Start your visit in the High Falls Historic District, the one-time mill area at the edge of the Genesee River and a 96-foot urban waterfall. The High Falls Heritage Area Visitors Center, 60 Browns Race (tel. 585/325-3020), has a small museum on the history of Rochester and some great views of the falls.
Especially for Kids
The outstanding Strong Museum and the 19th-century Genesee Country Village & Museum are musts for kids visiting Rochester. Also of interest is the Seneca Park Zoo, 222 St. Paul Blvd. (tel. 585/467-WILD; www.senecaparkzoo.org), which has polar bears, rare African elephants, and Eurasian Arctic wolves. High Falls is also a good place for families. Kids will enjoy the urban waterfall and laser-light show, shown there on weekend nights in the summer; the High Falls Visitors Center also has an educational exhibit aimed at youngsters. Lake Ontario's beaches and the nearby Seabreeze Amusement Park, 4600 Culver Rd. (tel. 800/395-2500; www.seabreeze.com), open mid-June to Labor Day, are great spots in the heat of summer.
