The Perfect Weekend in Rochester, NY: Where to Stay, Eat & Explore
Where to Stay
For my Rochester getaway, I stayed at The Strathallan Hotel & Spa, part of Hilton’s Tapestry Collection. Set on East Avenue near the city’s museums, galleries, and restaurants, it’s a convenient home base for exploring. The rooms are spacious with a modern feel, and some offer private balconies if you like having a little outdoor space.
One of the hotel’s coolest features is Hattie’s Rooftop Cocktails. The ninth-floor lounge has leather booths and wood-paneled walls, plus a wraparound patio with views across Rochester and a fire pit for enjoying a drink outside. There’s also Char Steak & Lounge downstairs, making it easy to fit in dinner and rooftop drinks without leaving the hotel.
Day 1
Coffee, Brews & Waterfall Views
My first stop was Winter Swan Coffee, a café located inside Stacy K Floral. Sharing a space with a working floral studio makes this such a unique spot to grab a coffee, surrounded by plants, fresh flowers, and bouquets coming together throughout the day.
The menu features traditional Vietnamese coffee made with sweetened condensed milk, along with specialty lattes in flavors like pandan and French toast. I loved the creative atmosphere here, and there are plenty of plants and gifts to browse while you enjoy your drink.
For lunch, I headed to Genesee Brew House, which has a restaurant upstairs and an outdoor terrace overlooking High Falls. A beer flight and a Bavarian pretzel were my picks, and the waterfall view makes this a particularly fun place to stop.
Genesee has been part of Rochester’s brewing history since 1878, and there’s more to explore here beyond the restaurant. The Brew House occupies a former packaging building, with a pilot brewery, historical displays, and a large gift shop downstairs. There’s lots of memorabilia from over the years, so give yourself a little time to look around before heading out.
Right near the Brew House is High Falls, a 96-foot waterfall on the Genesee River. It’s such a cool feature of Rochester, especially if you aren’t expecting to find a waterfall this size in the middle of a city.
Walk onto the Pont de Rennes pedestrian bridge for a great view across the gorge toward the falls. With the historic buildings and city skyline around it, you get a sense of how central the river is to Rochester. It’s an easy stop to pair with lunch at Genesee Brew House and a great place to take photos.
Genesee River Cruise
A cruise aboard Riverie was a relaxing way to see more of the city and learn a little about the area. The boat departs from Corn Hill Landing and travels along the Genesee River, passing under bridges and alongside stretches of greenery.
Although Riverie began operating in 2023, it has a charming, vintage-inspired style. I especially enjoyed seeing all the different bridges along the route, and the guide shared just the right amount of history and interesting facts without talking the entire time. There was plenty of opportunity to sit back and enjoy the scenery.
There were only a handful of other passengers during my visit, which made the cruise feel especially relaxed. Drinks and snacks are available onboard, including alcoholic beverages, and my cruise lasted about 90 minutes. It was a nice way to get my bearings in Rochester while spending some time on the water.
The Susan B Anthony House: Votes For Women
The National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House ended up being one of the most meaningful stops of my trip. I knew the basics about Anthony’s work in the women’s suffrage movement, but visiting her home was much more impactful than I expected.
This was where she lived and worked, and where she was arrested after voting in the 1872 presidential election. As you walk through the house, you can see furnishings and personal belongings connected to her life while learning about her work and the other people involved in the movement.
My guide was fantastic. She shared information about Anthony’s abolitionist work, her relationship with Frederick Douglass, and other suffragists, and brought parts of the tour to life by reciting passages from Anthony’s speeches. Hearing those words while standing in her home was something I really appreciated.
One quote in particular stayed with me: “Failure is impossible,” from her last public speech in 1906. I left feeling inspired and would recommend this experience even if you don’t usually plan your trips around history museums.
“Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less.”
The tour lasted roughly 45 minutes to an hour. Leave a little extra time for the gift shop, which has a great selection of books and gifts celebrating women’s history. Then walk over to nearby Susan B. Anthony Square Park to see Let’s Have Tea, a sculpture by Pepsy Kettavong showing Anthony and Frederick Douglass seated together over tea.
Dinner & Drinks
For dinner, I visited The Alexander, located in a red-brick Victorian mansion dating to the 1880s. The building has so much character, and there was a live jazz band playing during my visit, which made it a lovely place to settle in for the evening.
I ordered penne with vodka sauce and a crisp glass of Sauvignon Blanc, both of which I enjoyed. It’s also within walking distance of The Strathallan, with several places nearby if you want to continue the evening with a drink.
After dinner, I headed across the street to The Daily Refresher. This cocktail bar has a cozy, vintage feel inspired by the bars of years past, with a focus on craft cocktails and an extensive spirits selection.
