The Buffalo AKG Art Museum — formerly the Albright-Knox — reopened in 2023 after a $200 million expansion that doubled its gallery space and cemented its status as one of America's great art museums. Sitting at the edge of Delaware Park on Elmwood Avenue, the museum's expanded campus, designed by OMA and Shohei Shigematsu, blends the 1905 neoclassical building with a bold new wing that's a work of art in itself.

The collection is staggering for a city Buffalo's size. The AKG is world-renowned for modern and contemporary art — think Warhol, Pollock, Rothko, de Kooning, Picasso, and Matisse, plus an extraordinary collection of postwar abstraction. The new Jeffrey E. Gundlach Building added 30,000 square feet of galleries, meaning works that were hidden in storage for decades are finally on view. Don't miss the Sculpture Court in the original building, which houses classical works, and the Public Square in the new wing — a free community space that's open without a ticket.

Start on the top floor of the new Gundlach Building and work your way down — that's how the curators designed the flow. The collection rotates, so check the website for current exhibitions. The museum also has an incredible collection of works by Buffalo-born artists and Western New York creators, which most visitors skip in favor of the big names. The Martha Jackson Gallery collection, donated in the 1970s, includes rare pieces by Arshile Gorky and Robert Rauschenberg that are worth seeking out. The outdoor sculpture collection, scattered across the grounds and visible from Delaware Park, includes works by Henry Moore and Anish Kapoor.

General admission is $22 for adults, $13 for students, free for members and anyone under 18. The Public Square and outdoor sculpture garden are always free. The museum is closed Mondays and Tuesdays, open Wednesday–Sunday 10am–5pm (Friday until 8pm with free admission after 5pm for Erie County residents). Take the Metro Rail to Amherst Station or park in the museum lot ($8). The café, Cornelia, serves excellent food by Oliver's — make a reservation for lunch if you can.

Local tip: Friday evenings are free for Erie County residents, but the crowds are smaller on weekday mornings — especially Wednesday and Thursday right at opening when you might have whole galleries to yourself.

The Buffalo AKG is the cultural anchor of the city's renaissance. For decades, Buffalonians have quietly known that this museum punches far above its weight class — the expansion just made it undeniable. It's proof that this city, often overlooked, has always had world-class taste and the ambition to match.