Using These Self-Guided Walking Tours of Downtown Rochester

Want to know more? Click on Show the Map or Download Tour. The easy-to-follow numbering system on the map corresponds to the numbering system on the tour pages. Each 3-6 page tour is full of historic and architectural information on a compact, easily walkable section of Rochester's downtown. Now, get out and walk!

About this tour
This 3/5 of a mile tour (one way) begins at Rochester’s dramatically renovated Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial and ends at contemporary Strong Museum.
Your tour route traverses downtown’s interesting crossroads — full of history, commerce and outstanding architecture — if you know where to look. Starting at the Genesee River’s edge, you’ll view Rochester’s downtown bridges in a new way, admire a public library built on a aqueduct, and visit Rochester’s Washington Square (10), with its Civil War memorial statue of Abraham Lincoln. On the modern side, you’ll find outstanding architecture at Bausch & Lomb (15), world headquarters, and the Strong Museum (14).

Historic Highlights: In 1823, the Erie Canal opened in Rochester. When completed in 1825, it connected Albany (and thus New York City) to Buffalo and Lake Erie. Rochester, benefiting greatly, came to be known as America’s first “boomtown.”
On this tour, you can view the inside of the canal’s aqueduct. Rochester celebrated New York State’s emancipation of slaves in 1827 in Washington Square (10). Franklin Roosevelt was nominated for New York State governor in the Naval Armory, now Geva Theatre (13), in 1928. In 1950, Haloid, now Xerox (12), developed an electrophotographic process and put its new copying machines on the market. From a building constructed in 1927-28, Frank Gannett started his publishing empire.

Significant Architecture: On this tour are nine historic buildings constructed between 1858 and 1933. They are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The oldest is St. Mary’s Church, (9) built in 1858. Other buildings show the evolution of architecture during the early 20th century. The First Universalist Church (11)

was designed by one of Rochester’s most prominent architects, the Rundel Memorial Library’s (8) semi-classical facade features Art Deco details and bas-relief sculpture.

The spirit of the roaring twenties is shown in the 1929 Art Deco wings of the Times Square Building (1), whose cornerstone was laid on the day the stock market crashed. This tour will also show you some of Rochester’s fine contemporary office buildings, such as the Frontier Building and Bausch and Lomb world headquarters.

Parks, Libraries and River Walks: Parks: Rochester War Memorial Park (3), Washington Square (10), and a small park next to Blue Cross Blue Shield and St. Mary’s Church (9).

Libraries: Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County (Rundel Memorial Building (8) and Bausch and Lomb Public Library Building).

Genesee River Walk: From Broad Street, you can walk along the Genesee River to the Erie Canal (about four miles.) It’s less than a mile to the Ford Street Bridge where the path then switches to the river’s east bank.

Churches: St. Mary’s Church (9), 232-7140, First Universalist Church (11), 546-2826. Call for services.

Civic Talks: The Downtown Community Forum, 232-7168.

Restaurants and Entertainment:
Restaurants in these buildings: Geva Theatre, Strong Museum, Times Square Building and former Lehigh Valley Railroad Station.

Entertainment: Geva Theatre, Strong Museum, Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial.