Free Activities in Rochester, New York?

The 79th-largest city in America and sixth-largest in New York state is within 400 miles of the Canadian border, the U.S. capital, NYC and the state capital, Albany. Despite its close proximity to other large cities, Rochester has many activities within its city limits. Surprisingly, many of these are absolutely free.

Tech Activities

Because the activities are free, there is a certain degree of involvement that you may not find with other paid activities. The Geocaching activity in Mendon Ponds Park is a free activity design to be the "Easter Egg Hunt for adults". You must go online to the Geocachers of Rochester Website to find the latitude and longitude of a small gift left by other players. Once you find the gift, you must leave one of your own. This activity utilizes web mapping and GPS technology to explore Rochester without paying a dime.

Geocaching requires the most involvement of the free activities. Others like free movies in Mendon Pond Park require that you bring only a snack and some sort of seating. When looking for free activities in Rochester, just be prepared for involvement that the activity requires.

Natural Activities

Geocaching and movies in the park are some of Rochester's free natural activities along with the Walking Tour of Historic High Falls courtesy the High Falls Visitor Center. With a downloaded map, you can explore the mesmerizing falls in the midst of the town of Rochester. If you are up for another free walking tour, get a map from local architectural artist Richard Margolis. He lists descriptions and locations of the art to aid a self-guided tour of the outdoor pieces. A guided tour to try would be the historic Mount Hope Cemetery. It has a twilight tour and others throughout the spring, summer and fall to give tourists a view of Civil War era graves as well as the stories that accompany them. The free tours are on the weekends.

Tours

Looking for more excitement? Try the neighborhood festivals and car shows scheduled throughout the summer season in Rochester. Admission is free, but you will have to pay for food and rides. However, you can walk up and enjoy the entertainment for no charge. The Brockport Summer Arts Festival and the Mendon Pond Park also puts on live free concerts in the summer for the public.

Considerations

The bulk of Rochester's free activities take place during the warm months because they are outdoor activities. Keep this in mind when planning your trip. Also consider dressing for and preparing a snack, drink or accessories ahead of time for your activity. The spirit of a free activity is spending zero dollars. To do this, you must eat before embarking on the activity or bringing along snacks. Fortunately, Rochester is a college town the University of Rochester and Monroe Community College located nearby. This only means that there will be plenty of cafes, and affordable eateries that usually cater to the college crowd.

Geography

In addition to the falls and Mendon Pond Park, Rochester, NY has waterways to fish and swim in and is a well known spot for taking scenic photos. The town is located near the Genessee River, Lake Ontario and Irondequoit Bay.