top of page

Our Story

White Background

Buffalo is my home.  It is my passion. I've lived in and around Buffalo all my life and every day I learn something new about this city.  

Since I was young I've valued stories and the way that people are connected through the craft of telling them.  I believe that you can learn a great deal about a person or a place by the stories that they choose to tell.  For a long time the stories people have told about Buffalo were of a dying rust belt city with nothing left to give the world.  

But Buffalo is much more than rust and chicken wings and snow. And in recent years more and more people are showcasing the old and creating new, strong and beautiful stories about Buffalo.

Our goal, at No Illusions Tours is to add to those new stories by breaking down the history of Buffalo itself.

We seek to tell our city’s story through different voices from the past, from the Burning of Buffalo more than 200 years ago to new art and innovation from the last decade.

Our very first stories at No Illusions have been told through the voices of remarkable women who have lived and worked here, who have helped Buffalo and in many cases the rest of the world to grow, as they grew.  This series of tours, Buffalo's Favorite Daughters consists of three separate walking tours.  We also feature a walking tour that tells Buffalo's stories through the eyes of authors who have lived here, called Buffalo Lit, as well as an Anomalies walking tour series in October each year.

We have worked with other local companies to create unique tour experiences as well, including carriage rides featuring Buffalo's Favorite Daughters and Buffalo Lit stops and the full Anomalies tours by wagon with Banner Farm, as well as a unique Women's History tour and a Buffalo Lit tour by bike with Buffalo Bike Tours and other local businesses. We've also created memorable season opener tours featuring local cafes, including The Intersection Cafe, as well as local bakeries, including, Fairy Cakes and have held one to benefit The Family Justice  Center. No Illusions Tours has also worked with Sobremesa Buffalo to put on a historic dinner celebrating the Pan American Exposition & Valentine's Day at Buffalo Harmony House. We have also worked with Sobremesa Buffalo to celebrate St Patrick's Day and held a Victorian Picnic and tour at Forest Lawn Cemetery.

We look forward to many more experiences telling the story of Buffalo's hidden past, dispelling the illusions about this area and lifting the city up by breaking it down.

~Maria Blair

Owner, Operator

No Illusions has been featured in:

Lancaster/Depew Sun- June 2019

Alden Advertiser- July 2019

Speaker at NYS Women Inc.- Buffalo Niagara Meeting - November 2019

Channel 7 WKBW- AM Buffalo- July 2020

Welcome 716- August 2020

Amherst Bee- August 2020

Channel 2 WGRZ News- October 2020

Channel 7 WKBW- AM Buffalo- October 2020

Spectrum News- July 2021

Channel 7 WKBW- AM Buffalo- July 2021

Buffalo Spree- February 2022

Advancing Women Podcast- March 2022 

GWEM- Contributor beginning September 2022

Feminine Macabre Vol. 4-Contributor- Out September 2022

Unitarian Universalist Women's Society Speaker Series- November 2022

Exquisite Corpse Contributor beginning November 2022

Alden Historical Society Speaker Series- April 2023 

Buffalo Boss Babes- May 2023

Speaker at Orchard Heights- October 2023

Channel 2 WGRZ-Most Buffalo-October 2023

Alden Historical Society Speaker Series- March 2024

(see our Social Media for videos of TV spots and links to articles)

Links:

Advancing Women Podcast-See Episode 44 

Buffalo Boss Babes Feature on 05.04.2023

Our Mission

Our Mission:

To build Buffalo up by breaking it down. To shed light on the true story of our city. 

bottom of page