Baby, It's Cold Outside!

It's no secret that Buffalonians can handle some serious winter conditions.  We're certainly not strangers to the cold and snow.  So if visitors to the city want to gain the real Buffalo experience, they might as well do as the natives do and take on winter's elements.

Every Friday at 10 a.m. throughout the months of January and February, Buffalo Tours will be offering free walking tours of the downtown area when the thermometer reads 25 degrees or below.  The tour groups will gather at the Buffalo Visitor Center, located at 617 Main Street.  From there, they will travel the historic interior of the Queen City, from M&T Bank's gold-domed branch to St. Paul's Cathedral.

For every degree the temperature rises above 25 degrees on those days, the price of the tour will increase by $1.  The maximum price per adult will be 10 dollars, and $5 for students.  The cost of the tour will be decided 15 minutes before departure time by the Weather Channel website's temperature report for the 14203 zip code.

"Maybe it's crazy to be outside when the weather is this cold," said Fred Schrock, Preservation of Buffalo Niagara's Education Coordinator. "But that hasn't deterred our visitors yet. Why not reward the heartiest tour-takers with even crazier prices?"
Schrock, who developed the concept of these wintry specials, is no stranger to leading tours on Buffalo's chilliest of days.  Last February, Schrock guided a group of 20 individuals through the downtown area, despite the temperature being a mere three degrees Fahrenheit, not factoring in the wind chill.

Though it may sound a bit crazy to some, the idea makes sense.  After all, Buffalo is known for its winters.  What better way to get a true sense of the city than to wander it on a typical, wintry morning?

For more information, call 716-852-3300 or email info@BuffaloTours.org. Tour leaders have asked that any locals who choose to join the tour groups be sure to remind the out-of-towners that "this is nothing."