Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park (Buffalo, New York)

 park, ship, place with historical importance, military museum

1 Naval Park Cove
Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 847-1773
www.buffalonavalpark.org/

The Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park opened to the public on July 4th, 1979 as a museum and memorial to active and Veteran service men and women of the US Armed Forces. The park is made up of four main sections; the Museum building, the outdoor yard and 'Barn' building, the Museum Ships and the grounds.

The Museum Building contains displays of a Niagara Falls-built Bell P-39 Airacobra, a Bell Rocketbelt, ships bells and maritime artifacts, interactive displays and artifacts from conflicts ranging from WWI to the Gulf War and armaments. The Museum Building also contains the park's administrative offices, meeting rooms and the Gift Shop.

The Outdoor Grounds and 'Barn' building contain much of the park's landside vehicle displays; including a Bell X-Ron 1 Rotorcycle, US Army M41 Walker Bulldog tank, US Marine Corps M-84 Armored Personnel Carrier, Bell UH-1 Huey Helicopter, US Air Force F-101F Voodoo and a US Navy Trumpy Class Fast Patrol Craft and FJ-4B Fury. Displays of a US Navy SEAL submersible, a US Navy Liberty Launch, the propellers from the USS The Sullivans (DD-537) and a salvaged Gun Barrel and Shell from the USS South Dakota (BB-57) are also present in the Outdoor Yard. The red 'Barn' contains numerous models of ships and aircraft, monuments to the US Merchant Marine and US Navy Divers and a Flight Simulator, among other artifacts.

The park's three main attractions are its museum ships. The Cleveland Class Guided Missile Cruiser USS Little Rock (CLG-4) and Fletcher Class Destroyer USS The Sullivans (DD-537) were part of the park's original display when it opened in 1979, and the Gato Class Submarine USS Croaker (SS-246) was added to the display in 1988. All three are open for self-guided tours, with docent-led tours available upon request. The USS Little Rock alone contains separate museums honoring Western New York Medal of Honor Recipients, Korean and Vietnam War Veterans, Polish Armed Forces, US Marine Corps, US Cruiser Sailors, US Destroyer Escort Sailors, US Coast Guard Sailors and of course the sailors of Little Rock herself. Both the Croaker and The Sullivans serve as memorials to their crews and Submarine and Destroyer Sailors.

The Park's grounds also contain numerous memorials and exhibits, including the sail of the USS Boston (SSN-703) outside the park entrance and separate memorials to the Korean War, Vietnam War, Polish Armed Forces and the crew of the USS Grenadier (SS-210).

The park is open daily from 10AM-5PM from April through October, then Saturdays and Sundays only through November. During these months, the park regularly hosts tour groups and youth encampments aboard both the Little Rock and The Sullivans. The park is usually closed from December to March for upkeep and maintenance, but can reopen temporarily for major winter events.