – Expert Historian
Steven Tedesco – Director

This is event is free to the public, but pre-registration is required.

Overnight Youth Encampment
2025-06-07 16:00 | Buffalo Naval Park, United States
Sat. June 7 @ 4:00 PM – Sun. June 8 @ 10:00 AM
Spend the night aboard USS Little Rock! Our overnight youth encampment is a unique adventure for scouts, youth groups, friends, and families.
During your overnight encampment, you will:
• Sleep in berthing compartments where the real Little Rock crew lived;
• Enjoy dinner and breakfast in the crew’s Mess Deck;
• Tour the USS Little Rock, USS The Sullivans, and USS Croaker;
• Participate in educational programs and activities to learn about life onboard ship (educational programs may vary).
Visit buffalonavalpark.org/overnight for additional information.

EC200 Speaker Series: Captain Art Cohn
2025-06-12 18:00 - 19:00 | Buffalo Naval Park: Hangar Building, 1 Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, NY, 14202, United States
From 2000 to 2018, maritime historian Art Cohn served as Director of the Lois McClure Project, overseeing the travels of this replica canal schooner on a journey spanning over 10,000 miles and welcoming more than 300,000 visitors across 300 communities in the U.S. and Canada. Art will share stories from these voyages and explore how replica boats like the Lois McClure can uniquely connect people to maritime history.
As the Lois McClure prepares to join the Canal Society of New York at the Old Erie Canal Heritage Park in Port Byron, the Buffalo Maritime Center embarks on its own journey with the Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief, continuing the tradition of bringing canal history to life for communities across New York State.
This event is presented by the Buffalo Maritime Center.
The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) is presenting the 2025 Erie Canal Bicentennial Commemoration at Canalside in Buffalo, NY from Memorial Day through September. The EC200 Speaker Series will take place in the Buffalo Naval Park’s Hangar Building on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
Speakers will include subject matter experts regarding Buffalo’s Erie Canal heritage and those who were key in helping develop the Waterway of Change: Complex Legacies of the Erie Canal exhibit in the Longshed Building.

"I Pledge" Challenge
2025-06-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Buffalo Naval Park, United States
Bring your kids and grandkids to the Buffalo Naval Park on Flag Day, Saturday, June 14, for a special “I Pledge” Challenge.
From 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, all children ages 12 and younger will have an opportunity to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and receive free admission and other prizes!

80th Anniversary of the Commissioning of USS Little Rock
2025-06-14 14:00 - 15:00 | Buffalo Naval Park, United States
The Buffalo Naval & Military Park will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Commissioning of USS Little Rock with a ceremony on Saturday, June 14 at 2:00 PM. We will end the ceremony with birthday cake to commemorate the cruiser’s 80th year and honor veterans and supporters. It is free and open to the public.
A special 80th Anniversary commemorative flag will be given away to the first 200 visitors to the Naval Park on June 14.

Overnight Youth Encampment
2025-06-14 16:00 | Buffalo Naval Park, United States
Sat. June 14 @ 4:00 PM – Sun. June 15 @ 10:00 AM
Spend the night aboard USS Little Rock! Our overnight youth encampment is a unique adventure for scouts, youth groups, friends, and families.
During your overnight encampment, you will:
• Sleep in berthing compartments where the real Little Rock crew lived;
• Enjoy dinner and breakfast in the crew’s Mess Deck;
• Tour the USS Little Rock, USS The Sullivans, and USS Croaker;
• Participate in educational programs and activities to learn about life onboard ship (educational programs may vary).
Visit buffalonavalpark.org/overnight for additional information.

Overnight Youth Encampment
2025-06-21 16:00 | Buffalo Naval Park, United States
Sat. June 21 @ 4:00 PM – Sun. June 22 @ 10:00 AM
Spend the night aboard USS Little Rock! Our overnight youth encampment is a unique adventure for scouts, youth groups, friends, and families.
During your overnight encampment, you will:
• Sleep in berthing compartments where the real Little Rock crew lived;
• Enjoy dinner and breakfast in the crew’s Mess Deck;
• Tour the USS Little Rock, USS The Sullivans, and USS Croaker;
• Participate in educational programs and activities to learn about life onboard ship (educational programs may vary).
Visit buffalonavalpark.org/overnight for additional information.

