Self-guided Tour of Rochester

Rochester originated as a port on the Erie Canal.  The original canal channel through Rochester was taken out of service around 1910, however the canal aqueduct over the Genesee River is still
in place in downtown Rochester.  To the east and west of Rochester, the canal still follows it's original course and runs through some historic small towns. To the north of the downtown area is a scenic and historic water fall on the Genesee River, site of a 19th century industrial district.  A raceway was built to supply power to the various industries located here. The waterfall, buildings and race way are part of the HighFalls district.

Two good general web sites for sites to see around the Rochester and western NY area are:

Within downtown Rochester there are several museums to visit. The most popular include: