Things to do in Rochester while you are here to view the solar eclipse
So, you’re coming to Rochester for the 2024 solar eclipse.
Totality, when the moon covers the sun, begins at 3:20 p.m. Monday, April 8, and will last approximately 3 minutes and 38 seconds.
Of course, tons of events have been scheduled around that once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.
But assuming you’re arriving the weekend before and perhaps staying awhile after, you’ll have plenty of time for non-eclipse-type stuff, too.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Rochester NY food and drink to try
Before (or while) exploring, you’ll want to get something to eat and/or drink.
Rochester cuisine runs the gamut, but we’re known for:
White hots
This hot dog variation originated in the 1920s in Rochester’s German community. It’s made from a combination of uncured and unsmoked pork, beef and veal stuffed in a pork casing. The lack of curing or smoking is what allows the meat to retain its natural white color. Iconic Rochester company Zweigle’s, which has been making white hots for generations, recommends topping them with a meat-based hot sauce (another Rochester thing), mustard and chopped onions. Zweigle’s hots (they make reds, too) are served at restaurants around town, including locally based chain Bill Gray’s.
Garage Plate
Rochester’s signature dish was invented by Nick Tahou Hots at 320 W. Main St. downtown. It consists of home fries, mac salad, baked beans, and cheeseburgers, hamburgers or the aforementioned Zweigle’s hots smothered with a meat-based hot sauce and topped with raw onions and mustard. Are you picking up on a pattern? Lots of other restaurants serve versions of the specialty, but they can’t call them Garbage Plates because Tahou’s trademarked the name. In addition to locals, the original Garbage Plate has been endorsed by Jimmy Fallon, Jim Gaffigan and Sammy Hagar. Tahou’s is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday.
Chicken French
This dish, consisting of thin, lightly battered and sautéed chicken cutlets, served in a sauce of white wine, butter and lemon, is on restaurant menus everywhere here, but especially Italian-American establishments. Adapted from veal French, it was created by Nate Cianciola of Webster (a northeastern suburb), who owned the Brown Derby restaurant in Brighton (a southeastern suburb) with his brother James. Their chicken French was such a hit that they quickly added artichoke French, cauliflower French, haddock French and other foods French to the menu.
Abbott's Frozen Custard
Abbott’s Frozen Custard was founded in 1902 by Arthur Abbott, who sold the frozen treat —milk, cream, eggs and sugar slowly churned to remove the air — at carnivals up and down the Eastern Seaboard. He settled in Rochester in 1926, opening his first store at Lake and Beach avenues in Charlotte, which remains the flagship. There are two dozen Abbott’s locations in the greater Rochester area, including inside Bill Gray’s restaurants. While visiting here a few years back, Wall Street Journal reporter Jimmy Vielkind tweeted: “So they have this thing called Abbott’s Frozen Custard which is thicker than standard soft ice cream but not as hard as solid ice cream. It is perfect.”
Genesee Beer
Genesee Brewing Co., which was founded in 1878 and is one of the largest and oldest continually operating breweries in the United States, is located right here in Rochester on the shores of the mighty Genesee River. The brewery’s line includes the original Genesee Beer, Genny Light and Genesee Cream Ale. That last one, which debuted in 1960, is fermented cold like a traditional lager but with an ale yeast and has a touch of sweetness and a crisp finish. Genny is served at places all over town, but for the full experience, enjoy one at the Genesee Brew House at 25 Cataract St. It’s right next to the brewery, and its second-floor patio and rooftop deck offer spectacular views of the city, including of a 96-foot waterfall right in the middle of downtown.
Tribute Sandwich
If you’re here on Saturday morning, consider stopping by Petit Poutinerie, 44 Elton St. The restaurant specializes in iterations of Canadian staple poutine (French fries and cheese curds with gravy). But recently, the café brought back a breakfast sandwich with a cult following. Offered Saturdays only starting at 11 a.m., it is two eggs over medium, sliced avocado, arugula, pancetta, Sriracha mayo and cheddar on a soft ciabatta roll from local bakery Amazing Grains. The sandwich was originated by Hart’s Local Grocers, a beloved downtown supermarket that closed five years ago.
