Exploring Rochester

The city of Rochester, New York offers visitors 140 awesome festivals, has 60 golf courses and more than 12,000 acres of parkland.

The Strong or once known as The Strong Museum of Play is known to be one of the most exciting children’s museums in the world. Here you’ll find 150,000 square feet of exhibit space all dedicated to toys, board games, dolls, video games, books, a century-old carousel, and New York’s only indoor butterfly garden. The museum is also home to research facilities and libraries that are dedicated to play. It offers a wonderful adventure for the entire family.

The Rochester Museum & Science Center is the place to get your imagination going. There are over 200 interactive exhibits, fantastic shows and original collections. You can uncover the natural wonders of the region, the world and beyond that. Altogether the museum has 1.2 million items in various collections. There are such exciting things like Science on a Sphere that shows our planet in 3D just floating before your eyes. The museum, Strasenburgh Planetarium and Cumming Nature Center inspires children to want to become scientists.

The RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium puts on star shows with a star projector depicting the sun, planets and more than 8,000 stars as they would appear to the naked eye upon a clear night. They also have Saturday night laser shows with beams of light onto the indoor sky with music. There are hands-on space mission simulations, world exploration with films on giant screens and free public telescope viewing. It is open to the public, welcomes school visits an features shows for free as well as ticked events.

The city of Rochester is the best place to stay when you want to explore the Finger Lakes Wine Country which produces some of the tastiest wines in the U.S. The Finger Lakes are eleven long, narrow, finger-like lakes in central New York. There are over 100 wineries in the region. Three well-organized wine trails help visitors see and be able to taste as much as possible. You can visit up to 35 wineries. The trails often also include wine and food pairing, barbecues, and festivals. The wine country also has great restaurants, markets, breweries and distilleries.

The George Eastman Museum is housed in an impressive Colonial Revival mansion once the home of George Eastman, the pioneer of modern photography. Upon his death it was bequeathed to the University of Rochester. In turn the university donated the mansion and property to the museum dedicated to the memory of Eastman and his work. It is the oldest museum of photography in the world and one of the oldest film archives. The original collection includes the historical collection of the Eastman Kodak Company, the Medicus collection of Alexander Gardner’s Civil War photos and the large Gabriel Cromer collection. The museum also has temporary exhibits and is home to the 500-seat Dryden Theater.

Highland Park is spread over 150 acres consisting of valleys and hills. This world-class arboretum and landscape was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead. There are 1200 lilac shrubs, a collection of Japanese Maples, 35 kinds of magnolias, a collection of barberries, a rock garden with dwarf evergreens, over 700 varieties of azaleas and rhododendrons, Andromeda, mountain laurel, horse chestnuts, a profusion of spring bulbs and native wildflowers, and many exotic trees.

Every year the park changes the pattern of the pansy bed with 10,000 plants. The park also includes such attractions as the Lamberton Conservatory, the Greater Rochester Vietnam Memorial, Warner Castle and the John Dunbar Memorial Pavilion.

Seneca Park Zoo is an exciting place where you can see African elephants, white rhinos and Borneo orangutans. You can watch polar bears and sea lions swim. The zoo opened in 1893 and which time there was only an aviary with some birds and several species of deer. One of its latest exhibits opened in 1997. The Rocky Coasts is a state of the art habitat offering the zoo animals more spacious and natural homes.

The National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House pays tribute to Susan B. Anthony the legendary American civil rights leader who fought for equal rights for women and their right to vote. The museum is in the house in which Susan spend her most active years. The house has a collection of research materials, artifacts and memorabilia from her life. She died here after giving her famous speech in Baltimore, Maryland “Failure is Impossible”. The museum is also a learning center to challenge and inspire future generations to make a difference in their communities through a range of programs.

The Memorial Art Gallery of Rochester City was founded in 1913 and has a permanent collection of more than 12,000 different objects on display. Artwork from contemporary movements to 21st Century artwork from all over the world. It is located on a 14-acre campus and hosts temporary exhibits, lectures, tours and concerts.

Seabreeze is one of the oldest amusement parks and family entertainment center in upstate and central New York. It opened in the summer of 1879. It offers over 70 attractions for all ages. There are thrill rides like the Revolution 360 and a water park that has a Wave Pool. You can also enjoy great food and a pleasant time by Lake Ontario.

Ontario Beach Park is a 39-acre park with natural sandy beaches on the shores of Lake Ontario. You can enjoy swimming, fishing and boating. Other activities include six volleyball courts, basketball courts and softball fields. The park has food stalls, picnic shelters, a bathhouse and a performance pavilion.

Durand Eastman Park spreads out along the Lake Ontario waterfront. It is known for its steep wooded slopes, large valleys, small lakes and fantastic autumn foliage and beauty in the summertime. It is a great park in all seasons offering cross-country skiing, fishing, geo-caching, hiking, golf, canoeing, snowshoeing and swimming. There are shelters for rent. If you enjoy walking or hiking there are three color marked trails that take you through rolling hills or along the lake shore.

The High Falls Interpretive Center and Museum is an interactive museum that tells visitors about local history. It takes visitors through the pre-historic history of Rochester up to the 21st Century. There are multi-media displays and exhibits and photos and artwork. The museum also features special exhibits to promote new information.

See the High Falls from the Pont de Rennes Bridge.

High Fall Terrace Park is another place from where you can see this spectacular falls. And for a close-up view from where you can see the water rushing over the falls go to High Falls Lookout near the Gorsline Building.

The Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse is the oldest active lighthouse on Lake Ontario. It was built in 1822 and restored in 2014. The tower is 40 feet high, with 12 feet for the height of the lantern room. There are 42 steps and an 11-step rung ladder that take you to the top of the tower. It is located in the former village of Charlotte in Rochester and offers tours and a membership for those interested in its history. It is open to the public but there are tower tours for those who want to get spectacular views. A lighthouse keeper’s house has a museum.

Cobbs Hill Park offers lovely scenic trails. Three are walking trail that provide some of the best views in the city. It is a popular destination for hikers. There is a large collection of lilacs and many large oak trees. There are tennis and basketball courts, a playground and a reservoir. You can fish and in the winter go cross-country skiing. Local softball leagues use the park for summer games and many people come to sunbathe. There are two cabins for rent for private use.