Located in the north west region of New York state, Rochester is approximately a 5 hour drive from Westchester County or a one hour flight from NYC. We recently enjoyed a winter weekend in Rochester and can say there’s plenty to do! Even though it’s the fourth largest city in the state, Rochester has different neighborhoods that give it a small-town feel. Be sure to check out our Instagram page to see lots more pictures from our visit!
WHERE TO STAY:
We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Rochester University & Medical Center (30 Celebration Drive, Rochester, NY 14620). As the name suggests, this hotel is located next to the Medical Center and Rochester University. Almost all major attractions are less than a 15 minute drive away. Located in College Town, there are many restaurants and shops within walking distance.
The rooms are typical for a mainstream hotel and either have a King bed or 2 Queens. There are a couple of one bedroom suites that have a King bed and a small separate living room area with a pullout couch. Our room had two queen beds with a mini fridge, microwave and Keurig. The hotel has a pool and fitness center onsite. If you like Italian food, Grappa restaurant is located on the hotel ground floor. Parking at the hotel is free, even though you’re technically in the middle of a large city.
WHAT TO DO IN ROCHESTER:
Winters in Rochester can be cold and snowy. If you are not a fan of either, don’t despair! The city is full of fun indoor and outdoor places that are worth visiting in the winter.
The George Eastman Museum
900 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607
The George Eastman Museum is the world’s oldest photography museum. It is located on George Eastman’s estate and visitors can tour both the museum and his mansion. Eastman invented the Kodak camera, helping to make photography more accessible to the public. The museum collection has more than 400,000 photographs and photography-related objects. There are always three photography exhibits on display in the museum and currently you can view Joshua Rashaad McFadden: I Believe I’ll Run On (through June 19, 2022), James Tylor: From an Untouched Landscape (through June 5, 2022) and Selections from the Collection. There are also digitized films from the George Eastman collection playing in the Multipurpose Hall (through March 27, 2022) and an exhibit of George Eastman in 1922 in the historic mansion.
From mid-February to the beginning of March, Dutch Connection takes place. Eastman loved flowers and, during this annual event, the mansion is decorated with the kinds of flowers that he enjoyed. The colorful display includes different varieties of tulips, daffodils, hyacinth and more.
There are not many cities that have a waterfall running through its center. This 96-foot waterfall is one of three that spills from the Genesee River. The pedestrian bridge, Pont de Rennes bridge, provides the perfect viewing platform of the falls and makes it easy for cyclists and pedestrians to access different parts of the city.
Mendon Ponds Park
Wild Wings Bird of Prey Facility and Nature Center
Fairy Trail and Birdsong Trail
27 Pond Road
Honeoye Falls, NY 14472
Mendon Ponds Park is Monroe County’s largest park, consisting of 2,500 acres. Rochester gets a lot of snow in the winter and you can take advantage of it at this park. There are two designated sledding hills, more than 20 miles of groomed cross country skiing trails and snowshoe rentals. These are available for $5/an hour at the Wild Wings, Inc. shop. Every visit to Rochester should include a stop at the Wild Wings, Inc. Bird of Prey Facility and Nature Center. Meet rescued animals and birds of prey that, due to a variety of injuries, would not be able to survive out in the wild.
Make sure you leave time for a walk down the Fairy Trail! Look high and low for two dozen fairy houses, located both up on tree branches and down on tree stumps. They are colorful, inspirational and add a bit of whimsy and fun to the great outdoors!
Bring a bag of birdseed with you (or buy a bag for $1 and support the Wild Wings, Inc. facility) and head to Birdsong Trail. The birds, including black-capped chickadees, nuthatches and titmice, will fly down and eat the birdseed right out of your hand! This was such an unexpected and fun experience!
If you happen to visit in January, you can experience the park’s annual Winterfest, an all-day festival filled with fun activities and learning opportunities.
Memorial Art Gallery (MAG)
500 University Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607
The Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) is the University of Rochester’s art museum. The MAG holds a collection of over 12,000 objects in their permanent collection. They also host many temporary exhibitions, concerts and family-friendly programs.
The collection spans over 5,000 years and you can see everything from an Egyptian mummy and Greek pottery to works by Monet, Cezanne and they even have a Kusama. There is a small sculpture park on the grounds of the museum worth checking out as well.
Current temporary exhibits include Kota Ezawa’s National Anthem (through August 14, 2022) and Chitra Ganesh: Sultana’s Dream (through June 5, 2022).
Radio Social
20 Carlson Road
Rochester, NY 14610
Radio Social is a great attraction to visit with teens. This entertainment venue has 34 bowling lanes, indoor games including shuffleboard and ping pong, and video games. There are two eateries: Ophira, a sit-down Middle Eastern restaurant located at the entrance of the space, and Shortwave, a counter-service-only snack bar. There are also two bar areas.