Learn some Rochester NY history
With fuel in your tank, you can find out more about Rochester’s past. Here are four stops to consider:
The National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House at 17 Madison St. was the legendary suffragist’s home for most of her adult life and where in 1872 she was arrested for voting, a right that thanks to her tireless work, finally was granted to American women in 1920. The Madison Street residence also is where Anthony died in 1906 at age 86, following her “Failure is Impossible” speech in Baltimore. The museum/house is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is $20 for adults. Discounts are available for seniors, students and children. Go to susanb.org.
Dedicated in 1838, Mount Hope Cemetery, 1133 Mount Hope Ave., is steeped in history. Formed by glaciers, the undulating, picturesque 196-acre site is the final resting place of Anthony; famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass; optical giants John Jacob Bausch and Henry Lomb; Alexander Milliner, who was Gen. George Washington’s drummer boy; Edward R. Crone Jr., who inspired the Billy Pilgrim character in Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five”; and three children of western showman Buffalo Bill Cody. Cemetery gates are open from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Go to cityofrochester.org.
At the intersection of South and Robinson avenues, about a mile and half from Douglass’ gravesite, you’ll find Frederick Douglass Memorial Plaza, the centerpiece of which is an 8-foot bronze statue of his likeness on a 9-foot blue granite pedestal. Douglass lived here from 1857 to 1872, and Rochester is where he produced his anti-slavery newspaper, The North Star. The statue first went on display in 1899 and was moved to its current spot near Highland Park Bowl in 2019. Go to highlandparkconservancy.org.
George Eastman, pioneer of popular photography and motion picture film and the founder of Eastman Kodak Co., once lived at 900 East Ave. His Colonial Revival mansion now is home to the George Eastman Museum, which contains several million photo- and film-related objects, a movie theater, a café and a store. Oscar-winning actress and filmmaker Jodie Foster, 2023’s George Eastman Award honoree, called it “Disneyland for film nerds.” It is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday. Admission is $22 for adults. Discounts are available for students, seniors and children. Go to eastman.org.
Enjoy some fun and games
Whether you’re traveling with kids, are a kid at heart or want to get in touch with your inner child, The Strong National Museum of Play is a must-visit. The renowned interactive attraction, which grew from a collection of dolls, toys and miniatures amassed by eccentric heiress Margaret Woodbury-Strong, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and until 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Within its walls you’ll find the National Toy Hall of Fame, the World Video Game Hall of Fame, a butterfly garden, a high-ropes course and 80 years’ worth of pioneering pinball games visitors can play, among myriad other exhibits. Last summer, the museum unveiled a major expansion including a 20-foot Donkey Kong arcade game and a colorful 17,000-square-foot outdoor play area called Hasbro Game Park. Admission starts at $23 (free for children younger than 2) and is half-off from 4 to 8 p.m. Fridays. Discounts are available for military members, veterans and college students with ID and on Mondays for people 55 and older. Parking in an attached garage is $5. Go to museumofplay.org.
Shop like a rock star at the House of Guitars in Rochester NY
Founded in 1964, the House of Guitars is much more than a music store. Located north of Rochester at 645 Titus Ave. in the town of Irondequoit, the maze-like operation holds as much history as any museum. The place is so packed with guitars, keyboards, drums and other instruments — vintage, rare and new — amps, CDs, DVDs, LPs, tapes, T-shirts and rock and roll memorabilia that it’s hard to know where to look. Every surface, including the ceiling, is covered. Among the mementos are a few true oddities, like a striped pair of pants that Jimi Hendrix left behind at a party thrown by the Moody Blues during the 1960s. The HOG, as it is called, may be a bit off the beaten path, but rock stars go out of their way to visit when they’re in town. Among the famous shoppers: Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Peter Gabriel, Geddy Lee, REO Speedwagon, Sheryl Crow, Kevin Bacon and Tyler, the Creator. In the charmingly disheveled back room is an expansive white wall filled with autographs by everyone from Marilyn Manson to “Weird Al” Yankovich. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Visit Wegmans, a homegrown Rochester NY business
One of Rochester’s best-known homegrown businesses is Wegmans Food Markets. What started in 1916 as a humble produce cart has grown into a 110-store (and counting) chain with legions of loyal customers. Yes, locals really do take visiting friends and relatives to the flagship location at 3195 Monroe Ave., Pittsford, which is open from 6 a.m. to midnight daily. In addition to aisles and aisles (and aisles) of groceries and a massive produce section, it has a huge selection of prepared foods and a restaurant, The Burger Bar by Wegmans. Among the celebs who have toured Wegmans while in town: Cher, Jennifer Garner, Gene Simmons, Paula Deen and Tyler, the Creator.
