Tours of the Richardson Olmsted Campus, provided in partnership with the Lipsey Architecture Center Buffalo, are a passageway to the past and a glimpse of the future.
Led by expert docents, you’ll gain access to and learn about historic spaces while experiencing the site’s original structures as well as the healing landscape designed to serve as a therapeutic environment. Plus, you’ll learn about the philosophies of mental health advocate Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride and how his ideas influenced architect Henry Hobson Richardson and landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux who applied those principles throughout the grounds.
Tours are available from May through September. Each unique experience runs between 45 minutes and two hours in length and all explore the past, present, and future of the Richardson Olmsted Campus.
On the day of your tour, please meet at the Lipsey Architecture Center gallery on the ground level of the towers building.
Tours will vary as access may be limited to some areas owing to campus events and activities.
Ticket sales support the non-profit Lipsey Architecture Center Buffalo’s mission to celebrate WNY’s architectural bounty.
2025 Campus Tours.
Our public tours, in partnership with the Lipsey Architecture Center Buffalo and Explore Buffalo, can accommodate up to 20 guests.
Tour dates for 2025 will take place Saturdays and Sundays at 10.00am. Tickets will be released monthly and available on a first come, first served basis.
Please note, for safety reasons, no photography is permitted on this tour. Please sign-up for our dedicated photography tour for image-making (see below for details).
NOTE: The 2025 Tour Season has started! To sign up for tours, visit Explore Buffalo’s website at https://explorebuffalo.org/landmark/richardson-olmsted-campus-interior/
2025 Outdoor Richardson Olmsted grounds walking tour.
Walk our campus with horticulturist Nell Gardner and explore the rich agricultural history and therapeutic nature of the grounds of the former Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane.
Supplemented with photos and landscape reports, learn about the working farm and greenhouse that once existed on site. Tours of our historic grounds will be taking place once a month from June through October.
No events scheduled. Check back soon!
2025 Photography tours.
Join us and Preservation Buffalo Niagara for an exclusive opportunity to capture images of the iconic Richardson Olmsted Campus, a National Historic Landmark.
Photographers will be paired with an experienced docent to guide them through a collection of unique locations. Your guide can also provide context on the history and future of the Richardson Olmsted Campus as you explore the site.
Photography Tours are $125 (includes access for the photographer and one assistant).
NOTE: The 2025 Tour Season has been delayed due to needed construction from a particularly destructive winter. Please stay tuned for more information.
Self-guided audio tour.
When tours aren’t in session on campus, take yourself on a self-guided adventure around the grounds with a free audio tour. To get started:
- Download the audio tour map.
- Dial 1-716-249-3874 to begin the tour.
- Soak up the history and enjoy your tour!
Audio tour generously supported by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. Content co-created by Deirdre Reynolds, Museum Studies Department, SUNY Buffalo State with the Richardson Center Campus.
Voiced by Mike Forster, Master Docent, Richardson Olmsted Campus.
