Rochester Introduction Walking Tour, Rochester

Rochester Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Rochester

Rochester is New York's third-biggest city. The location of the Genessee River helped to establish Rochester as a mill town early in its history. English settlers arrived in the area that would become the city when the Iroquois tribe ceded their territory after the American Revolution.

The Eerie Canal construction in the 1820s helped the city grow into an urban center that would set the stage for its place as a milling and manufacturing center. In addition to wheat processing, commercial nurseries became popular in this city. Bausch & Lomb and Eastman Kodak had their start in this city in the late 19th century.

During the 20th century, manufacturing in the city waned. However, the food, technology, and imaging industries retain a significant presence in this city.

The inexpensive hydrolic power provided by the the Genessee River made Rochester one of the early industrial centers in the U.S. A visit to High Falls and the nearby Triphammer Forge Site is a great way to appreciate city's industrial heritage.

Rochester is host to several outstanding museums, including the Eastman Museum, focusing on photography, the Strong National Museum of Play with its emphasis on games and toys, and The Rochester Memorial Art Gallery, host to art in many popular mediums.

Take a self-guided walking tour to learn about the many exciting sights standing proudly in Rochester.

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Evilarry.

How it works: Download the app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store to your mobile phone or tablet. The app turns your mobile device into a personal tour guide and its built-in GPS navigation functions guide you from one tour stop to next. The app works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walks in Rochester

Map Instructions: (1) Click the "Nearby Sights" button to view the nearby attractions; (2) click a map pin to see sight information.

Guide Name: Rochester Introduction Walking Tour
Guide Location: USA » Rochester (See other walking tours in Rochester)
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Sightseeing)
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.9 Km or 3 Miles

Sights Featured in This Walk

WalkBuilder (customize this walk)

Use the WalkBuilder tool below to customize this walk to suit your interests. Instructions: click

at the upper right corner in the map above to view other sights in the city. To learn more about a sight, click a map pin. Click the “+” or “–” to add or remove a sight from the walk. To reorder the selected sights, simply drag and move them up or down the list in the left column.

Click here to view route map

Enter a name for your custom walk, along with your email address, in the fields below. You will receive the instructions for retrieving your custom walk in the GPSmyCity app by email. The GPSmyCity app offers turn-by-turn travel directions to guide you from one attraction to the next.
Walk Name*:
Email*:

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I access my walking tour in Rochester?
Save your walking tour on the website. Then download the GPSmyCity app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and sign in to your GPSmyCity account. Next, download “Rochester Map and Walking Tours” within the app. Your walk will appear on the Walks screen.

2. How do I view other attractions in Rochester?
At the upper-right corner of the map above, click the “Nearby Sights” button to show or hide other sights in the city. Click a map pin to view details about a sight. To add a sight to your walk, find it in the right column of the WalkBuilder tool above and click the “+” button next to it.

3. How do I re-arrange the sight order?
In the left column of the WalkBuilder tool, drag a sight to move it up or down the list. Then click “Click here to view route map”. Repeat this process until the route meets your needs.

4. Can I add my hotel to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add your hotel as the starting point, the ending point, or both (creating a loop route). This feature is currently available only in the GPSmyCity app.

5. Can I add my own sights to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add sightss that are not in our database and include them in your walk. To do so, sign in to your GPSmyCity account on the website or use the GPSmyCity app.

6. How many sights can be included in a walking tour?
For technical reasons, the number of sights in a walking tour is currently capped at 20. This limit may be increased over time.

Walking Tours in Rochester, New York

Create Your Own Walk in Rochester

Creating your own self-guided walk in Rochester is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Historical Churches

The city of Rochester's community is diverse, with many religious denominations coexisting peacefully within its borders. The spiritual attitude of locals is duly reflected by the historic churches, their congregations and architectural elements. A good number of places of worship found in the city are designated historic sites. Here are some of the most prominent of them.

Downtown United... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.9 Km or 1.8 Miles

Historical Industrial Buildings

Once a major manufacturing center, Rochester, NY went down in history as one of the United States' first boom-towns. Back in between 1860 and 1900 the city's population grew threefold on the back of the inflow of numerous immigrants – Italians, Germans, Irish and others – that saw Rochester expand dramatically on both sides of the Genesee River. During that period the city rose to... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles