George Eastman Museum

This little gem of a museum includes a permanent exhibition from the collection as well as changing shows. I particularly enjoyed the gallery of historic cameras, from Ansel Adams’s Brownie to the very first digital camera (yes, a young Kodak engineer and his close associates pioneered the technology) to a camera designed to survey the moon in advance of the Apollo missions. The informative docent-led house tour takes you through several rooms. Besides being a visionary in the photographic realm, George Eastman was an avid gardener, and the grounds are a living tribute to his expertise. There are also silent and classic motion pictures that are regularly screened, including a yearly festival of films on the flammable nitrate stock (discontinued from use in 1951). The archive is world renowned.

The Eastman Museum was the highlight of our visit to Rochester! The entire place is beautifully maintained and spotless, with stunning interiors that truly reflect its history. Our tour guide was amazing—friendly, knowledgeable, and made the experience so much richer with their insights. There’s also a cozy café and engaging activities for kids, which makes it great for families. The museum is fully accessible for visitors using wheelchairs and offers large free parking, which was very convenient. Overall, it was the best activity we did in Rochester, and I highly recommend visiting!

This was a great museum and mansion that far exceeded my expectations. As someone else also said, the guided tour is what makes it fun. The stories about George Eastman are eye opening and personal. I really enjoyed looking at all the cameras, video cameras, and technology through time. Eastman was a genius! His home and gardens were so different from other homes of 5he early 1900’s.