While many think of New York City, it’s not the only central hub of skateboarding in the state of New York. Upstate New York is home to many great skateboarding destinations, but none are as impressive as what you will find in Buffalo. The greater Buffalo is home to many great skateparks and street skating spots.
Buffalo is in Erie County which is full of several towns with skateparks that are only a short drive away. The skateparks in the Buffalo area are unique for their emphasis on vert and transition skating, but you will find many street skating obstacles as well. Follow along as we take a deep dive into the best skateparks in Buffalo, NY.
1. LaSalle Skatepark (Buffalo Skate Plaza)
Location: 3120 D A R Drive, Buffalo, New York 14202
Phone Number: (716) 851-5553 (Buffalo Parks Department)
Operating Hours: Dawn to Dusk
Park Costs: Free
LaSalle Skatepark, also known as Buffalo Skate Plaza, is easily one of the best skateparks in Buffalo, NY for street style skaters. This park features all the obstacles of a standard street plaza, such as rails, stairs, and ledges. However, the unique shape of Buffalo Skate Plaza means that you will have to plan lines differently than you typically would, and that’s half the fun.
You will also find a steep bowl, pyramid, quarter pipe, and volcano. This skatepark allows BMX, scooters, skateboards, and rollerblades. Every surface is made of smooth concrete besides the metal rails. It is a beginner-friendly park because none of the obstacles are extreme, but the bowl may be tricky for new skaters, so practice dropping in!
This park has been growing by phases, phase one built in 2013 was built for park and street skaters, phase two was more a “transition park”, and phase 3 is called a “plaza park”.
2. Tonawanda Skatepark
Location: 100 Elgin St, Tonawanda, NY 14150
Phone Number: (716) 861-7591
Operating Hours: 24/7
Park Costs: Free
Found in the same county as Buffalo, Tonawanda Skatepark is one of the best skateparks in the area. While it only spans 4,000 square feet, Tonawanda Skatepark features all the key obstacles that a street or transition skater could hope for. The park consists of a bowl and street section that features rails, ledges, and a quarter pipe.
Seasoned transition skaters and BMX riders can safely skate the bowl as it is roomy and steep. The park stays open year-round and is open at all hours. However, the park isn’t too well-lit, so I don’t recommend shredding for too long in the dark.
3. Phatman Boardshop Indoor Skatepark
Location: 4430 Bailey Ave, Buffalo, NY 14226
Phone Number:(716) 837-8743
Operating Hours: 12:00 PM- 8:00 PM
Park Costs: $30 Per Hour
Not only can you stock up on boards and gear, but you can shred at Phatman Boardshop Indoor Skatepark. This park is the best hub for skateboarding in Buffalo, NY because it’s a one-stop-shop for any skater. Street skaters won’t find much to do at the park, but it’s a great place to work on your transition skills and balance.
Many indoor skateparks consist of wooden ramps, but Phatman Board Shop Indoor Skatepark features smooth concrete. It costs $30 per hour to skate at the park, which is somewhat pricey, but it’s worthwhile when the weather isn’t pleasant, and you still want to shred.
4. Alix Rice Peace Park Skatepark
Location: Amherst Northtown Center Buffalo NY 14221, Amherst, NY 14221
Phone Number: (716) 514-6148
Operating Hours: 8:00 AM- 8:00 PM
Park Costs: Free
Alix Rice Peace Park Skatepark isn’t just one of the best skateparks in Buffalo, NY, but it’s one of the most important. The park is named in honor of Alix Rice who tragically died in 2011 when riding her longboard home and was struck by a drunk driver. The park stands as a beacon of positivity in the local skateboarding community. The park features a nice street course section and two bowls that vary in steepness and difficulty.
Beginners will appreciate the smaller bowl at the far end of the park because it isn’t too extreme. The larger of the two bowls are much more challenging and requires transition skating experience. Otherwise, you can simply shred the ledges and rails or practice flat-ground tricks in the street section.
5. Outer Harbor DIY Skatepark
Location: 702 Fuhrmann Boulevard, Buffalo, NY 14203
Phone Number: NONE (Not Regulated By City or County)
Operating Hours: 24/7
Park Costs: Free
Like all DIY skateparks, the Outer Harbor DIY Skatepark is unofficial. DIY skateparks are crucial to many local skateboarding scenes, and the one in Buffalo, NY is no exception. This ever-evolving skatepark is a product of the local community’s hard work, and it features a variety of street and transition elements.