POSTPONED: EC200 Speaker Series: The Erie Canal's Indigenous Impact Panel Discussion
2025-06-26 18:00 - 19:00 | Buffalo Naval Park: Hangar Building, 1 Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, NY, 14202, United States
This event has been postponed to Tuesday, July 8.
As communities celebrate the Erie Canal’s Bicentennial, this panel will explore its lesser-known legacy – the profound impact on Indigenous peoples and the environment. While the canal represents innovation and economic growth, its construction and expansion came at a significant cost. The discussion will focus on the urgent need to amplify the suppressed stories of those displaced by the canal’s creation.
This event is presented by the Buffalo Maritime Center and will take place outside the Hangar Building near the Commercial Slip.
The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) is presenting the 2025 Erie Canal Bicentennial Commemoration at Canalside in Buffalo, NY from Memorial Day through September. The EC200 Speaker Series will take place in the Buffalo Naval Park’s Hangar Building on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
Speakers will include subject matter experts regarding Buffalo’s Erie Canal heritage and those who were key in helping develop the Waterway of Change: Complex Legacies of the Erie Canal exhibit in the Longshed Building.

National PTSD Day Ceremony
2025-06-27 10:00 - 11:00 | Buffalo Naval Park: Hangar Building, 1 Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, NY, 14202, United States
The Buffalo Naval Park will commemorate National PTSD Awareness Day with a ceremony to recognize veterans who suffer from injuries that we cannot see. We will unveil a new plaque that honors Gabriel Rodriguez, a Vietnam veteran who succumbed to the torment caused by PTSD, leaving behind a family and many friends who continue to love him. In 1985, the Gabriel A. Rodriguez Post #1928 was established as the first Hispanic American Legion post in Western New York composed of Hispanic-American veterans.
The ceremony will also include remarks from The Battle Within Foundation, a rifle salute from the Francis J. Donovan Post 1626 Rifle Team, and a preview of the new Two Wars docuseries that will be devoted to PTSD in the military.

NEW DATE: EC200 Speaker Series: The Erie Canal's Indigenous Impact Panel Discussion
2025-07-08 18:00 - 19:00 | Buffalo Naval Park: Hangar Building, 1 Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, NY, 14202, United States
As communities celebrate the Erie Canal’s Bicentennial, this panel will explore its lesser-known legacy – the profound impact on Indigenous peoples and the environment. While the canal represents innovation and economic growth, its construction and expansion came at a significant cost. The discussion will focus on the urgent need to amplify the suppressed stories of those displaced by the canal’s creation.
This event is presented by the Buffalo Maritime Center and will take place outside the Hangar Building near the Commercial Slip.
The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) is presenting the 2025 Erie Canal Bicentennial Commemoration at Canalside in Buffalo, NY from Memorial Day through September. The EC200 Speaker Series will take place in the Buffalo Naval Park’s Hangar Building on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
Speakers will include subject matter experts regarding Buffalo’s Erie Canal heritage and those who were key in helping develop the Waterway of Change: Complex Legacies of the Erie Canal exhibit in the Longshed Building.

EC200 Speaker Series: Mike Vogel
2025-07-10 18:00 - 19:00 | Buffalo Naval Park: Hangar Building, 1 Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, NY, 14202, United States
Learn about the history of Buffalo’s Canal District, including Dante Place and Central Wharf, with author and historian Mike Vogel. He co-authored the book, “America’s Crossroads: Buffalo’s Canal Street/Dante Place – The Making of a City.”
The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) is presenting the 2025 Erie Canal Bicentennial Commemoration at Canalside in Buffalo, NY from Memorial Day through September. The EC200 Speaker Series will take place in the Buffalo Naval Park’s Hangar Building on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM. This series is co-sponsored by the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park and The Buffalo History Museum.
Speakers will include subject matter experts regarding Buffalo’s Erie Canal heritage and those who were key in helping develop the Waterway of Change: Complex Legacies of the Erie Canal exhibit in the Longshed Building.

