Place

Riverside Park (Buffalo)

Black and white of flat grassy area with trees spread out, benches spread out
Riverside Park, Job #00724, Buffalo, NY

Olmsted Archives

Quick Facts
Location:
Buffalo, NY
Significance:
Olmsted Designed Park
The final Olmsted designed park in Buffalo, New York, Riverside Park, is the city’s northernmost park. Established in the late 1880s as a private picnic ground termed Germania Park, Olmsted Brothers created their design in 1898. Encompassing twenty-two acres, Riverside Park overlooks the Erie Canal and Niagara River.

Olmsted Brothers brought to fruition their father’s long-held vision of a waterfront park. Riverside Park was Buffalo’s first Olmsted designed park with a direct waterfront connection. In their design, Olmsted Brothers chose to restrict planting along Riverside Park’s western edge, providing extensive views along a particularly wide section of Niagara River.

The design for Riverside Park has suffered considerably from intrusions and neglect since the Olmsted’s worked on it. A senior citizens center, an ice rink, and a set of swimming pools cover much of the formal area of the park, blocking views to the river. The noise from the Niagara Thruway has also caused a significant noise distraction in the park.

Source "Riverside Park- Buffalo," The Cultural Landscape Foundation

For more information and primary resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Olmsted Archives on Flickr

Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site

Last updated: June 11, 2024