Where to stay

Many of Rochester's cultural attractions are within or just outside the Inner Loop highway. Stay in Downtown Rochester for the George Eastman Museum, Memorial Art Gallery, and Eastman Theatre, where the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra performs. Bars and restaurants across this neighborhood host the Rochester International Jazz Festival in June. Book accommodations in Canandaigua for big-name music events at the covered CMAC amphitheater, with additional lawn access for music listening under the stars. The East Avenue and Park Avenue areas are great places to stay to enjoy summer festivals, street art, boutique shopping, and popular coffee shops and cafés.

Rochester is surrounded by water, offering all kinds of outdoor excitement. Downtown Rochester hotels are within walking distance of the pretty High Falls on the Genesee River that runs right through town. Stay in Webster or Sodus to access Lake Ontario for boating and fishing. Canandaigua is a perfect place to stay to enjoy waterskiing, sailing, and other activities on Canandaigua Lake, one of the region's beautiful Finger Lakes. Book accommodations in Pittsford for pleasant walks along a canal trail or cruising the canal on a replica packet boat. Visit the region's inland parks too. The beautiful lilac shrubs of Highland Park are just a few miles from Downtown Rochester.

Stay in Downtown Rochester to enjoy numerous family-friendly and kid-focused attractions. The Strong National Museum of Play is internationally recognized for its many large collections of toys, games, electronic games, and other elements of play. The Strasenburgh Planetarium and Rochester Museum and Science Center are also in this neighborhood. Still in Downtown, but west of the Genesee River is Frontier Field, where the family can watch a Red Wings minor league baseball game. Head south to Henrietta, a great place to stay to enjoy the Monroe County Fair, a very family-friendly event with animal shows, crafts, and music. To the east, Victor hotels are close to the Ganondagan State Historic Site, revealing interesting history of the Seneca nation of Native Americans.