Scavenger Hunt Rochester NY

48 free finds at High Falls, downtown, in Highland Park and along Mount Hope Cemetery's paths.

Scavenger Hunt Rochester NY

TeamMeet at (place and time)

  1. Stay with your team on bridges, park paths, cemetery roads and sidewalks.
  2. Keep well back from the gorge edge and the river, and cross streets only at marked crossings.
  3. Buy nothing, pick nothing and climb nothing; in the cemetery, touch no stone.
  4. Photograph nobody outside your team without asking.
  1. Old brick and stone mills on the gorge rimThe Brown's Race buildings rise one to six stories. Count the stories of the tallest.
  2. A crisscross of iron under the bridge deckIts triple lattice truss is a rare pattern. Count the X shapes in one panel.
  3. A bird riding the air over the gorgeWrite its color or its name.
  4. The French city the bridge is named forIt was renamed in 1982 for Rochester's first sister city. Write the name.
  5. A spot on the bridge made for a group photoA selfie station was added when the bridge reopened in December 2024. Take your team's picture there.
  6. A channel that still carries river waterBrown's Race takes water from above the falls. It once fed flour mills; now it makes power. Write which way the water runs.
  7. A sign or plaque about the old flour millsBy 1838 Rochester was the largest flour-producing city in the country. Copy one word from the sign.
  8. A waterfall in the middle of a cityHigh Falls is one of three waterfalls on the Genesee inside Rochester; the other two are about 2 miles downstream. Tick it from the bridge.
  9. An iron footbridge high over the gorgeThe Pont de Rennes, built in 1891, stands 114 feet above the river. Count the lamps along one rail.
  10. A sign for the Genesee Riverway TrailThe bridge is part of the trail. Copy the next place the sign points to.

Next step Another town next? The any-city hunt

How it works

Where can a team stand 114 feet above a river and see a waterfall downtown? This scavenger hunt in Rochester, NY starts there and holds 48 finds, each free to see.

Read the full guide

Falls, then the river south

Start at High Falls, then follow the Genesee through Downtown Rochester. Highland Park and Mount Hope Cemetery each make an outing of their own. Choose one in the menu and press Print this list.

What counts

A find counts when its answer is on the sheet: a count, a name or a word copied from a sign. The note under it says what to write.

Tips
  • Plan Highland Park for May, when its lilacs bloom and the Lilac Festival fills the hill.

Questions and answers

Is it all right to do a hunt in Mount Hope Cemetery?

Yes, quietly. It is a working city cemetery open to visitors on foot. Keep to the paths, touch no stone, leave nothing on a grave, and give way to any funeral.

Can you see High Falls for free?

Yes. The Pont de Rennes footbridge crosses the gorge a few hundred feet from the falls and is open to walkers. It reopened in December 2024 after repairs.

Is it good for kids?

Yes, with an adult in every team. The waterfall, the bridge and the cannon suit children best. Keep hands on the bridge rails and keep well back from the gorge edge.

More tools

Browse Word Games

All 48 finds

High Falls 12

  • A bird riding the air over the gorge Write its color or its name.
  • A building's reflection in the river Sketch the shape you see in the water.
  • A channel that still carries river water Brown's Race takes water from above the falls. It once fed flour mills; now it makes power. Write which way the water runs.
  • A crisscross of iron under the bridge deck Its triple lattice truss is a rare pattern. Count the X shapes in one panel.
  • A sign for the Genesee Riverway Trail The bridge is part of the trail. Copy the next place the sign points to.
  • A sign or plaque about the old flour mills By 1838 Rochester was the largest flour-producing city in the country. Copy one word from the sign.
  • A spot on the bridge made for a group photo A selfie station was added when the bridge reopened in December 2024. Take your team's picture there.
  • A waterfall in the middle of a city High Falls is one of three waterfalls on the Genesee inside Rochester; the other two are about 2 miles downstream. Tick it from the bridge.
  • An iron footbridge high over the gorge The Pont de Rennes, built in 1891, stands 114 feet above the river. Count the lamps along one rail.
  • The French city the bridge is named for It was renamed in 1982 for Rochester's first sister city. Write the name.
  • Old brick and stone mills on the gorge rim The Brown's Race buildings rise one to six stories. Count the stories of the tallest.
  • Spray rising at the foot of the falls Write whether you can feel it from the bridge.
Show all 48 finds (36 more)

