Rochester Travel Guide

Rochester is a relatively large, unspoiled city in the Finger Lakes region of central New York State. The town has been given many titles over the years, including ‘Flour City’, ‘Flower City’ and ‘The World’s Image Centre’, and has a good location with regard to Washington DC, New York City, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Canada’s Toronto. Rochester is ideal as a base for visiting nearby attractions and has many sights of its own as well as hosting a barrage of popular film festivals.

Rochester is as historic as they come with nearly two-dozen historic markers in Main street downtown alone. Of these, the statue of Mercury and Main Street Bridge are the most famous, while nearby Brown’s Race Historic district features a replica water raceway, a huge waterwheel, 19th century industrial buildings, and an excavated forge site.

Main street also offers great shopping, with everything available from low-end bargains to high-end fashion. Rochester’s famous film festivals are held in popular venues all over the city and include the gay and lesbian ImageOut, the women’s High Falls, and a Polish and Jewish festival.

Highlights

Susan B Anthony House: located on Madison street, this historical house tells the story of the life of the women’s rights activist.

Mount Hope Cemetery: you can see Susan B’s grave along with the resting place of Frederick Douglass and other historical figures at this beautiful old cemetery on Hope avenue.

Seneca Park Zoo: this quality zoo on Paul street is ideal for families with kids.

Artisan Works: featuring working artists in a warehouse of huge hallways on several levels with art in all media; there is also a theater on-site and all art is for sale.

Seabreeze: located near to Lake Ontario, Seabreeze is an amusement park with some wonderful ancient as well as the latest white-knuckle rides.

International Museum of Photography: see some rare prints from the Civil War era as well as quality contemporary works at this first-rate museum.

Strong Museum: fans of kid’s pop culture will like this place and its fun-loving exhibits, including one on Sesame Street and a 1920s children’s carousel.