See

Turning Point Park

No other park (at least, without a beach) gets you as close to the water as Turning Point, named for the large basin where ships coming upstream from Lake Ontario could turn around before reaching the Lower Falls. The park's long trail (part of the Genesee Riverway Trail) includes a southern descent down the gorge to water level, a beautiful curving boardwalk over the river basin, and a northern wooded trail heading toward the harbor. Lots of nature to be found here, including some wetlands. Pastoral and serene.

outdoors

Address: 260 Boxart St
Website: cityofrochester.gov (opens in a new tab)

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Rochester (New York), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

Close by

Eat
Hose 22
Housed in a former firehouse (and fully leaning into that theme in the decor), Hose 22 offers up great American grill fare and pizza, just a notch above your typical bar and grill.
Sun Tue-Thu 11:30AM-9PM, Fri Sat 11:30AM-10PM; bar open later$20-40
Eat
Whiskey River Pub and Grill
The former Steel River BBQ still has their popular smoked wings, but they've expanded into the historic building next door and now offer a variety of entrees in their dining room, along with classic pub fare in the bar area.
Mon-Thu 4PM-close, Fri-Sun noon-close$15-25
See
Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse
The oldest remaining lighthouse on Lake Ontario sits high above the Rochester harbor, and visitors can climb to the top of it to see the light, the lens – and the view. Now if, when you get to the lighthouse, you wonder where the shore is, it's half a mile (almost a kilometer) northeast. That's how much land has been added to the northern shore of New York since the lighthouse was built in 1822. The museum inside the keeper's house has a lot of displays on Rochester's harbor history.
May-Oct: Fri-Sun 1-5PM; other times by appointmentAdults $5; ages 5-17 $2; under 5 free
Buy
House of Guitars
The "Great, Great House of Guitars" has a huge selection of new and used records, CD's, and cassettes, most of which you won't be able to find anywhere else. The store is also a shrine to music and musicians, with an extensive collection of instruments for sale. Some of the biggest rock and pop musicians in the world go out of their way to come to this store, because of the selection and the knowledgeable, well-connected staff. The proof is on the walls, which are *covered* with photos and memorabilia from those visits.
Mon-Sat 10AM-9PM, Sun 1-5PM