Rochester

This downtown children's museum, the only one in the world with a specific focus on play, is the place to visit if you have kids from 1-12. This museum focuses on learning through play and features tons of interactive exhibits, including some focused on well-known themes like Sesame Street. One nice feature is that most exhibits have information for adults to read such as on how fairy tales have changed with the times while the kids do things like climb on a pirate ship. Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden is a new addition, but it costs $3 extra to get in. The museum also houses the National Toy Hall of Fame; the toy archives are less interactive but might bring back a lot of memories for older visitors. If you have kids, you can easily spend a whole day here, or visit a couple of times to enjoy everything.

This is the house where the women's rights activist lived for many years, and where she was arrested after voting illegally in 1872. The museum highlights Anthony's influences, the many reforms she worked for suffrage, abolition, temperance, education, and a purse of her own among them, her friendship with Frederick Douglass, and her trial for voting.

Rochester's zoo is nestled inside the Olmsted-designed Seneca Park. While small—the entire zoo can easily be enjoyed in an afternoon—a lot of value is packed into the small area. Genny C and Lilac are the only African elephants in the state; the zoo's three orangutans are also unique in New York. The Rocky Coasts exhibit, with polar bears, sea lions, and penguins, is a definite highlight.

The planetarium adjacent to the Rochester Museum and Science Center offers a variety of large-format films and weekly planetarium shows using their state-of-the-art star projector. Saturdays during the summer feature laser-light shows set to music. Show times and prices vary; tickets that include admission to the RMSC are available.

This mansion was built by the founder of Eastman Kodak and has been restored to appear much as it did when he was alive. It could be considered three museums in one: first, the building itself and its living areas, which illustrate the life of Rochester's elite in the early twentieth century; second, exhibits highlighting the history of photography and film; and third, the museum's enormous photograph and film archives, among the largest in the world. Films are often presented in the museum's Dryden Theatre see below. Guided tours of the house and the exhibits are available.

A science museum filled with hands-on exhibits and activities. Fantastic for kids, but a lot of it is fun for parents, too. Kids will love the Adventure Zone, full of active and creative play opportunities. Don't miss the enormous mastodon skeleton in Expedition Earth, which displays an overwhelming amount of information on the post-glacial history of western New York. Other permanent exhibits focus on the people of the Haudenosaunee, nineteenth-century Rochester, the Underground Railroad, and more. The Strasenburgh Planetarium is next door.

A non-profit organization housed in a huge warehouse, Artisan Works comprises a labyrinth of hallways and levels where every square inch is covered with art in all media but mostly painting and sculpture. Everything is for sale. The gallery provides studio space to dozens of artists, some of whom may be working when you visit, and all of whom are happy to chat about what they're making. Also within is the Triangle Theater, a 30-seat movie theater which features films by student and local filmmakers.

Orator Frederick Douglass lived in Rochester during his most productive years as a speaker and abolitionist, publishing his famous newspaper North Star here, but efforts to create a memorial or museum have only recently come to fruition. This resource center is still working to fill its space, but for now offers a glimpse at Douglass' time in Rochester.

If, when you get to the lighthouse, you wonder where the shore is, it's half a mile northeast. That's how much land has been added to the northern shore of New York since the lighthouse was built in 1822. Museum on the first floor has a lot of displays on Rochester's harbor history.

A small museum is attached to the Visitor's Center at High Falls. It's a great place to start your exploration of the neighborhood and the City. There are interactive exhibits as well as a fine art gallery.

An eclectic neighborhood along University Avenue, near the Village Gate and the Rochester Museum and Science Center. Lots of public artwork thanks to ArtWalk (http://www.rochesterartwalk.org/), some small shops and eateries, and beautiful Victorian homes. Very walkable.

High Falls

The majestic High Falls of the Genesee are what attracted settlers to the area in the first place. A 96-foot 29 m waterfall in the center of downtown is certainly a unique sight; viewing is best from the Pont de Rennes pedestrian bridge. But also take a walk around the old warehouses on the west bank between the bridge and the falls; this is the area known as "High Falls" and home to a very nice museum/visitor's center and some very old milling equipment.

South Wedge

A triangular neighborhood bordered by the Genesee and Interstate 490. The South Wedge is what some may call an "up and coming" neighborhood. Many night life options and a growing number of shops and businesses. Located close to Alexander street as well as the University of Rochester and Mt. Hope Cemetery.

Grove Place

Small residential neighborhood in downtown Rochester. Full of beautiful 19th century townhouses. Several good restaurants are in the neighborhood and it is in easy walking distance to Eastman Theater and the Eastman School of Music as well as the Memorial Art Gallery.

Park Avenue

There are a lot of great trendy shops in this district, and it's serviced by the RTS service. However, it's definitely not an entire day activity, and things close relatively early.

Most famous for its annual Corn Hill Arts Festival, this area can be nice to walk around any time of the year. As Rochester's oldest residential neighborhood, there are lots of beautiful historic homes. Corn Hill Landing, on the river, has shops and restaurants.

Most famous for its hundreds of lilacs, Highland Park is the site of the annual Lilac Festival. Even when the lilacs aren't blooming, though, there are countless other examples of Rochester's horticultural tradition. There is a Sunken Garden behind the Warner Castle, and the Highland Park Bowl, a natural amphitheater, hosts concerts and films during the summer. The park also hosts the county's Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the AIDS Remembrance Garden.

Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony and other historical figures are buried in this beautiful Victorian cemetery. Also a great place for running. Guided tours are available periodically throughout the year; the Halloween tour is particularly popular.

Lamberton Conservatory

The conservatory holds a number of more exotic plants that wouldn't survive outside in Rochester, including desert and tropical species. Open year-round and a wonderful refuge from the stark winter landscapes.

Genesee Valley Park

Located at the confluence of the Genesee River and the Erie Canal, the park is a great place to step off onto the Genesee Riverway Trail, the Genesee Valley Greenway, and the Erie Canalway Trail see below.