Shea's Performing Arts Center is Buffalo's grand theatre, a restored 1920s movie palace with gilded interiors, heavy ornament, and a main auditorium built for spectacle. It anchors the city's theatre district and is one of the best reasons to stay downtown after the museums close.
The centre hosts touring Broadway shows, concerts, comedy, and community events, so the experience depends on the calendar. Even if you are not seeing a performance, look for tour opportunities: the building is the draw, and its over-the-top decoration says a lot about Buffalo's prosperous early twentieth century.