Every bowling lane has either a high top table with stools or sofas. Food can be ordered and delivered right to your lane. We visited on a Saturday evening and the place was hopping! This is a popular place for locals to celebrate birthdays, as there were several taking place during our visit. Lanes are rented by the hour and start at $39.95. Friday and Saturdays have a higher rate of $45.95/hour. If you want to rent a lane during your visit, I highly recommend making a reservation since, as I mentioned, this is a very popular venue!
We had dinner while we bowled and were impressed with the food we tried here. We enjoyed the “Just” brick oven pizza with tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil and the veggie burger, made with black beans, poblano and feta. The seasonal veggie, olive oil and fresh herb hummus served with cucumber and pita was tasty as well. My son enjoyed a bacon cheeseburger which is topped with a tomato shallot jam and aged cheddar. The curly fries are served with a black garlic mayo and spicy ketchup for dipping. This is not your typical bowling alley food!
Rochester Museum and Science Center and Strasenburgh Planetarium
657 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607
The Rochester Museum and Science Center is a great museum for kids of all ages. Their current temporary exhibition is Expedition: Dinosaur, which is on display through May 1, 2022. The RMSC holds three floors of hands-on science with exhibits on energy, sound, illumination, Native Peoples of the Americas, and lots more! I personally found the Fight to Freedom: Rochester’s Underground Railroad and Objectively Racist: How Objects and Images Perpetuate Racism particularly enlightening. While the museum was filled with younger kids, I enjoyed that my older teens were knowledgeable about the science behind many of the exhibits, as they have or are learning about the concepts.
The Strasenburgh Planetarium, adjacent to the museum has three different shows, including its newest, “Dinosaurs at Dusk”. This approximately 45 minute show compliments the museum’s current Dinosaur exhibit. Young dinosaur fans will enjoy seeing this movie on a big screen. Please note: it’s a movie about a father and daughter who travel through time to see dinosaurs. It is not a planetarium show focused on stars and space.
Strong Museum of Play
One Manhattan Square
Rochester, NY 14607
If you have young kids, the Strong Museum of Play is a must-visit when in Rochester. This is a one-of-a-kind museum with 100,000 square feet of interactive exhibits focused on toys and play. Kids can visit Sesame Street, shop at the Wegman’s Super Kids Market, visit the Toy Hall of Fame and more. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is a temporary exhibit through April 24, 2022.
Our family had fun in Pinball Playfields, where we got to play all kinds of different pinball machines. Pinball games and video games cost 25 cents per play. While there is plenty to see and do with a general admission, there are also attractions available for an additional cost. These include the butterfly garden, the Skyline climb, a train ride and a ride on the carousel.
Be warned, we visited during the winter break when schools were closed. Even though we arrived early, it was packed! In our opinion, children between the ages of 4 and 10 will likely have the most fun and enjoyment at this museum.
Visit Colleges
Having two teenagers, we’ve recently been visiting colleges on our travels. Rochester is home to several colleges including the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). The University of Rochester is minutes away from the Hilton Garden Inn Rochester/University & Medical Center. We took a drive through the campus to get a cursory glimpse of the school. However, you can schedule a visit to Rochester around an official college visit and tour.
WHERE TO EAT IN ROCHESTER:
A visit to Rochester is not complete without sampling it’s most iconic dish, the garbage plate. Trademarked by the historic restaurant where it originated called Nick Tahou Hots in 1992, almost every restaurant offers some variation. Garbage plate traditionally begin with a layer of either French fries or home fries, and either macaroni salad or baked beans. This layer is then topped with a protein which often is either hot dogs or hamburgers. However, some restaurants offer ground meat, sausage, chicken or even fried fish.
A city like Rochester is full of restaurants. From burgers and fast food to vegan restaurants and fine dining, there is something for everyone. You can dine at a different restaurant every day and still not visit them all. Below are the restaurants that we visited and can recommend.
Genesee Brew House
25 Cataract Street
Rochester, NY 14605
The Genesee Brew House was established in 2012. However, the brewery itself dates back to 1878. The Brew House sits adjacent to the Genesee River and from the balcony or rooftop, offers spectacular views of High Falls. The first floor of the Brew House has a gift shop, a collection of brewery memorabilia and the Pilot Brewery.
The second floor of the brewery has a large bar and both indoor and outdoor seating. Whenever we are at a brewery, my husband has to sample a flight! The brewery had 14 brews on tap for him to choose from. We also enjoyed dinner here. The menu has some interesting items like Buffalo Chicken Pierogis and Potato Chip Tenders appetizers. My son enjoyed the ChicKing sandwich, which he devoured. However, my daughter and husband are vegetarians and I’m a pescatarian.
The three of us shared Bavarian pretzels, the Blush Beer Raviolis and a Goat Cheese Burger, minus the bacon. We were impressed that we could order any of their three burgers and substitute an Impossible burger for the beef patty. Although the menu had a limited selection of items that we could eat, everything we ordered was really good!
