New children’s museum set to open on Buffalo waterfront

BUFFALO, N.Y. – A new museum that’s expected to attract a quarter-million visitors each year will be opening soon on Buffalo’s waterfront.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo joined local officials Thursday to announce the completion of the $29 million Explore & Moore Children’s Museum. The Democrat calls the 43,000-square-foot building “a great tourism and development magnet for the region.”

The museum features seven educational play zones offering hands-on activities and exhibits telling the stories of Buffalo.

The four-story museum was built on the terminus of the original Erie Canal and is the latest addition to Canalside, the city’s popular waterfront destination.

The facility was built with $6 million in matching grant funds from the foundation of the late Ralph Wilson, who owned the Buffalo Bills.

The museum officially opens its doors to the public later this month.