High Falls Center and Interpretive Museum

High Falls really should be the go to spot in Rochester. Its unrealized potential is a tragic and typical Rochester problem though.

This is a must see in Rochester! It is such a cool place to visit. The falls are obviously really cool, but there is also a little historic district that is really cute too.

One of the places to visit organized by the school is to visit the High Falls and steal the fresh air. It’s not Niagara Falls my dear so quit comparing it with Niagara Falls! It’s the High Falls, it’s from Rochester! Ooooh, how nice to be in this area after a long walk from Lake Ontario in the hot summer weather. The Falls is located next to Genesee Brewing Company, the place I go to take pictures instead of drinking. I guess I came here to meditate *:p I walked to the center of the bridge to view the falls from the bridge. It was a good look. Don’t just look at the old building in the background, look at the trees below and the falling water and the stream. Those are what you need to look at and enjoy. My visit was worth it, hope your visit wasn’t so bad as well. I took some fresh air back home. From above, I took lots of nice pictures of the greens. Peace on earth!

A beautiful waterfall right in the heart of Rochester. Apparently, the water had attracted many industries to the site during the glorious days of Rochester, because there are worn-​out, abandoned buildings all around this cataract, but it kinda adds to the charm and beauty of the scenery. There is also an old water mill next to this historic site.
As you step on the bridge (Pont de Renna bridge), you can view the waterfall and the river and the old reddish to maroon buildings around the waterfall. I can imagine that the color combination of the area is even more beautiful during fall foliage.
It is a quaint sight, not that many people were around on the day of our visit. But it added to the tranquility of the area. It does not take more than an hour to visit this place, but it is definitely worth a visit.

So do yourself a favor if you’re on your way to Niagara Falls: stop here first. If you do it after seeing Niagara Falls, this will pale in comparison.
That said, the High Falls are pretty nice and it seems like an area that is possibly getting a face lift /​makeover. It probably needs to hurry itself along as it’s not the best looking right now, especially considering that the High Falls could be a really main draw in the area.
Walk out on the bridge and you get a little bit of history on the falls and the area, which is kinda cool.

Spectacular! While in the area and out exploring the city on a crisp October day we saw signage for High Falls Heritage area and were curious. It was immediately apparent what a great find it was. The first thing seen are the street-​side historic buildings and then the gorgeous and fantastic blue bridge high over a river beckons you. Walk out onto the bridge and *wham* an amazingly beautiful marvel of nature. You are surrounded buy wonders of nature and history and there are many things to observe and take in. The deer in the grass below, the birds flying in the mist, the cliff walls, the foliage, the buildings, falls, background… Amazing!

Nice area and a fun place to take a short stroll. Pretty unexpected to see this waterfall in a rather industrial area. If you stare at the falls, you can imagine that the region must have been really beautiful back in the day.
Can’t imagine spending anymore than half an hour or so to see this. Sometimes there are small festivals in the area, so plan accordingly!

With some real city leadership, Rochester’s High Falls could be a natural downtown attraction, and Mecca for new real estate investment.
For ideas, look, for example, at what Greenville SC has done with its downtown and river falls.
Potential for a pedestrian catwalk over the falls, continuous walkways, colored lights at night, and clean up of the Genesee River, etc.
If you think this review with photos is useful, funny or cool, I’d appreciate your feedback below.

The High Falls are a very nice finding in the middle of the city.
It’s a pity the Visitor ‘s Center is closed. It only adds to the dilapidation of the area. I hope the city reconsiders and reopens it.
The visitor center contained memorabilia and a little museum of the city, the area, historical tidbits.
The falls are an oasis in the muddle of the urban jungle.
The afternoon I visited was late afternoon, I was just passing in my car and stopped out of curiosity. Was delighted by the sight, the sound of the cataract. The ubiquitous rainbow on a sunny day.
Worth a visit.

The High Falls itself is rather nice to look at but what surrounds it, being a bunch of dilapidated abandoned factories, some falling apart infrastructure and a failed urban redevelopment scheme are pretty much of an eyesore. Unfortunately it brings to one’s mind that Rochester is a «rust belt» city, at one time a hub and center of prospering commercial activity, but now blighted and failing.
From a historical prospective, it’s worth seeing and I suppose that since it is a much talked about location, should be a point to visit if you are in Rochester. But other than that, I found it to be rather sad in a depressing sort of way and more indicative of the fact that Rochester had a great past but a rather blink present with an even dimmer future; that is if it has any future at all.

For a day stroll is really nice, especially when you have visitors.
So few Northeastern cities have such beautiful falls downtown, and you don’t have to deal with the whole border crossing for Niagara Falls.
A nice stroll, a few pictures and visit to one of the museums, it’s a great way to kill a few hours when you have guests.

Hidden Gem of Rochester!
It is a great area to walk around in. There is the historic mill area that has information about the area. There is also a Rochester Welcome Center that I believe they are planning on closing or already closed that provided a great space to show off all Rochester has to offer. There are nice restaurants in the area. Plus the Genesee Brewery is across the bridge.

I love High Falls! I come each time that I visit Rochester. It is peaceful to walk on Pont de Rennes and take a glimpse of that water. Sometimes it is brown, other times it is clear. Like life, you never know what the High Falls will look like. There is also random trains that pass along the bridge nearby the falls, so it really makes for great photograph opportunities. The High Falls attract a lot of families, couples, and first dates. It has blue seats diagonally angled so you can enjoy the view. In case you are a fan, surrounding the High Falls would be the Genesee Beer company which has tours and well beer.

So a local friend told me that is was a sight to see if you were visiting Rochester. It’s a waterfall. There was a bunch of abandon factories towards the far end of the fall. And a little mysterious door by the fall that I have no idea where it leads to. Geese were chilling at the bottom of the fall.
On the bridge, there were historical trivia about the fall that I didn’t read. The path was divided between walkers and bicyclists (although pedestrians didn’t seem to care where they were). And there was a pile of poop right in the middle between the path division (police horse?)
Great tip: Stop by at the museum first to learn a little history before embracing the magnificent High Falls.

This place holds deep memory’s for me, it’s always been so good to me. This place is beautiful night or day, I used to eat lunch here almost every day and the precious sound of the falls is one of the attributes that keeps me coming back; extreme soothing. A brilliant place to think, relax, or just admire the beauty that exist all around us.

One of the least talked about sights in Rochester are the falls; High Falls, Middle Falls and Lower Falls.
The High Falls are located right downtown with a museum, bridge for viewing and historical info that will make you understand how and why Rochester was a major city at one time.
Less visited is the Lower Falls and that is a shame. The view of the Lower Falls from the park (located further uptown) is beautiful and one can get very close to the action of nature.
If you are a local or visiting the city, take in the sites and put the falls on your short list.

Another place I have a soft spot for. It adds a little personality to the entire historic city in itself. The falls are fun during the night when they produce the laser light shows, he he. Additionally, there is a little inside gallery that showcases some local artists and history about Rochester’s high falls. Although, it’s not something that you would go to Rochester TO SEE, it’s a great place to visit while in town. I’ve seen it for years, and yet still like stopping by each time I’m in town.

This little museum/​art gallery was a fun stop in the pleasant town of Rochester. The falls are quite impressive, and the museum explains their significance over the years. A nice unexpected bonus is a nice art gallery full of talented local artists. Check it out.