There’s plenty of culture in the sprawling Genesee River manufacturing center of Rochester (pop. 219,700), and the best of it is of the vernacular variety, making the 25-mile detour off US-20 well worth your time and effort. With impressive High Falls, a mini Niagara right at the center of town; numerous historic sights (the Erie Canal passed right through Rochester, and Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass both lived here for many years); and an expansive Lake Ontario shoreline boasting long beaches and the historic Seabreeze Amusement Park (585/323-1900), complete with the ancient wooden Jack Rabbit rollercoaster, Rochester is a fine example of how much fun one can have in a “minor league” U.S. city.
Start your visit with the vast holdings of the Americana-rich Strong Museum (daily; $7), clearly marked off I-490 downtown. This 500,000-item collection of Victorian-era toys, appliances, dolls, perfume bottles, marbles, salt-and-pepper shakers, and classic board games is a must-visit for closet pack rats, pop culture fanatics, and anyone with children in tow. Just inside, but accessible without paying admission, is a lovely circa-1918 Herschell hand-carved carousel (made in nearby North Tonawanda), and the fully restored Skyliner Diner, a 1956 Fodero serving lunch all day.
The George Eastman House (daily; $7; 585/271-3361) at 900 East Avenue, is a 10-minute drive along Rochester’s fashionable mansion-lined main boulevard. In addition to relaying the Horatio Alger–like story of workaholic Eastman’s success and philanthropy as the founder of the Eastman Kodak Company, the 50-room Georgian mansion in which he lived before his 1932 suicide also houses a fascinating exhibit (“Enhancing the Illusion”) on the history of photography.
