Buffalo Historical Society

09/25/2026

08/31/2026

Community Invited to Buffalo Lake Scenic Overlook Clean-Up
The Buffalo Historical Society and the Buffalo Heritage Advisory Board invite residents of all ages to take part in the Buffalo Lake Scenic Overlook Clean-Up on Saturday, September 5, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
The event will be held at the scenic overlook next to the Buffalo Public Library, where volunteers will help care for the area surrounding the historic stone wall built by the Works Progress Administration, a lasting example of New Deal-era craftsmanship.
Community members are encouraged to bring gloves, rakes, shovels, loppers, tarps, battery-operated w**d whips, and blowers to assist with cleanup efforts at the overlook and beach area.
In addition to the cleanup, the Buffalo Historical Society will share stories and historical insights about the WPA wall and the site’s importance to Buffalo’s past.
Light refreshments will be provided.
Residents are invited to join neighbors in helping keep Buffalo beautiful while preserving and celebrating the community’s local history.

08/30/2026

🧵 Quilts and the Stories They Tell

Tues., Sept. 15th • 6:30–7:30 p.m. Buffalo Area Community Center
This special gathering invites community members to bring a family quilt and share the stories, memories, and history stitched into it.
Members of the Piece by Peace Quilt Guild have been invited to offer observations about quilt pattern, materials, construction, and techniques.
Come for the history. Stay for the stories. Bring a friend!
Learn more: buffalomnhistory.org

08/30/2026

Community Invited to Buffalo Lake Scenic Overlook Clean-Up
The Buffalo Historical Society and the Buffalo Heritage Advisory Board invite residents of all ages to take part in the Buffalo Lake Scenic Overlook Clean-Up on Saturday, September 5, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
The event will be held at the scenic overlook next to the Buffalo Public Library, where volunteers will help care for the area surrounding the historic stone wall built by the Works Progress Administration, a lasting example of New Deal-era craftsmanship.
Community members are encouraged to bring gloves, rakes, shovels, loppers, tarps, battery-operated w**d whips, and blowers to assist with cleanup efforts at the overlook and beach area.
In addition to the cleanup, the Buffalo Historical Society will share stories and historical insights about the WPA wall and the site’s importance to Buffalo’s past.
Light refreshments will be provided.
Residents are invited to join neighbors in helping keep Buffalo beautiful while preserving and celebrating the community’s local history.

08/07/2026

Help Shape the Buffalo Historical Society Website

Join the Buffalo Historical Society on Tuesday, August 18, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Buffalo Community Center, 114 Commerce Drive, for a public review of the Society’s new website.
Community members are invited to explore the site at http://buffalomnhistory.org and share feedback as the Society builds a stronger online home for Buffalo-area history.
The Society is seeking local stories, photographs, ideas, and historical information to make the website a meaningful community resource.
At this meeting you can help support the website by purchasing a Buffalo Historical Society T-shirt for $25 or becoming a Society member for $20.
Attendees should park in the lower parking lot and use the lower entrance. The meeting is open to the public, and all are welcome.

Bringing our past to the present

06/14/2026

Buffalo Historical Society Meeting Tuesday June 16th / New Location/ Parking Info
Just a reminder about our meeting this Tuesday night in our new location at the NEW Community Center, 114 Commerce Circle. We will be meeting in the lower level in the “Community Room”. Community Center staff suggest we park in the lower parking lot and come in on the lower level. There are 2 doors, one that right goes right into the “Community Room”, you cannot get in that door. Walk farther past that door to your left and you will see another door, that door will be open. Bring a friend!

Reconnecting the Threads: Dakota Family, History, and Resilience
Presented by Laura Johnson
June 16 at 6:30 PM
Join us at the NEW Buffalo Community Center, 114 Commerce Circle
Reconnecting the Threads: Dakota Family, History, and Resilience
Join us for an engaging and heartfelt presentation exploring family, history, and cultural resilience rooted in Minnesota’s Dakota heritage. Researcher, genealogist, and writer Laura Johnson shares her powerful journey of reconnecting with her Dakota family after uncovering the story of her birth mother and a lineage that reaches back more than 500 years in Mni Sóta Makoce—the land where the water reflects the sky.
Through ancestral stories once passed down orally, this presentation honors resilience, sacrifice, and spiritual beauty, while reflecting on a time when Native traditions were forced into hiding. This evening offers an opportunity to listen, learn, and reflect—shared in a good way, with a good heart.

05/11/2026

May Update

We had planned to host our Downtown Historic Walking Tour again this year in conjunction with Heritage Preservation Month in May. However, as many of you have noticed, the downtown streets are undergoing a major makeover. As a result, we won’t be holding the walk this year. We look forward to bringing it back next May in a sparkling new downtown.

We’re also planning a clean-up at the Buffalo Lake Scenic Overlook later this month and will share details as soon as the date is set.

There will be no regular meeting at the “old” Community Center this May as they transition to the new Community Center, located at 114 Commerce Circle.

Plan ahead and get your free Community Center pass by visiting the city website and scanning the QR code to register. Or, join the Grand Opening celebration on Tuesday, June 9, from 5–8 p.m., and someone there can help you register. Please note: registration will be completed using your cellphone.

We’ll have a table set up at the Grand Opening—please stop by and say hi!

You’ll need to check in with your free pass card each time you visit the new center.

We hope you’ll take time this Heritage Preservation Month to celebrate and promote the heritage of our city—and your family’s heritage—in your own way.

04/10/2026

3rd Annual Trivia Night
Join us for the 3rd Annual Trivia Night on Tuesday, April 21st at the Buffalo Community Center (206 Central Ave.) at 6:30 PM. This year’s theme is the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s, featuring, you asked for it, multiple choice questions so everyone can play along with ease. Test your knowlede, trust your gut, and enjoy a relaxed night of laughs, all while learning a little history. All are welcome! Come for the popcorn-stay for the trivia! As always fabulous prizes will be awarded!

03/18/2026

This looks like a fun presentation. Posting for the Hanover Historical Society of Minnesota

03/06/2026

"Buffalo from Above: Aerial View Photo Night"
Join us for a special evening on March 17th, 6:30 PM, at the Buffalo Community Center, where we’ll journey through Buffalo’s history with nearly 30 aerial photographs spanning from 1881 to 1960. Bring your own photos to share and enjoy a visual exploration of our town’s transformation over the decades. Whether you’re a longtime resident or new to Buffalo, this is a wonderful opportunity to connect, reminisce, and celebrate our community’s rich heritage. Everyone is welcome—see you there!