Garden Walk Buffalo

Garden Walk Buffalo is the largest free, self-guided garden tour in the United States, featuring more than 300 private and public gardens in a two-day display of garden artistry. Held the last week of July, the event attracts thousands of garden lovers who walk the streets of Buffalo’s Elmwood Village and Parkside neighborhoods, awed by the creativity and ingenuity of the gardens and delighted by hospitality of what one observer called Buffalo’s “freakishly friendly” gardeners.

The first Buffalo Garden Walk was held in July 1995, and included 29 gardens. Today, Garden Walk Buffalo features more than 300 gardens, making it the largest event of its kind in the United States. Each summer – always the last full weekend in July – thousands of visitors revel in whimsical and creative ideas, learn more about flowers, water gardens, rock gardens, native plans and more. For many visitors, the appeal of Garden Walk lies in the city’s wealth of historic homes, tree-lined streets as much of the gardens. For others, it’s the pleasantries exchanged with a gardener over a glass of wine or lemonade. For everyone, it’s a celebration of beauty and community.

Garden Walk Buffalo covers much of Buffalo’s West Side and has recently expanded into the historic Parkside district. The gardens on Garden Walk include everything from outdoor kitchens to koi ponds to waterfalls to murals and sculptures, hellstrips and espaliers – even one urban putting green. Participating gardens are clearly marked with a Garden Walk sign out front.

The goals of the Walk have remained the same throughout the years: to encourage neighborhood beautification and promote community pride. The Walk is still organized and managed by volunteers and remains free of charge. Financial support comes primarily from donations and corporate sponsorships.

Garden Walk Buffalo continues to impact and enhance our city by making grants to local groups and organizations to help beautify neighborhoods and raise community spirits. The results make a lasting impression on the thousands of out-of-town visitors who stop to smell the flowers every year.

During the last several decades, other towns, villages and communities in the region have begun their own garden walks and tours. There are now fifteen distinct garden walks during the summer throughout the Buffalo Niagara region, featuring nearly 1,000 public and private gardens. Each tour is different – there are night tours, some have market places, music, historic homes, artists, plant sales, children’s activities and more. Nearly all walks and tours are free.

Along with the month-long Open Gardens Buffalo event held every Thursday and Friday in July, Garden Walk Buffalo and the region’s other walks and tours make Buffalo one of the great garden tourism destinations in North America. This year, Garden Walk Buffalo will be held on July 29 & 30, 2023 from 10am-4pm. Come see for yourself. Visit gardensbuffaloniagara.com for more information.