See

The Strong National Museum of Play

This downtown children's museum, the only one in the world with a specific focus on play, is the place to visit if you have kids from 1-12. You can easily spend a whole day here, or visit a couple of times to enjoy everything. This museum focuses on learning through play and features tons of interactive exhibits, including some focused on well-known themes like Sesame Street. The kid-sized Wegmans supermarket is always a must-do. One nice feature is that most exhibits have information for adults to read (such as on how fairy tales have changed with the times) while the kids do things like climb on a pirate ship. Older visitors (those who can remember the 1980s) may also enjoy the classic arcade cabinets in the eGameRevolution exhibit. The Strong is also home to the National Toy Hall of Fame and the World Video Game Hall of Fame. The museum's Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden costs $6 extra and has a limited number of timed tickets available each day.

Address: 1 Manhattan Sq
Getting there: Use parking garage ($7) entrance on Howell St
Hours: Sun-Thu 10AM-5PM, Fri Sat 10AM-8PM
Price: $25; under 2 free. Butterfly Garden $6 extra; Skyline Climb $8 extra. Discounts for students, veterans, military, SNAP recipients, and members of other museums in the Association of Children's Museums
Website: museumofplay.org (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
Bill Gray's at the Skyliner Diner
This location is housed in the tiny 1950s-type Skyliner Diner, long and narrow like a train car. The diner is in turn located inside the Strong National Museum of Play. Museum admission is now required to get to the restaurant, which sits near the carousel in what was once the entrance lobby.
Sat-Thu 11AM-4:30PM, Fri 11AM-7:30PM
See
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park
Manhattan Square
This urban park near the Strong Museum features a unique concrete amphitheater with a distinctive metal superstructural sculpture, some play equipment, and a public outdoor skating rink that (in warmer months) converts to a reflecting pool with fountains. It's a major gathering space for Rochesterians and hosts the ROC Holiday Village every December.
See
RIT City Art Space
A small-ish art gallery operated by RIT, featuring the work of fine arts students, faculty, alumni, and other artists of note.
Sun Thu 1PM-5PM, Fri Sat 1PM-8PM (closed during university breaks)Free
Do
Nerdvana
If Dice Versa is a gaming lounge with food, Nerdvana is a restaurant and bar with games. When you check in for a meal, you'll be asked "Nintendo, Xbox, or PlayStation?" and be seated at a table with your chosen video game console attached to a built-in screen and loaded with a variety of games. Play all you want while you wait for your food (or while you eat, they don't judge). They also have a big selection of board games (only somewhat smaller than Dice Versa's library) if that's more your speed. And don't worry—you can also play at the bar. The food menu is varied and includes some nice twists, and the cocktail menu is equally good.
Sun-Thu noon-10PM, Fri Sat noon-11PM