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The National Museum of Play at The Strong is a children’s museum that has family attractions throughout the year and emphasises the importance of play in childhood. Its whimsical architecture, use of strong primary colours and many interactive exhibits make it a great venue for kids and adults alike on your trip to Rochester.

George Eastman House showcases the man behind Kodak. This 50-room mansion was his home, and is now a museum devoted to film and photography. White Hope Cemetery contains not only some spectacular monuments but also priceless examples of rare plant species. This first Victorian municipal cemetery in the country, it also has some lovely walkways for jogging or strolling.

The Rochester Museum and Science Centre is packed with fun interactive exhibits on every aspect of science and technology, and kids will love it as much as adults. It’s widely regarded as the best museum of its kind in the whole of the Northeast region.On no account miss seeing the Strasenburgh Planetarium while you’re in Rochester. On a clear night the star displays are truly spectacular and the observatory’s powerful telescope is available for the public to use under supervision.

If you fancy some outdoor activity on your trip to Rochester, you can’t beat the Genesee Riverway Trail. This exciting and scenic trail stretches for more than 13 miles alongside the Genesee River and is hugely popular with joggers, walkers, roller-bladers and cyclists.

Seneca Park Zoo has a great population of animals to see and admire, from tigers to penguins and much else besides. There’s a good restaurant on the site as well as activities for the kids, and it has everything you need for a fun day out.

For colourful contemporary art in an informal setting, where you can see the artists at work and buy their creations, visit Artisanworks. It’s home to numerous collections and exhibitions.

The Highland Botanical Park and Lamberton Conservatory can easily occupy you for a full day with its collections or rare and exotic plant life, chic restaurant and numerous pleasant walks that wind through the displays.

One of the great local specialties here is the ‘garbage plate’, a hot dog or burger accompanied by salad, fries, onions and mustard, served at many restaurants and cheap eateries around town.

Creative dishes like this have earned Rochester its name as a regional food capital. Steaks and seafood are also popular, especially downtown, and Italian cuisine is also very big here. 

If your preference is for hot and spicy enchiladas and fajita platters, Mexican food is growing in popularity and dozens of new restaurants specialising in fiery menus are springing up all the time.

For visitors travelling to Rochester with shopping in mind, you’ll find everything from kitchen gadgets to designer clothing and big-name retail outlets to smaller independent ‘Mom and Pop’ stores. The service tends to have that rare small-town friendliness about it, and the great news is that there’s no state sales tax on any of the clothing items.

There are big shopping centres throughout the city, such as Crossroads for fabrics, Marketplace for footwear and The Grand Shops for unique outlets specialising in designer clothing and jewellery.