Jines Restaurant
658 Park Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607
Jines is a family-owned restaurant that has been operating since 1971. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We visited for breakfast and were impressed with their offerings. They have an extensive omelette menu and serve eight variations of eggs Benedict!
The Wild Mushroom and Crumbled Blue Cheese was delicious, as was the Fresh Mozzarella, Fresh Basil and Tomato Omelette. My kids enjoyed the Belgian waffle with strawberries and the bagel with lox and cream cheese. If eggs aren’t your thing, Jines serves a variety of different waffles and pancakes, cereal, pastries, bagels and more.
Open Face
George Eastman House
900 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607
If you are visiting the George Eastman House, I recommend stopping by Open Face, the museum’s onsite café for lunch or a snack. The restaurant offers a variety of beverages, including a Tea Pharmacy that serves 18 different varieties. We were impressed with the selection of sandwiches on the menu and liked that there is an option to do a tasting and sample two different sandwich halves. We sampled three sandwiches, the Toasted Brie (with warm apricot preserves and tart cherry butter), the open-faced Corn Mash and the Chickpea, and can highly recommend all three! Many of the sandwiches are vegetarian and can be made vegan for an additional charge.
The Red Fern
283 Oxford Street
Rochester, NY 14607
The Red Fern is located in the Neighborhood of the Arts. It is a 100% vegan restaurant and bakery and also has gluten-free and allergy-friendly food options. As vegetarians, and former vegans, we love being able to go into a restaurant and know that we can order anything on the menu. And they have a dessert case filled with vegan treats! The restaurant and dining space is small, so I highly recommend making reservations or ordering takeout. We ended up doing takeout on our visit since the dining room wait list was long!
We had to try the Compost Plate, The Red Fern’s version of the Garbage Plate, that I described above. Their version has a layer of macaroni salad and sweet potatoes topped with a spicy ‘meat’ sauce and choice of protein (we chose Italian ‘sausage’) and served with field greens and focaccia toast. It may not look appetizing, but this was one of my favorite dishes! We also shared a Steak Bomb sandwich and ABLT sandwich. We couldn’t leave without sampling a dessert and tried the cherry chocolate brownie.
Rochester Public Market
280 N. Union Street
Rochester, NY 14609
The Rochester Public Market has been a city staple since 1905. It operates every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, all year long. We arrived at the market on a Saturday morning around 8:15 AM to get some breakfast. It was snowing and freezing cold when we arrived. While there are many food options at the Market, we started at the closest to our parked car. The Flour City Bread Company uses only organic grains and flours in their bread. Their selection is vast and, besides bread, they sell bagels, pretzels, hamburger or hotdog rolls, croissants, granola, danish and more. We chose to share a pretzel, chocolate croissant, potato focaccia and blueberry cronut. It was very difficult deciding on what to get and everything we tried was so good!
We then went next door to Best Coffee at The Market for some hot beverages. The kids enjoyed hot cocoas while I had a regular coffee and my husband ordered an Americano. This place was packed at 8:30 AM! They roast their coffee beans onsite, which is done right inside the entrance. You can also buy bags of their roasted beans.
Despite the frigid cold weather, there were many outdoor vendors set up. Most were farms selling produce. However, we also saw syrup, eggs and other goods being sold. There was also one food vendor braving the cold, selling empanadas, burritos and other Mexican dishes from inside a small food cart.
We made a stop at Juan and Maria’s Empanadas. This family business is housed in an indoor/ outdoor pavilion and has been operating for 21 years! We shared a cheese empanada and a vegetable breakfast empanada. They were both so good! Don’t forget to grab some sauces to enjoy with your empanadas. The Spanish mayo and the green & gold sauces were our favorite.
After warming up with our empanadas, we went into the indoor public market in building B. Here, vendors are selling everything from produce and seafood to freshly pressed juices, baked items and vegan food items. You can spend hours at this market, enjoying a meal and snacks and shopping from the vendors.
Simply Crepes
7 Schoen Place
Pittsford, NY 14534
Simply Crepes has three locations in the upstate New York area. The restaurant serves separate breakfast and lunch/dinner menus. We visited for breakfast and ordered a mix of sweet and savory items. Since it’s part of the restaurant’s name, of course we had to sample the crepes! I ordered savory with the Vegetarian Scramble Crepe, while my daughter ordered the Nutella Fruit Crepe. Nutella, fresh strawberries, chocolate sauce and whipped cream are served inside the crepe, along with a side of vanilla bean ice cream. Yes, she had ice cream for breakfast!
My husband went with the Rumchata Banana French Toast (French toast with burnt sugar custard, bananas and Rumchata caramel) and my son ordered the Maple Sausage Stackers (two crepes piled with scrambled eggs, maple sausage, cheddar and topped with an apple wood bacon cream). The restaurant serves a lot more than crepes and it is all amazing!
There is so much to see, eat and do on a winter weekend in Rochester. This is only a sampling of some of the fun and delicious bites you can enjoy in this great city in New York. As you plan your next winter weekend getaway, consider visiting Rochester!
