Shared Rochester Experiences that Make Great Gifts

Giving the gift of Rochester experiences provides benefits beyond personal enjoyment. Imagine a home with less clutter, waste, and stress—where having less truly means more. Engage in creative activities that allow you to discover new talents and express yourself through painting, pottery, photography, and writing.

Explore the great outdoors with beach days, hiking trails, geocaching, and kayaking. Experience Rochester’s natural beauty by exploring its parks, nature centers, and national natural landmarks, or enjoy a campout under the stars.

Rochester offers an abundance of opportunities to create lasting memories together, making it an ideal place to give the gift of experiences that will be cherished for a lifetime.

1. Creative Endeavors

Immerse yourself in creative activities at places like Studio 34 Creative Arts Learning Center, Arc+Flame, or The Memorial Art Gallery. Discover your unique expression through painting, pottery, photography, and writing.

1. Work with glass or metal at Studio 34 Creative Arts Learning Center, Arc+Flame, or Corning Museum of Glass.
2. You can choose from various creative opportunities at The Memorial Art Gallery, Flower City Arts Center, or Turk Hill Craft School.
3. Experience something new with Rochester Brainery.
4. Learn to express yourself at Writers and Books.
5. Paint together at Paint Nite, Painting with a Twist, Wine & Design, or buy paint, brushes, canvas, and an easel, and plan a day to paint outside—en plein air.
6. Glaze pottery at Splatters or Color Me Mine.
7. Learn how to process film and take photos at George Eastman House or Finger Lakes Photography Center.

2. Entertainment Ventures

Discover entertainment in Rochester, from concerts at large venues like Darien Lake to small, historic movie theaters. Enjoy live performing arts shows, laugh out loud at Comedy at the Carlson, or experience a playful 21+ night out at RMSC After Dark or Zoo Brew.

1. Attend a concert at a large venue like Darien Lake, CMAC, and Blue Cross Arena, or a small one like Abilene Bar and Lounge, Lovin’ Cup, Main Street Armory, Bands on the Bricks, Party in the Park, Concerts by the Shore, Rochester International Jazz Festival, and the Lilac Festival.
2. Go to a performing arts show by high school and college students, local professionals, or touring companies.
3. Pick a gorgeous summer evening and head to the Avon Drive-In Theater.
4. Laugh out loud at Comedy at the Carlson.
5. Enjoy a playful 21+ night out at RMSC After Dark or Zoo Brew.

3. Nostalgic Activities

Revisit childhood by spending a day at amusement parks like Seabreeze or exploring roadside attractions, animal sanctuaries, and farms. Relive the past through a plethora of events, from exploring underground caverns to cruising along the Erie Canal.

You may also wish to plan a special experience for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. When future generations ask where you were during the eclipse, what story will you tell them?

1. Spend the day at an amusement park like Seabreeze, Darien Lake, or Roseland Waterpark.
2. Visit an old country store.
3. Head to the farm, pick your own fruit or Christmas tree or visit a farmer’s market.
4. Attend a variety of events around Rochester.
5. Find some quirky Rochester-area roadside attractions.
6. Visit animals at Seneca Park Zoo or Hidden Valley Animal Adventure.
7. Check out Niagara Falls Aquarium, Wild Wings, Caledonia Fish Hatchery, or Powder Mills Park Fish Hatchery.
8. Visit places that rescue animals like Farm Sanctuary, Asha Farmed Animal Sanctuary, or Lollypop Farm.
9. Explore just beneath the surface at Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve or deep underground at Howe Caverns.
10. Cruise along the Erie Canal aboard the Sam Patch or Colonial Belle.
11. Rent a kayak or canoe from Genesee Waterways Kayak & Canoe Rentals, BayCreek Paddling Center, or Oak Orchard Canoe & Kayak.
12. Partake in some Paranormal Activities.
13. Enjoy a museum like Rochester Museum & Science Center and the Strasenburgh Planetarium, The Strong National Museum of Play, ARTISANWorks, Memorial Art Gallery, George Eastman Museum, Genesee Country Village and Museum, or dozens of Other Museums around Rochester.
14. Plan a day exploring one of our 11 Finger Lakes.
15. Ride the free Discover Niagara Shuttle with 18 stops, including Niagara Falls and Old Fort Niagara.

4. Culinary Experiences

Indulge in culinary delights from craft breweries in Monroe County to authentic “Dining Car” diners. Savor highly recommended restaurants, bakeries, breweries, wineries, cideries, distilleries, and chocolatiers that offer a taste of Rochester’s gourmet landscape.

1. Craft Breweries in Monroe County
2. Authentic “Dining Car” Diners
3. Highly Recommended Restaurants, Bakeries, and Bars
4. Brewing Excellence: A Guide to Rochester’s Finest Coffee Roasters and Cafes
5. Wineries with Scenic Keuka Lake Views
6. Rochester-area Chocolatiers

5. Outdoor Adventures

Explore the great outdoors with beach days, hiking trails, geocaching, and kayaking. Experience Rochester’s natural beauty by exploring its parks, nature centers, and national landmarks, or enjoy a campout under the stars.

