Downtown Rochester Travel Guide

Rochester

Genesee River\'s High Falls showing a city and street scenes as well as a couple
Memorial Art Gallery featuring heritage elements, interior views and art
Downtown Rochester
Downtown Rochester showing a fountain
Memorial Art Gallery showing wild flowers and signage

This lively downtown is full of opportunities for recreation and relaxation and is the best place to connect with the unique history of the city.

Downtown Rochester, cut through by the Genesee River, is the heart of this upstate New York city. Filled with museums, parks and historic sites, it’s the perfect place to understand this fascinating region. Walk through exhibits, splash in park fountains or sit on a rooftop and watch the Genesee River’s High Falls crash into the river below.

Follow the Heritage Trail, a 1.25-mile (2-kilometre) path, marked with granite or blue paint and winding through the city’s downtown. It stops at a number of historically significant spots from Rochester’s industrial past as well as sites commemorating the activism of local heroes Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony.

Cross the Pont de Rennes Bridge. This pedestrian suspension bridge traverses the cliffs over which the waterfall splashes, bathing everything in a cool mist, the perfect refresher on a hot summer day.

Wander through old industrial neighbourhoods on the way to Susan B. Anthony House, once the famous suffragette’s home and the place from which she launched her first attempt to vote.

Go back over the bridge and visit The Strong National Museum of Play, an enormous multi-level museum and amusement park featuring a miniature Wegmans supermarket, pinball arcade and immense toy collections.

Emerge into nearby Manhattan Square Park and Ice Rink. Glide across the ice or relax in the shady garden in summer.

Play with fossils or watch a star show at nearby Rochester Museum and Science Centre, learning all about the Great Lakes region.

Downtown Rochester straddles the banks of the Genesee River, upstream from Lake Ontario. Drive here in 90 minutes from Niagara Falls or 3.5 hours from Albany, New York. Train service is available to New York City and other regional destinations including Canada. Downtown Rochester has an extensive bus service and is quite walkable.

There’s no better way to spend your last night in Downtown Rochester than at a free or close-to-free concert at Eastman School of Music, one of the country’s top music schools.


Popular places to visit

Things to do


Top hotels in Downtown Rochester

Hyatt Regency Rochester

Hyatt Regency Rochester

3.5 out of 5
125 East Main Street, Rochester, NY
Fully refundableReserve now, pay when you stay
The price is ฿3,862 per night from 31 Aug to 1 Sept
฿3,862
฿4,517 total
31 Aug - 1 Sept
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 3.5-star business-friendly hotel in Rochester. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, breakfast (surcharge) and room service. Our guests praise the helpful staff and ...
7.4/10 Good! (1,006 reviews)
"Nice property, convenient check in and out. No complaints."

Reviewed on 13 Aug 2025

Hyatt Regency Rochester
The Strathallan Rochester Hotel & Spa - DoubleTree by Hilton

The Strathallan Rochester Hotel & Spa - DoubleTree by Hilton

4 out of 5
550 East Ave, Rochester, NY
The price is ฿4,938 per night from 24 Aug to 25 Aug
฿4,938
฿5,630 total
24 Aug - 25 Aug
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 4-star spa hotel in Rochester. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, free parking and a full-service spa. Our guests praise the bar and the helpful staff in their reviews. ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (850 reviews)
"Nice place"

Reviewed on 14 Aug 2025

The Strathallan Rochester Hotel & Spa - DoubleTree by Hilton
Hampton Inn & Suites Rochester Downtown

Hampton Inn & Suites Rochester Downtown

2.5 out of 5
101 South Union Street, Rochester, NY
Fully refundableReserve now, pay when you stay
The price is ฿5,113 per night from 31 Aug to 1 Sept
฿5,113
฿5,828 total
31 Aug - 1 Sept
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this hotel in Rochester. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in their reviews. Popular ...
9.4/10 Exceptional! (456 reviews)
"location"

Reviewed on 15 Aug 2025

Hampton Inn & Suites Rochester Downtown
Wyndham Rochester Downtown

Wyndham Rochester Downtown

3 out of 5
70 State St, Rochester, NY
Fully refundableReserve now, pay when you stay
The price is ฿3,184 per night from 31 Aug to 1 Sept
฿3,184
฿3,630 total
31 Aug - 1 Sept
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 3-star business-friendly hotel in Rochester. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, 2 restaurants and breakfast (surcharge). Our guests praise the helpful staff and ...
6.2/10 (1,007 reviews)
"Stayed one night and everything was fine"

Reviewed on 15 Aug 2025

Wyndham Rochester Downtown
Inn on Broadway

Inn on Broadway

3.5 out of 5
26 Broadway, Rochester, NY
The price is ฿4,708 per night from 16 Sept to 17 Sept
฿4,708
฿5,367 total
16 Sept - 17 Sept
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 3.5-star business-friendly hotel in Rochester. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. Our guests praise the helpful staff in their reviews. ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (721 reviews)
"I wish the restaurant/bar was open a bit longer"

Reviewed on 17 Aug 2025

Inn on Broadway
Hilton Garden Inn Rochester Downtown, NY

Hilton Garden Inn Rochester Downtown, NY

3 out of 5
155 E Main St, Rochester, NY
Fully refundableReserve now, pay when you stay
The price is ฿4,624 per night from 31 Aug to 1 Sept
฿4,624
฿5,384 total
31 Aug - 1 Sept
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 3-star hotel in Rochester. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, 2 restaurants and breakfast (surcharge). Our guests praise the helpful staff in their reviews. Popular ...
8.2/10 Very Good! (811 reviews)
"It comes across as a a dreary, old, slightly broken down version of a Hampton House. My tV remote was missing a piece. The phones should at least have the number for the front desk. It was freezing and took all night to warm up. The sill by the window was damaged."

Reviewed on 17 Aug 2025

Hilton Garden Inn Rochester Downtown, NY
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Other neighbourhoods around Downtown Rochester

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Rochester Central Business District

While visiting Rochester Central Business District, you might make a stop by sights like Genesee River and Blue Cross Arena.

Rochester Central Business District
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South Wedge

If you're looking for some top things to see and do in South Wedge and surrounding area, you can visit Strong and Blue Cross Arena.

South Wedge
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Monroe Village

Monroe Village might not have many top sights, but Strong and Rochester Museum and Science Center are two attractions nearby that you can check out.

Monroe Village
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Park Avenue Historic District

While Park Avenue Historic District isn't home to many top sights, Park Avenue and George Eastman Museum are some notable places to visit nearby.

Park Avenue Historic District
Memorial Art Gallery featuring heritage elements, interior views and art

Neighborhood of the Arts

You'll enjoy the museums and live music in Neighborhood of the Arts. You might want to make time for a stop at Main Street Armory or Rochester Auditorium Theater.

Neighborhood of the Arts
Mount Hope Cemetery which includes a cemetery and hiking or walking as well as a couple

Highland Park

If you're spending some time in Highland Park, Highland Park and Frederick Douglass Statue are top sights worth seeing.

Highland Park

Downtown Rochester Travel Guide