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| Established | July 4, 1979 |
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| Location | Canalside,Buffalo, New York |
| Coordinates | 42°52′40″N78°52′52″W / 42.877639°N 78.880978°W /42.877639; -78.880978 |
| Public transit access | NFTA Metro Rail (Canalside) |
| Website | Official Website |
TheBuffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, formerly known asThe Buffalo Naval and Servicemen's Park, is a museum on the bank of theBuffalo River inBuffalo, New York. It is home to several decommissioned US Naval vessels, including theCleveland-class cruiserUSS Little Rock, theFletcher-class destroyerUSS The Sullivans, and the submarineUSS Croaker. All three are open to the public for tours.
In 1976, the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency and the Buffalo Naval and Servicemen's Park requested theUnited States Department of the Navy supply a decommissioned naval vessel to construct a naval park.[1] The construction of the Buffalo Naval and Servicemen's Park (later named the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park) started in 1977. The park was opened to the public on July 4, 1979.[2] TheCleveland-class cruiserUSS Little Rock and theFletcher-class destroyerUSS The Sullivans were part of the original display.[1] In 1988, theGato-class submarineUSS Croaker was added.[1] In 1989,Croaker underwent a refit. The ships in the park remain property of the United States Navy, which inspects them annually.[2]
The park has gone through a few major changes in recent years. In 2003, the ships were moved slightly to the foot of Pearl and Main streets. The park now abuts Buffalo'sCanalside and the historic Commercial Slip within it.[3] New structures were added including a new museum, and the new Liberty Hound restaurant opened in the summer of 2012.
On December 16, 2017,USS Little Rock (LCS-9) was commissioned at the park alongside its namesakeUSS Little Rock (CG-4). The commissioning was the first time a United States Naval vessel was commissioned alongside its namesake.[4][5]
On September 24, 2022, theAfrican American Veterans Monument, which honors the service of African Americans in all U.S. military conflicts, was dedicated at the park.[6] It is the first monument of its kind in the United States.[7]
Along with the ships, there are a variety of smaller vehicles, vessels, and aircraft are also on display at the park. These include the Gyrodyne X-Ron 1Rotorcycle one-manhelicopter used by theUS Marine Corps in the late fifties and early sixties, an ArmyM41 Walker Bulldog tank, a Marine CorpsM-84armored personnel carrier, aUH-1Huey flown inVietnam, anAir ForceF-101 Voodoo flown by theNew York Air National Guard's136th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron atNiagara Falls Air Reserve Station, aNasty-classPTF boat, the PTF-17[8] used by the Navy in Vietnam, a NavyFJ Fury (FJ-4) jet (equivalent to the Air Force'sF-86 Sabre), and aUSAAFP-39 Airacobra manufactured atBell Aircraft in Buffalo which saw service inWorld War II.[9] The sail of the Los Angeles Class submarineUSS Boston is also on display here.
The park is located in theCanalside District near theKeyBank Center andLECOM Harborcenter in downtown Buffalo. Hours vary by season, but the park is closed from December to March.[10]
