Buffalo's New Cruise Terminal: A Gateway To Great Lakes Travel

There was a time when the Port of Buffalo was a major transfer point for people traveling from New York City and the eastern seaboard to the Midwest. With Buffalo's position on the Great Lakes and at the end of the Erie Canal, it makes perfect sense why Buffalo was the perfect spot for people to travel into and out of.

It seems those days may be on the way back for the Queen's City as plans to build a terminal to make Buffalo a stop for major inland lake cruising are taking a major step forward.

It was a few years ago when plans were being discussed about the potential for passenger cruise ships to expand operations on the Great Lakes and for Buffalo to become a major terminal on those routes. Well, after lots of talk and now some major preparations, officials from New York State have released official renderings of what the new Buffalo Cruise Terminal will look like, along with more details about when people can set sail from the new and improved Port of Buffalo.

New York State Unveils Buffalo Outer Harbor Cruise Ship Drawings

Earlier in the day on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and officials from Empire State Development released more details about the upcoming Great Lakes Cruise Terminal that is going to be built along Buffalo's Outer Harbor.

Drawings of Buffalo's Outer Harbor Cruise Ship Terminal

Located at the Slip 2 parcel on Fuhrmann Boulevard, the former site of the Pier Restaurant that was demolished in 2007, construction is slated to begin in July 2026, with a grand opening scheduled for the 2028 summer season. While the permanent facility for multiple ships takes shape, Buffalo will officially re-enter the cruise industry next week as it welcomes the first cruise ship to visit the city in decades at a temporary docking site near the Erie Basin Marina.

Gallery Credit: Ed Nice

First discussed about four years ago in 2022, the Cruise Terminal would help Buffalo become a stop in the reemerging inland cruising scene that's been developing on the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes cruise industry is booming, and Buffalo is now in the perfect position to ride that wave. This new terminal will provide the modern customs facilities and welcoming space we need to handle international travel and serve as a homeport for major cruises. By making it easier for visitors to dock in Buffalo, we are driving more foot traffic to our local small businesses, museums and landmarks, ensuring our waterfront remains a destination for decades to come.
-Hope Knight, President, CEO, & Commissioner of Empire State Development

The permanent cruise terminal will be built on the site of the old Pier Restaurant, while a temporary site will be erected at the Erie Basin Marina.

If things go according to current plans, everything should be up and running by the summer of 2028.