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Welcome to the Buffalo Presidential Center!
Besides Washington, D.C., Buffalo is the city with the most connections to the 45 men who have served as president.
Millard Fillmore (1850-53) and Grover Cleveland (1885-89 and 1893-97) each made their reputations in Buffalo before being elected president. There were two processions to honor Abraham Lincoln after his assassination, and Lincoln's funeral train stopped in Buffalo on April 27, 1865. William McKinley was assassinated at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo in 1901, and eight days later, his Vice-President, Theodore Roosevelt, took the oath of office at the Wilcox Mansion on Delaware Avenue.
With visits from nearly every president for the past 140 years, Western New York is rich in presidential history. The Buffalo Presidential Center commemorates and celebrates these connections, with an eye toward history.
We are an all-volunteer, non-profit organization chartered by New York State to explore and share stories about Western New York’s historic and contemporary contributions to the Presidency and national affairs.
The Buffalo Presidential Center operates a museum on the second floor of the Central Library free of charge. We also travel throughout Western New York, presenting public programs and exhibits. If you’re interested in learning more about our topics, or hosting a speaker for your group, please visit the Speaker's Bureau tab.
Buffalo Presidential Center
2nd floor of the Buffalo and Erie County Library
1 Lafayette Square
Buffalo, N.Y. 14203
Hours of operation:
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. every Saturday
© photo by Steven D. Desmond
"Buffalo is full of inspiration! Next to Washington, the richest presidential history of any city."
— Brady Carlson, NPR host and author of Dead Presidents: An American Adventure into the Strange Deaths and Surprising Afterlives of our Nation's Leaders
Guarding Presidents:
a Career in the Secret Service
Presentation by John Chadderdon
Saturday, November 8, 2025 at 11:30 a.m. in the Buffalo Presidential Center
Free and open to the public
© photo by Steven D. Desmond
John Chadderdon, a Western New York native, spent more than 32 years as a Secret Service agent. He worked at the White House protecting Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. In addition, he traveled with then-First Lady Hillary Clinton as she campaigned across New York State as a candidate for the Senate. He also protected former presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.
The Secret Service was originally founded to investigate counterfeit currency, but morphed into the role of protecting presidents after the assassination of President William McKinley in Buffalo in 1901.
Chadderdon will discuss the history of the organization, provide background about an agent’s job, and share his experiences with leaders of nations.
Current Exhibit:
Presidential Stamps and Stickers
Calling all stamp collectors! Our current exhibit, through November 22, features postal and presidential candidate stamps used from campaigns in the late 1800s through modern times. Large campaign stickers were pasted to houses, car windows and bumpers. Stamps and stickers were a popular way to support and commemorate favorite candidates
Presidential Trivia Contest for kids in grades 2-8
Saturday, November 22, 2025
10:30 a.m. - noon
The Buffalo Presidential Center will host a free fun, educational, interactive, and challenging Jeopardy-style trivia contest for children in grades 2-8.
Participants will be assigned to a team to compete against each other. The exact format will be determined after the registration process is completed.
After registering, all participants will be sent a set of presidential flashcards and fact sheets with fun and interesting information about each of the presidents. These materials will be needed to prepare for the contest. Most questions for the Jeopardy game will come from these sources.
On the day of the competition, participants will be given a tour of the museum and work with our volunteers as they participate in the contest.
Space is limited and registration closes on November 7, 2025.
To register, scan the QR code below.
© photo by Steven D. Desmond