Check out some Rochester NY neighborhoods
Rochester has many distinctive neighborhoods, and one of the most pleasantly walkable is Park Avenue. Stretching from Alexander Street to East Avenue, it features stately homes and buildings, restaurants, cafés and shops. The best-known retailer is Parkleigh, 215 Park Ave., which transformed from a pharmacy to an upscale boutique and has an adjacent MacKenzie-Childs store. The East Avenue Historic District, a 1.5-mile stretch between Alexander and Probert streets, includes more than 700 historical homes and mansions (including George Eastman’s). Outside the city, in the eastside suburb of Pittsford is Schoen Place, an Erie Canal landing off Main Street with shops, restaurants, a brewery and a chance to feed the ducks. The village of Fairport, to its east, also has a charming canal-side scene.
Parks near Rochester NY: Find serenity
Monroe County has some glorious public parks, including the three highlighted here. Covering 150 acres, Highland Park at South and Highland avenues in Rochester was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York City’s Central Park. Highland Park is home to North America’s largest collection of lilacs, 1,800 fragrant bushes representing 500 varieties. Peak bloom usually is mid-May, but the park is worth visiting, regardless. Durand-Eastman Park, in the northernmost section of the city is 977 acres and features 5,000 feet of Lake Ontario waterfront. Southeast of the city in the towns of Mendon and Pittsford is 2,500-acre Mendon Ponds Park. Its unique glacial features landed it on the National Registry of Historic Landmarks. We recommend hiking the trail down to and around the Devil’s Bathtub, a perfectly still kettle lake.
Rochester NY traffic
Under normal conditions, getting around Rochester by car is a cinch. In fact, locals like to point out that you’re no more than 20 minutes from wherever you want to be.
However, everyone should be prepared for eclipse-related traffic backups and for some streets or bridges to be closed for pedestrian viewing, local officials say.
Traffic is expected to be heaviest right after totality ends.
The 511NY Apps (Apple and Android) offer real-time travel conditions.
At least you won't be dealing with snow.
Rochester NY pronunciations
Rochesterians have their own way of saying things. Don’t be put off.
Charlotte — not the city in North Carolina but a neighborhood in Rochester — is “shar-LOT.”
Chili — not the stew but a Rochester suburb — is “CHI-LIE.”
Rochester has two syllables: “RACH-str.”
Avon, a town about 25 miles south of Rochester, isn’t “AY-vahn,” as in “Ding-dong, Avon calling.” The “A” in the first syllable is flat, as in rhymes with “cat.”
Another community south of here, Lima, isn’t pronounced “LEE-muh,” like the capital of Peru, it’s “LY-muh.”
Rochester NY connections
Finally, there’s always a Rochester connection. Always.
In addition to the ones already referenced here, as a teenager, Humphrey Bogart spent summers on Canandaigua Lake, one of the closest Finger Lakes to Rochester. Robert Downey Jr.’s first starring theatrical role was in a production at Rochester’s Geva Theatre Center. Metallica recorded its debut album, “Kill ’Em All,” here. Red Rocker and former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar lived here briefly in 1969, and his great-grandparents settled here in the late 1800s, a fact he only recently learned on the PBS show “Finding Your Roots.” Erica Stoll, the wife of top-ranked golfer Rory McIlroy, grew up here. And Cassius Marcellus Coolidge, the guy who did those paintings of dogs playing poker, once lived here. We could go on, but you get the idea.
Enjoy your stay.
More: They were born here. Meet 24 famous people, and one famous dog, from Rochester.
Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Solar eclipse 2024 in Rochester NY: Things to do before, after