1. Have a beach day at Ontario Beach Park, Durand Eastman, or Hamlin Beach State Park.
2. Explore one of our Monroe County Parks.
3. Hike a trail less traveled.
4. Grab a “Hit the Trail” Passport from participating Wegmans (makes a great stocking stuffer!)
5. Spend the day at New York State Parks within a two-hour drive.
6. Explore these Gorge Trails and Boardwalks.
7. Visit one of our many Nature Centers and Natural National Landmarks.
8. Try Geo-caching.
9. Learn how to find your way in the woods with the Rochester Orienteering Club.
10. Explore the ponds around the Braddock Bay Complex.
11. Savor autumn with scenic train rides, leaf-peeping in our arboretums, fall bird migrations, and ghost walks.
12. Swim in a natural pool at Robert Treman State Park or Buttermilk Falls State Park.
13. Explore a rock city.
14. Pitch a tent in the yard and have a campout. Stay up late, find constellations among the stars, or look for meteors during the summer Perseids. Find the darkest skies around Rochester to observe the Universe.
15. On a clear Saturday night, visit the astronomy tower at the Strasenburgh Planetarium. Their telescopes let you see the rings of Saturn and the Orion Nebula, to name a few. You can become an amateur astronomer with help from ASRAS (Astronomy Section Rochester Academy of Science.)
16. Watch the sunset or fireworks from Cobbs Hill.
17. Take a self-guided tour of Rochester using the Landmark Society guides, or drive through the countryside.

6. Collaborative Activities

Participate in sports and adventurous activities, from sledding to learning to dance to cheering on the home team. Experience the thrill of zip lining, soaring high with balloons, or joining a sports team.

1. Go sledding at Cobbs Hill, Maplewood Park, or one of our Monroe County Parks, including Durand Eastman, Black Creek, and Mendon Ponds.
2. Rent snowshoes, skis, or skates.
3. Start a gym membership at the YMCA or JCC.
4. Learn to play or join a team through ROC Sports, Rochester Curling Club, Total Sports Experience, or Radio Social Bowling.
5. Enjoy a few hours of Red Wings Baseball or Rochester Americans Hockey.
6. Take horseback riding lessons at Heberle Stables, Meadows of Mendon Stables, Hidden Acres Equestrian, TrueNorth Equestrian Center, or City View Equestrian.
7. Zip & climb at the new Central Rock Gym, Aerial Adventures at Bristol Mountain, or Canyon Climb at Destiny USA.
8. Fly high with Balloons Over Letchworth, Harris Hill Soaring Club, or Rochester Skydivers.
9. Learn to dance with Rochester Dance Lessons or Arthur Murray. Or, take your feet off the ground with Aerial Arts of Rochester.

7. Impactful Contributions

Make a difference by adopting a family for Christmas or sponsoring a rescued farm animal. Contribute to the well-being of the planet and its inhabitants by planting trees, sponsoring land or wildlife, or volunteering your time and talents in the Rochester community.

1. Adopt a family for Christmas through the Catholic Family Center of Rochester.
2. Sponsor a rescued farm animal through Farm Sanctuary.
3. Only adopt a domestic animal from Lollypop Farm (or any shelter) if everyone is prepared to provide life-long care.
4. Plant a tree from the Arbor Day Foundation.
5. Sponsor land, wildlife, or water through The Nature Conservancy.
6. Give the gift of YOU! Your time and talent are needed throughout the Rochester community.

8. Unique Miscellaneous Experiences

Explore hidden gems, solve mysteries at The Great Escape Room, or delve into the world of books about Rochester. From attending battle reenactments to getting into the holiday spirit, Rochester offers a myriad of unique experiences to explore and enjoy.

1. Spend an afternoon playing pinball and video games at The Strong National Museum of Play or The Playhouse // Swillburger.
2. Attend a battle reenactment at Old Fort Niagara, Fort Ontario, or the Genesee Country Village and Museum.
3. Explore a hidden place together.
4. Get into the holiday spirit by checking our neighborhood lights and singing Christmas carols.
5. Solve a mystery together at The Great Escape Room or Breakout Rochester.
6. Attend an event at a Monroe County Library. Remember you can borrow DVDs and board games in addition to books. Borrow a V.I.P. Pass while you’re there.
7. Books! You might say that books are material objects, but I believe that books are experiences that can be shared I love books about Rochester and Rochester-area bookstores.

Presenting Your Gift

• Mark a calendar with new Rochester experiences to try each month.
• Write experiences on slips of paper and put them in jars. Give each person a jar from which they can draw random ideas throughout the year.
• Hang envelopes from the tree, each containing a gift of togetherness, such as a “coupon” for a Saturday hike, a museum membership, or an art class.
• Create a memory book or a blog of all your Rochester experiences.
• Most of these organizations offer gift cards and memberships for those gifting from out-of-town.

Final Thoughts

As the Grinch realized, the essence of Christmas isn’t found in material possessions. It’s about experiences and the joy they bring, transcending the tangible to touch our souls more deeply.

Rochester, with its multitude of experiences, offers an abundance of opportunities to create lasting memories, making it an ideal place to give the gift of experiences that will be cherished for a lifetime.

It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas means a little bit more.

The Grinch

What Rochester experiences will you share as gifts this year?

I’d love to hear from you—please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.