You will find ledges, hubbas, rails, stairs, and quarter pipes at Outer Harbor DIY Skatepark. There are no set hours and there is no supervision or routine maintenance because it’s an unofficial skatepark. However, the skating community regularly updates this park, and it is likely to continue to expand in the coming years.
6. Town of Evans Skatepark
Location: 8787 Erie Rd, Angola, NY 14006
Phone Number: (716) 549-0970 (Evans Parks and Recreation)
Operating Hours: 6:00 PM- 9:00 PM
Park Costs: Free
The Town of Evans Skatepark in Erie County is a short drive from Buffalo, and it’s a great skatepark for beginners and BMX riders. The ramps work well with rollerblades and skateboards, but they are perfect for bikes. That explains why you will often have to take turns with BMX riders at the Town of Evans Skatepark, and that’s a great thing.
Unfortunately, the skatepark is only open from 6:00 PM- 9:00 PM each day. That just means that you’ll have to show up when the park opens and shred as much as possible for three hours. There are some street skating elements, such as flat bars, but the Town of Evans Skatepark is mostly geared toward vert and transition skaters and BMX riders.
7. Springville Skatepark
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Location: 65 Franklin St, Springville, NY 14141
Phone Number: (716) 592-4936 (Springville Parks and Recreation)
Operating Hours: 24/7
Park Costs: Free
A short 35-minute drive from Buffalo, Springville Skatepark is among the best skateparks in upstate New York. Springville Skatepark was built by Grindline, which is one of the best skatepark designers in the world. Currently, the park is set up like a standard street-plaza-style skatepark with ledges, rails, benches, and quarter pipes.
However, there are still plans to expand Springville Skatepark over the next few years as of 2023. The park is made of smooth concrete and features a miniature snake run. Not only is it a great skatepark, but it’s a pillar of the local skating community, and skaters arrange park cleanup days to keep Springville in good shape.
8. Orchard Park Skatepark
Location: 200 N Lake Dr, Orchard Park, NY 14127
Phone Number: (716) 598-1637
Operating Hours: 9:00 AM- 9:00 PM
Park Costs: Free
Just under 20 minutes outside of Buffalo, the Town of Orchard Park Skatepark is a simple-yet-impressive skatepark. It is like the Town of Evans Skatepark in that it caters equally to BMX riders and skateboarders.
The Town of Orchard Park Skatepark features several ramps that are made of wood and steel. There are also several fun boxes and flat bars to grind. This is the most beginner-friendly skatepark in the Buffalo area, but experienced skaters and BMX riders will find plenty to do as well.
Are The Skateparks In Buffalo NY Safe?
The skateparks in Buffalo, NY are typically safe, and most of them feature lights. Most of the skateparks in Buffalo close at or before 10:00 PM and are primarily in well-populated areas. Buffalo, NY has its fair share of crime, and violent crimes affect 1 in 116 residents, so it’s important to exercise caution at night.
Property crime is more common, affecting 1 in 36 Buffalo residents. Avoid staying at skateparks too late and travel with a group if possible if you are visiting a park you’re unfamiliar with for the first time.
Do Buffalo Skateparks Allow BMX?
Most of the skateparks in Buffalo welcome BMX riders. Some Buffalo area skateparks, like Town of Orchard Park Skatepark and Town of Evans Skatepar, are perfect for riding BMX because of the ramps.
Are There Any Indoor Skateparks In Buffalo NY?
There are a few indoor skateparks in Buffalo, NY. Phatman Board Shop Indoor Skatepark and Rainbow Rink Skatepark are the most popular indoor skateparks in Buffalo. Xtreme Wheels was the most popular indoor skatepark in Buffalo, NY until it recently closed.
Are There any New Skateparks Coming to Buffalo?
There is a new indoor skatepark coming to the McKinley Mall in the spring called the Food Court Skatepark. Weldon Jones is the man with the idea behind the build, he noticed there were no places for people to go during the winter so this plan is finally going to come to life.
The size of this indoor skatepark will be around 16000 sq ft, it will include a lot of features for all levels of skaters.
See the news segment by WIVBTV below to learn more about the new park:
Nick Durante is a professional writer that primarily focused on action sports. Skateboarding and Longboarding are his particular areas of expertise. When he isn’t writing about action sports, he is catching up on the world of skateboarding and spending time outside.