AA Meetings in Buffalo

Key takeaway

Find an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Buffalo today through the Buffalo Area AA Central Office at buffaloaany.org or its help line, 716-853-0388. The office lists meetings across Buffalo and Western New York by region. Our meeting finder at /meetings/ searches public AA and NA feeds by day and format.

Last updated: Thu Oct 01 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Call 911 if someone is overdosing, seizing, not breathing, or cannot be woken. For a mental health or suicide crisis, call or text 988.

How to Find AA Meetings Across Buffalo

Buffalo's A.A. central office is the Buffalo Area AA Central Office. Its meeting index lists meetings across Buffalo and the wider region, and you can filter it by region or district, by day, by time, and by meeting type; groups that are no longer meeting are marked inactive. The help line is (716) 853-0388.

The office is at 111 Crocker Street (Franklin Street entrance, Rooms 105–107), Sloan, NY 14212 — in Erie County, just outside the Buffalo city line. It is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 4 p.m., and because it is run by a single staff member who sometimes steps out, the office asks callers to phone ahead before visiting. The office serves A.A. groups across the Buffalo area, so its directory is the right starting point whether you are downtown or in a suburb.

A.A.'s national site at aa.org is not a meeting finder; it points people to the local office, which here is the Central Office. If you are farther out, nearby areas have their own offices — Niagara Falls and Rochester each maintain their own lists — so check which office is closest before you travel.

This site's meeting finder is another route: it searches public A.A. and N.A. feeds by day, time, fellowship, and format, including online. Confirm the day, time, and entrance with the group or the Central Office before you go.

Buffalo Meeting Hubs & Communities

Buffalo's meeting index sorts groups by region, so you can pick the part of the metro you are in and see what meets nearby. The areas run through the city's quadrants and out into the towns and villages around it.

Buffalo North and Buffalo West. These city regions reach the neighborhoods near the Niagara River, downtown, and the waterfront, where several long-running groups meet daily.
Buffalo South and Buffalo East. The southern and eastern parts of the city, including South Buffalo and the Broadway–Fillmore corridor, are covered in these regions.
Amherst, Kenmore, and Williamsville. The northern suburbs appear as their own areas, and they are among the largest communities in the index.
The Southtowns and beyond. The index reaches East Aurora, West Seneca, Hamburg, and out toward Dunkirk and the Southern Tier, so a meeting is usually available outside the city too.

Common Meeting Formats & What to Expect

A.A. divides meetings into open and closed. An open meeting is open to anyone interested in A.A.'s program, and nonalcoholics may attend as observers. A closed meeting is for A.A. members, or for people who have a drinking problem and want to stop drinking. When in doubt, start with an open meeting.

The Central Office index labels meetings by format so you can choose before you go:

Newcomer or beginner meetings, aimed at people who are new to recovery.
Discussion: members share on a topic; the most common style.
Big Book and step study: reading A.A.'s basic text and working the Steps.
Speaker: one or two members tell their story.
Men's, women's, and wheelchair-accessible groups are listed the same way, and an Online filter shows virtual meetings.

Every meeting is free. A.A. says there are no dues or fees for membership and that you do not have to pay anything to attend; a basket may be passed for voluntary contributions and passing it on is fine. And you never have to speak — A.A.'s newcomer page says you can sit and listen. Anonymity means what you hear in the room stays there. The first-meeting guide walks through a typical hour.

Transportation & Virtual Meetings

The NFTA-Metro Metro Rail is Buffalo's light rail line, running along Main Street from the University at Buffalo South Campus through downtown to Canalside. According to NFTA-Metro, it serves eight underground stations and five above-ground stations, and travel is free at all above-ground stations in the downtown corridor. That makes downtown and North Buffalo meetings easy to reach without a car, and NFTA buses cover the rest of Erie and Niagara counties.

Meetings are not only in person. A.A. says meetings can be in person, online, or by phone, and the Central Office index includes an Online filter alongside its in-person listings. The Online Intergroup hosts additional free meetings, and our finder shows online and hybrid meetings from public feeds. The online A.A. meetings guide explains how they work, including that you can keep your camera off and stay silent if you prefer.

Peer Support vs. Medical Care

An A.A. meeting is peer support, not clinical treatment. NIDA explains that mutual-help groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous are peer-led and not led by healthcare professionals, so they are not the same as treatment — though NIDA notes they are free, not time-limited, and useful to many people on their own or alongside professional care.

Some situations call for a doctor, not a meeting. NIAAA says alcohol withdrawal can be life threatening when people who drink heavily over time stop suddenly, rather than cutting back gradually or stopping with medical support. Up to half of people with alcohol use disorder have some withdrawal symptoms, and a small proportion need a few days of medical detox to manage symptoms that can be dangerous. If you have been drinking heavily and want to stop, talk with a clinician first.

For help beyond a meeting:

Emergency: call 911 for an overdose, a seizure, trouble breathing, or someone who cannot be woken.
Crisis: call or text 988 for a mental health or suicide crisis.
Treatment: search FindTreatment.gov, SAMHSA's treatment locator, or call SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) — a free, confidential line available 24/7 in English and Spanish.
Referral help: call or text (800) 653-9376 and we can help you sort out a level of care. SmarterRecovery is a referral helpline, not the Buffalo Area Central Office and not SMART Recovery; calling is free to you because treatment providers pay for the referral service.

Call or text (800) 653-9376 if you want help finding treatment. If what you need tonight is a meeting, start with the meeting finder or the Central Office index and confirm the listing. If this is an emergency or a suicide crisis, call 911 or 988 first.

Additional Resources

Sources cited on this page:

Common Questions

Where do I find an AA meeting in Buffalo today?

Start with the Buffalo Area AA Central Office at buffaloaany.org, whose meeting index covers Buffalo and the surrounding region and can be filtered by district, day, time, and type. Call for help at (716) 853-0388. The office is at 111 Crocker Street in Sloan, NY 14212, open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 4 p.m.; because one staff member runs it, call ahead before visiting.

Why is the Buffalo office in Sloan?

The Central Office address is 111 Crocker Street, Sloan, NY 14212, in Erie County just outside the city line. The office serves A.A. groups across the Buffalo area, so the regional meeting index reaches well beyond the city limits, into Amherst, Kenmore, Williamsville, and the Southtowns. It is still the office to call for a Buffalo city meeting.

What meeting formats are common in Buffalo?

The Central Office index labels meetings by type, including open and closed discussion, beginner/newcomer, Big Book, step study, speaker, men's, women's, young people's, and wheelchair-accessible groups. Earl morning and late-evening groups are common, and online meetings are listed with an Online filter. Choose by the label and confirm with the group.

Is attendance free, and do I have to speak?

Attendance is free. A.A. says there are no dues or fees for membership and that you do not have to pay anything to attend. There is no registration and nobody takes your name; a basket may be passed for voluntary contributions and skipping it is fine. A.A.'s newcomer page says you can just sit and listen. Anonymity means what you hear in the room stays there.

When is a meeting not enough and I need medical care?

NIAAA says alcohol withdrawal can be life threatening when people who drink heavily over time stop suddenly rather than cutting back or stopping with medical support. A meeting cannot manage withdrawal. Talk with a clinician before you stop if you drink heavily every day. Call 911 for a seizure or trouble breathing, and call or text 988 for a mental health or suicide crisis.