June 28, 2011 Rochester, NY

Today I decided to go into Rochester to look at various museums and such. Unfortunately, the Memorial Art Gallery was closed today. Also, the Strasenburgh would be closed except for shows, which I think happened in the evening on weekdays.

However, the science & history museum of the RMSC was open so I took a tour around. Several of the sections were particularly tuned to kids - lots of trying different things and such. There was a big section on the first floor about how glaciers effected the topology and life that happened in the Rochester area throughout history. There was a nice skeleton of a Wooly Mammoth (I think).

Elsewhere, in a diorama, there was a crab-like animal that I remember seeing even the first time. I think it's in a new setting and has been cleaned up since it looks pretty new.

Also, there was a little blurb about the first digital camera which was made in Rochester in 1974.

There was a section on the underground railroad and how it effected Rochester and other places, but I didn't spend much time in the exhibit.

Outside I saw a statue of a stallion painted blue with gold stars. I don't know if this was part of an arts program in Rochester or something else.

Finally, reading a sign showing the different building in the RMSC, I noticed that the planetarium has added a Challenger Learning Center. It wasn't open but I got a picture of the entrance.


Next, I went to the Eastman House. I had some difficulty finding it due to lack of visible street numbers. I got to the parking lot and eventually got into the house (there was a guided tour that blocked my way for a bit). I was able to see several rooms of the house including the conservatory which had, among other things, a giant elephant head mounted on the wall. This was from a real elephant killed on one of his safaris (very common for rich people of his era).

There was also an exhibition of Norman Rockwell showing the photographic studies that he did to prepare a painting. I saw paintings that I was familiar with and many others that I was not. Each with at least some of the photos used to help create the painting. I wasn't allowed to take pictures so I can't show anything from that exhibit.

I wasn't feeling that well so I decided to leave for my next destination rather than explore the gardens which I would have liked.


Next I went further down East Ave. to find a photo place where I might get a tripod. After experimenting with their compact one I decided to get it.

Then I had an adventure getting to the northeast of the city. I had a map and got some directions but I stopped at least once to check where I was and did make one wrong turn. After finding the shop I was after I headed back on Ridge Road. I stopped to get lunch and some throat candies and headed back to Spencerport. As I was driving along I noticed that there was another store from the same company in Greece (west of Rochester) as I had traveled a bit of a distance to find east of Rochester. Oh well.