The Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society is Western New York’s premier historical organization, serving to collect, research, interpret, and share the Niagara Frontier’s rich history since its founding in 1862. Its collections include more than 100,000 artifacts, 200,000 photographs, and 20,000 books. The Historical Society annually presents a wide array of programs, exhibits, tours, outdoor events, and activities for all ages that utilize many of these resources to tell the stories of both ordinary and extraordinary people of Western New York.