Downtown Rochester 12

  • A Civil War monument from 1892 The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument stands in Washington Square Park, where Frederick Douglass spoke in 1848. Copy one word carved on it.
  • A flower on a banner, sign or flag Rochester's nickname, the Flower City, comes from its 19th-century nurseries. Write where you found one.
  • A park laid out at a 45-degree angle Manhattan Square Park, opened in 1974, sets its six zones on the diagonal to the street grid. Write which way you walked in.
  • A rink that becomes a reflecting pool Since 2008 the park's skating rink holds water in warm months. Write which it is today.
  • A seven-arch stone bridge from 1893 The Andrews Street Bridge has seven arches, each 36 feet across. Count them to check.
  • A sky-lit walkway under a street Manhattan Square's underpass runs below Chestnut Street. Count the skylights.
  • A steel frame with an observation tower It stands in Manhattan Square Park beside the sunken plaza. Count its levels.
  • A stone aqueduct that carried a canal The Broad Street aqueduct, built from 1836 to 1842, carried the Erie Canal over the Genesee. It is 800 feet long. Tick it from the riverbank.
  • A triple steel arch named for two Rochesterians In 2007 the bridge was named for Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony, who both lived in the city. Count its arches.
  • A World War I cannon given by Italy It was captured from Austria and sent to Rochester in 1921. Write one word from its plaque.
  • An 11-story tower from 1888 The Wilder Building is called Rochester's first modern skyscraper. Its corner spires are gone. Count its floors.
  • Words from Dr. King on a waterfall fountain The fountains were restored in 2017 with part of a quotation. Copy the last word.

Highland Park 12

  • A garden set below the level of the lawn Highland Park has a sunken garden. Count the steps down.
  • A glass conservatory full of plants Lamberton Conservatory is a greenhouse in the park. Tick it from outside.
  • A Gothic building called a castle Warner Castle holds a garden library of more than 4,000 books. Write the color of its stone.
  • A Japanese maple Write the color of its leaves today.
  • A memorial to Vietnam veterans The Greater Rochester Vietnam Veterans Memorial is in Highland Park South. Write one word from it.
  • A pansy bed laid out like a carpet It holds 10,000 plants in an oval, and the pattern changes every year. Sketch this year's.
  • A rhododendron with a name label The park grows 700 varieties. Copy the name.
  • A rock garden of dwarf evergreens Write how many kinds of tiny tree you can tell apart.
  • A statue of Frederick Douglass above a grassy bowl It overlooks the amphitheater. Write which way the figure faces.
  • An outdoor theater made of a hillside The Highland Park Bowl hosts free Shakespeare each July. Count the rows or steps you can see.
  • More than 1,200 lilac bushes Highland Park grows over 500 varieties; the Lilac Festival fills it each May. Copy one variety name from a label.
  • The top of a hill left by a glacier The park covers most of a glacial moraine. Stand at the highest point and write what you can see.

Mount Hope Cemetery 12

  • A chapel named by its year The cemetery's two chapels are called the 1862 Chapel and the 1912 Chapel, both closed. Write which one you found.
  • A Civil War statue from 1908 Defenders of the Flag is by the sculptor Sally James Farnham. Write how many figures it has.
  • A gatehouse by the entrance Write the color of its roof.
  • A long ridge left by a glacier An esker, a ridge of gravel from a melted ice river, winds through the cemetery. Walk along it and write where it ends.
  • A pond in a round hollow Sylvan Waters sits in a natural kettle and was brought back into use in 2016 and 2017. Write one thing on the water.
  • A stone carved like an urn or a column Write which one you found.
  • A tomb with a pointed Gothic roof Sketch its doorway.
  • A tree taller than every stone near it Write what kind of leaf or needle it has.
  • Frederick Douglass's grave He is buried here, like Susan B. Anthony. Write one word you read on the stone.
  • The oldest date you can read The cemetery was founded in 1838. Write the earliest year you find on a stone.
  • The stone base of a lost lookout tower The wooden Fandango Tower once stood on the highest ground; its foundation lies in a deep kettle. Tick it if you find it.
  • Susan B. Anthony's grave A clear sleeve now protects her headstone. Tick it and leave nothing on it.

How this list was compiled: Written for this page in September 2026: 48 finds on foot in Rochester, New York, at High Falls on the Genesee River, downtown, in Highland Park and in Mount Hope Cemetery, sorted by area, all scored from public paths, bridges, parks and sidewalks with nothing bought and no ticket. Nothing was copied from another list; no company, brand, brewery or bar is named. Levels are our judgment. Names, dates, sizes and places in the notes were checked on 2026-09-24 against English Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ followed by Rochester,_New_York, Genesee_River, High_Falls_(Rochester,_New_York), Pont_de_Rennes_bridge, Brown%27s_Race_Historic_District, Broad_Street_Bridge_(Rochester,_New_York), Andrews_Street_Bridge, Frederick_Douglass%E2%80%93Susan_B._Anthony_Memorial_Bridge, Wilder_Building, Washington_Square_Park_(Rochester,_New_York), Manhattan_Square_Park, Highland_Park_(Rochester,_New_York) and Mount_Hope_Cemetery_(Rochester). Licence: own work