Private Tours

NOTICE: TOUIRS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THE 2021 SEASON.  Please check back with us in Spring 2022.

Private Two-Hour Tours

Reservations for private tours may be made via telephone at 716-601-1153 or email by contacting us at tours@richardson-olmsted.com.

To keep our guests, volunteers, and staff safe while on site, The Richardson Olmsted Campus follows all recommended COVID guidelines as updated by the CDC and Erie County.

In-Depth Tour:  $60.00 per person, 4 quests minimum, ages 16+

Take a deep dive into the rich past of the Richardson Olmsted Campus on this two-hour guided tour of unoccupied buildings. Led by an expert docent, visitors will gain access to spaces vacant since the 1970s.  During the tour, visitors will experience some of the site’s original structures as well as the healing landscape designed to serve as a therapeutic environment for patients.

• Flat, sturdy, closed-toe shoes are required.
• A mask or appropriate face covering is recommended when in interior spaces. 
• This tour requires the ability to walk for the full duration of the tour as well as to climb several flights of stairs.
• Tours are conducted rain or shine.

Patient Life Tour:  $60.00 per person, 4 person minimum, ages 16+

What was it like to live at the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane?  Go behind-the-scenes and back in time to learn about what life was like when the Richardson Olmsted Campus was home to thousands of people, including patients, doctors, nurses, attendants and staff.

• The tour is for ages 16 and up.
• Flat, sturdy, closed-toe shoes are required.
• A mask or appropriate face covering is recommended when touring our interior spaces. 
• This tour requires the ability to walk for the full duration of the tour as well as to climb several flights of stairs.
• Tours are conducted rain or shine.

Photography Tour:  $75.00 per person, 4 person minimum, ages 16 +

Join us for an exclusive opportunity to capture the interior spaces of the iconic Richardson Olmsted Campus, a National Historic Landmark.  The 148-year-old former state hospital facility consists of purpose-built structures and a healing landscape that created a therapeutic environment then considered the most progressive treatment available for mental illness.

Photographers will be paired with an experienced docent to guide them through a collection of spaces in various states of disrepair and stabilization. Your guide can also provide context on the history and future of the Richardson Olmsted Campus as you explore the site.

• The tour is for ages 16 and up.
• Flat, sturdy, closed-toe shoes are required.
• A mask or appropriate face covering is recommended when touring our interior spaces. 
• This tour requires the ability to walk for the full duration of the tour as well as to climb several flights of stairs.
• Tours are conducted rain or shine.