Day 2
Markets & Museums
The Rochester Public Market is a great place to start a Saturday morning, especially if you like browsing local vendors and trying different foods. The market has served the community since 1905, with fresh produce, specialty ingredients, prepared dishes, and independent businesses throughout the surrounding Market District.
I enjoyed seeing the variety of foods and cultures represented here. It felt like a good introduction to Rochester’s diverse community, and I loved the murals and street art around the neighborhood. For something to eat, look for Juan & Maria’s Empanada Stop. If you’re spending more time in the district, Rohrbach’s Railroad Street Beer Hall is another nearby option for wood-fired pizza and locally brewed beer.
I’d recommend getting there early on Saturdays to make parking easier. There are several free city-owned lots, including a larger lot across Union Street from the market.
One of Rochester’s most unique museums to visit is the George Eastman Museum, where you can explore photography galleries, tour a historic mansion, and wander through beautiful gardens. I started with the photography exhibitions before heading into the former home of George Eastman, the founder of Kodak.
Completed in 1905, the mansion is one of the most interesting historic homes I’ve toured. The beautifully restored rooms are filled with original furnishings, intricate decorative details, and some unexpected features, including the elephant head overlooking the two-story conservatory. There’s an eccentric feel to the house that I really enjoyed, and so much to take in as you walk through.
Leave yourself time to explore the gardens behind the mansion, too. They were absolutely beautiful and a highlight of the visit.
The Memorial Art Gallery is another lovely museum to spend an hour or two exploring, with beautiful galleries and a varied collection spanning thousands of years. I liked that it felt manageable to walk through without getting overwhelmed, and around an hour and a half was a comfortable amount of time for my visit.
There’s also great news for anyone planning a future trip: general admission will be free for everyone beginning May 1, 2027, through the museum’s Free for All, Forever initiative.
I love seeing a museum make that kind of commitment to its community. After learning about Rochester’s history and visiting several of its cultural institutions, it was especially nice to hear that more people will be able to enjoy this one.
Fun on the Farm
One thing I loved about Rochester was how quickly you could get out into the countryside. Wickham Farms, in nearby Penfield, was an easy drive from the city and a great place to spend the afternoon.
The farm offers summer activities and a Sunflower Spectacular in addition to its Fall Festival, so check the calendar to see what’s happening during your visit. I went in the fall, and it was one of the most creative farm experiences I’ve been to. There were beautiful displays, oversized pumpkins, and so many fun places to take photos.
There’s a huge variety of activities, too. Along with apple picking, hayrides, slides, and farm animals, you’ll find jumping pillows, hay trolleys, and different play areas. The big corn-filled play area was especially popular with the kids, and Zack the Singing Tractor was another fun feature—an animated tractor performance with an audience that was very much enjoying the show.
I went apple picking and tried the apple cider donuts, which were delicious. There were plenty of food choices, and I grabbed dinner from the grill. Hard cider and fire pits added to the experience for the adults, too.
Day 3
A Walk Through History
Mount Hope Cemetery dates to 1838 and is the final resting place of notable figures including Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. With mature trees and winding paths, it’s an interesting place to explore and learn more about Rochester’s history.
For me, the highlight was visiting Anthony’s grave after touring her home. I visited during election season, when people come to leave their “I Voted” stickers and pay their respects. Seeing women taking part in that tradition made the visit especially meaningful.
For a more detailed look at the cemetery’s history, Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery offers guided walking tours. There are general tours and visits focused on particular themes, so check the calendar for options during your trip.
Where Nostalgia Comes to Play
The Strong National Museum of Play is a must-visit in Rochester, with everything from childhood favorites and classic arcade games to interactive exhibits that are just as fun for adults as they are for kids. I was so impressed by how much there was to explore here, and I’d recommend setting aside a full day to enjoy it.
There’s so much to enjoy here for both kids and adults. Even the spaces designed for younger children were incredibly detailed and fun to walk through, with storybook settings, the Berenstain Bears, Sesame Street, and familiar comic-book characters. So much of it felt nostalgic, and I loved seeing how creatively everything had been put together.
There’s also the Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden, an indoor tropical space filled with butterflies, and the outdoor Hasbro Game Park. Upstairs, you can explore historic toy displays and arcade games, along with the two gaming exhibits that were a major highlight for me.
ESL Digital Worlds: High Score explores the history and cultural impact of electronic games. In ESL Digital Worlds: Level Up, you create an avatar and take on interactive physical and mental challenges. Both exhibits were so well done, and you could spend a lot of time in these areas alone.
With food available onsite and a central location, it’s easy to make a day of it. Whether you’re traveling with children or visiting as an adult, The Strong is absolutely worth including in your Rochester itinerary.
This blog post was part of a hosted visit and paid partnership with Visit Rochester Recommendations and reviews remain genuine, these opinions are my own.
