Family Vacation

Trip Ideas & Itinerary

Rochester rolls out the red carpet for families! We have an incredible amount of family-friendly attractions, from kid-friendly picturesque parks and scenic outdoor settings, to world-renowned museums and interactive exhibits, historic sites, theater, sporting events, and more. There’s something for all ages and every interest.

Day 1

The Strong National Museum of Play is a must-visit for families of all ages in Rochester. The Strong is a highly interactive collections-based museum, and is the only museum in the world dedicated to the exploration of play. Look for the museum’s annual induction of iconic toys into the National Toy Hall of Fame (November) and induction of fan-favorite video games into the World Video Game Hall of Fame (May).
Find your inner scientist at the RMSC Museum and Science Center! Explore four floors of interactive science and history exhibits, watch live science demonstrations, and more. Then head next door to the Strasenburgh Planetarium, the only regional planetarium within a day's drive, to catch a star show and journey through the universe.
Finish up your first fun-filled day in Rochester with kid-friendly dinner followed by dessert at Abbott's Frozen Custard, a Rochester original. The Abbott's location on Lake Avenue adjacent to Ontario Beach Park has been serving up the frozen custard since 1926.

Day 2

Begin Day 2 in Rochester by getting in touch with your wild side at Seneca Park Zoo, which is just as dedicated to conservation efforts as it is family-fun.
Spend a summer afternoon cooling off at Seabreeze Amusement Park – located between Lake Ontario and Irondequoit Bay. Seabreeze is the Finger Lakes region’s #1 summer family-fun destination offering roller coasters, rides for all ages, a midway and waterpark. No visit to Seabreeze is complete without a ride on the Jack Rabbit Rollercoaster, the oldest continuously operating wooden roller coaster in the United States!
Discover a picture-perfect setting for a one-of-a-kind experience celebrating photography and film at the George Eastman Museum, the oldest photography museum in the world housed in the historic mansion and estate of George Eastman, the founder of Kodak.

Day 3

Travel back in time to the 19th century at Genesee Country Village & Museum, the largest living history museum in New York and third largest in the country.
Experience the Erie Canal, a 200-year-old engineering marvel. At its time of completion, the Erie Canal was an engineering marvel and effectively connected the eastern seaboard to the western frontier, while also establishing New York City as one of the largest shipping ports in the world. Rochester is home to several canal towns that epitomize the importance of the canal to the communities it flows through. And, what toddler doesn’t love taking some bread to feed ducks alongside the canal, or enjoy ice cream in a canalside community like Spencerport, Fairport or Pittsford, NY? Finally, get on the water with a cruise on the canal on the Sam Patch or Colonial Belle tour boats.
Enjoy a day trip to the Finger Lakes. Several wineries even offer grape juice tastings for kids. Rochester is considered the “front-door” to the Finger Lakes.

Get even more ideas on things to do with families in Rochester, NY with custom itineraries built for Foodie Families, Summer Family Fun, Learning Through Play, Outdoor Fun, Play in the Past, All-Season Outdoor Adventures, Fun for All Ages, Art for All Ages, Fall Family Fun, Winter Family Fun and Spring Break Activities. See these itineraries here.