Mess Call 2025
2025-07-11 10:00 - 17:00, 2025-07-12 10:00 - 17:00 | Buffalo Naval Park, United States
July 11-12 is Mess Call at the Buffalo Naval Park! In partnership with the Military History Preservation Group, reenactors from across the United States will be gathering to bring the USS The Sullivans and USS Little Rock to life. The ship’s company will conduct general quarters and gunnery drills on USS The Sullivans. Period-correct food will be prepared from the U.S. Navy cookbook in the galley of USS Little Rock. This is an event history buffs and food fanatics alike will not want to miss!

Give 716
2025-07-15 19:16 - 2025-07-16 23:59
Give 716 is coming up on July 15-16! Starting at 7:16 PM on Tuesday, July 15, the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres Foundations will be providing matching grants and funds over the course of hours to local charities and nonprofit organizations who receive donations at www.give716.org.
This year, we are undertaking a major project to preserve USS Little Rock by painting the hull of the ship. This is a $15,000+ project that will require the purchase of a new paint barge and scaffolding, and at least 218 gallons of paint. We will be using a special marine-grade U.S. Navy-approved paint to cover 54,400 square feet of the ship’s hull. The paint is the only barrier between weather and steel, and is an important part of protecting the hull from the ravages of rust and corrosion; and contributes to the long-term sustainability of the ship.
In honor of the 80th Anniversary of USS Little Rock, we are asking for your help to contribute towards this project. Your $50 donation will buy 1 gallon of paint which will cover 250 square feet of USS Little Rock’s hull.

EC200 Speaker Series: John Montague
2025-07-24 18:00 - 19:00 | Buffalo Naval Park: Hangar Building, 1 Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, NY, 14202, United States
John Montague, board member and founder of the Buffalo Maritime Center, will discuss the history of boats and boating on the Erie Canal.
The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) is presenting the 2025 Erie Canal Bicentennial Commemoration at Canalside in Buffalo, NY from Memorial Day through September. The EC200 Speaker Series will take place in the Buffalo Naval Park’s Hangar Building on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM. This series is co-sponsored by the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park and The Buffalo History Museum.
Speakers will include subject matter experts regarding Buffalo’s Erie Canal heritage and those who were key in helping develop the Waterway of Change: Complex Legacies of the Erie Canal exhibit in the Longshed Building.

EC200 Speaker Series: Dr. Barbara Seals-Nevergold and Susan J. Eck
2025-08-07 18:00 - 19:00 | Buffalo Naval Park: Hangar Building, 1 Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, NY, 14202, United States
Dr. Barbara Seals-Nevergold and Susan J. Eck will discuss the impact of the Erie Canal on Black Americans, abolitionism, and the Women’s Suffrage Movement.
The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) is presenting the 2025 Erie Canal Bicentennial Commemoration at Canalside in Buffalo, NY from Memorial Day through September. The EC200 Speaker Series will take place in the Buffalo Naval Park’s Hangar Building on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM. This series is co-sponsored by the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park and The Buffalo History Museum.
Speakers will include subject matter experts regarding Buffalo’s Erie Canal heritage and those who were key in helping develop the Waterway of Change: Complex Legacies of the Erie Canal exhibit in the Longshed Building.

EC200 Speaker Series: Erie Canal Boat Project
2025-08-14 18:00 - 19:00 | Buffalo Naval Park: Hangar Building, 1 Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, NY, 14202, United States
The Buffalo Maritime Center will talk about the history and making of the full-sized replica of the Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief, which first traversed the Erie Canal upon its opening in 1825. This ambitious community boatbuilding initiative, brought to life by hundreds of volunteers, took place inside the Longshed at Canalside on Buffalo’s waterfront from October 2020 to June 2024 and will embark on the Bicentennial Voyage from Buffalo to New York Harbor on September 24, 2025.
The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) is presenting the 2025 Erie Canal Bicentennial Commemoration at Canalside in Buffalo, NY from Memorial Day through September. The EC200 Speaker Series will take place in the Buffalo Naval Park’s Hangar Building on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM. This series is co-sponsored by the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park and The Buffalo History Museum.
Speakers will include subject matter experts regarding Buffalo’s Erie Canal heritage and those who were key in helping develop the Waterway of Change: Complex Legacies of the Erie Canal exhibit in the Longshed Building.
