Things to Do Around Geneseo

Located in the historic Village of Geneseo, the SUNY Geneseo campus provides easy access to local attractions, outdoor destinations like the Finger Lakes, and the vibrant nearby cities of Rochester and Buffalo. 

Explore Geneseo's unique shops, restaurants, outdoor adventures, and the wide variety of campus events, including concerts, guest speakers, athletic games, and student club activities.

We encourage prospective and admitted students and their families to visit and tour Geneseo.

Main Street Geneseo
Rochester, NY
People with kayaks

In the Geneseo Area

Geneseo Area Outdoor Attractions
  • Arboretum Nature Trail at the Geneseo Arboretum (on campus, South Side, near Onondaga main parking lot). Guided walks meet every Wednesday at 12; can also visit on your own.
  • Indian Fort Nature Preserve (open 6 am - 9 pm). An 8-minute drive from campus, this site includes hiking trails.
  • Geneseo Valley Island Preserve (open 8 am - 5 pm). A 5-minute drive from campus, this 40-acre nature preserve includes walking trails.
  • Railroad Bed Trail (open daily, sunrise to sunset). There are 3 different access points within a 9-minute drive of campus: Fowlerville Road - 100 ft west of the intersection with Route 39, Hogmire Road - .5 mile west of the intersection with Route 39, South Avon Road - 1 mile west of the intersection with Route 39.
  • Geneseo River Access Park, 275 Riverside Drive, Geneseo. This small park is a 5 minute drive from campus and offers picnic tables, a pond, and view of the Genesee River.
  • Highland Park in Geneseo, Highland Road, Geneseo. 
  • Mill Creek Nature Preserve (open sunrise to sunset). Check website for updates on possible future trails.
  • Conesus Inlet Wildlife Management Area, a 15 minute drive from campus. This park/nature area offers hiking, hunting, trapping, and fishing.  It is accessible off of Sliker Hill Road, with a parking area, kiosk, and a paved path along the creek (extending to the dam).
  • Canaseraga State Forest, a 35 minute drive from campus. This is a 1,287-acre piece of property filled with waterfalls and a river to walk along.
  • Finger Lakes Trail. This trail runs parallel to the Letchworth Gorge and in Mt Morris; it is 25 miles long and can be found on the All Trails app.
  • Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area (open sunrise to sunset). A 40 minute drive from campus, this park includes biking, hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and more.
  • Letchworth State Park. Just a 15 minute drive from campus, this "Grand Canyon of the East" includes hiking trails and camping.  There is a $10 entry fee per vehicle.
  • Stony Brook State Park. This park is a 30 minute drive from campus and includes hiking, swimming, camping, and sports fields.  There is a $7 entry fee per vehicle.
  • Vitale Park (open 7 am - 8 pm), 5828 Big Tree Rd, Lakeville, NY 14480. This park is a 20 minute drive from campus; it offers picnic tables and a view of Conesus Lake.
  • Al Lorenz Park (open 6 am - 10 pm), Murray Hill Drive, Mt. Morris, NY 14510. This park is a 14 minute drive from campus and includes hiking trails, fishing, and recreational facilities.
  • Conesus Campground Rentals, 5609 East Lake Road, Conesus, NY 14435. This rental service is a 20 minute drive from campus; rent a kayak or paddle board and explore Conesus Lake!
  • Twin Cedars Environmental Area, 6274 E. Avon-Lima Road, Avon, NY 14414. Take a 19 minute drive from campus to walk on 1.5 miles of trails and see beautiful water, plants, and animals.
Geneseo Area Arts & History
  • Livingston County Historical Museum. Take just an 11 minute walk from campus to view the rich history of Livingston County, including artifacts and exhibits that relate to the Geneseo area.
  • National Warplane Museum. Just an 11 minute walk from campus, this is a warbird and military history museum located on the grounds of the Geneseo Airport and noted for restoring, flying, and displaying vintage military aircraft.
  • Genesee Country Village. This is a 19th-century living history museum with 68 buildings and over 20,000 artifacts' a 30-minute drive from campus.
Geneseo Area Entertainment
  • Visit the SUNY Geneseo events calendar to find out what's happening on campus.
  • Geneseo Riviera. Just off Main Street in Geneseo, the 1914 theater hosts movies, live music, lectures, concerts, and small stage productions.
  • Vintage Drive in Movie Theater. Located in Avon (a 19 minute drive from campus), this is a 4-screen drive-in theater for both current movies and retro films.
  • Castile Cider Mill. A 30 minute drive from campus and minutes away from Letchworth, this landmark historic site offers fresh apple cider and donuts that are made daily.
  • Minnehan's Fun Center. This recreational center is a 12 minute drive from campus and offers outdoor kart racing, mini golf, batting cages, a driving range, and more.
  • Werner Farms & Greenhouses. This farm offers a wide array of plants and seasonal vegetables; a 23 minute drive from campus.
  • East Hill Creamery. Stop by to enjoy French Alpine-style cheeses made from their own dairy’s raw milk plus tours of how they make it.  Also, purchase their cheese 24/7 from the region’s only cheese vending machine!

In the Rochester Area

Rochester Region Outdoor Attractions
  • Highland Park
  • Ellison Park
  • Genesee Valley Park
  • Turning Point Park
  • Tryon Park
  • Durand Eastman Park
  • Durand Eastman Park Arboretum
  • High Falls
  • Erie Canal
  • Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park at Manhattan Square (Adjacent to Strong Museum). Offers ice skating with skate rentals.
Rochester Region Arts & History
  • Rochester Contemporary Arts (RoCo), 137 East Ave. Offers recent works by established and emerging artists. Free admission.
  • Little Theatres and Cafe, 240 East Ave. Offers five screens with independent and other films.
  • Memorial Art Gallery (the MAG), 500 East Avenue. The MAG is Rochester’s premier large art gallery with permanent and special exhibits.
  • George Eastman Museum, 900 East Ave. Located on the estate of George Eastman (founder of Eastman Kodak), this museum holds unparalleled collections in the fields of photography, cinema, and the like. The mansion and gardens are available for tours, and the museum is also home to the Dryden Theatre.
  • Geva Theatre, 75 Woodbury Boulevard. Not-for-profit theatre company presenting professional theatre productions.
  • Rochester Broadway Theatre League, 885 East Main Street. Rochester’s premier venue management organization hosting Broadway shows.
  • Strong Museum of Play, 1 Manhattan Square. Hosts the National Toy Hall of Fame; offers places to play vintage video and other games and more.
  • Rochester Museum & Science Center, 663 East Ave. A science museum that also includes the Strasenburgh Planetarium.
  • Eastman Theatre, Gibbs St. Kodak Hall - home of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and other live concerts.
  • Kilbourn Hall - a 444-seat auditorium considered one of the best chamber music venues in the world.
  • Hatch Hall - a new 222-set venue for solo instrumental, chamber, and vocal music.
  • Susan B. Anthony Museum & House, 17 Madison Street. Home of the legendary civil rights leader and headquarters of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in the 1870’s.
Rochester Region Entertainment

In the Finger Lakes

Finger Lakes Outdoor Attractions
  • 11 Finger Lakes: Conesus, Hemlock, Canadice, Honeoye, Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca Cayuga, Owasco, Skaneateles, Otisco
  • Watkins Glen, Watkins Glen
  • Buttermilk Falls, Ithaca
  • Taughannock Falls, Trumansburg
  • Stony Brook, Dansville
  • Robert H. Treman, Ithaca
  • Sonnenberg Gardens, Canandaigua
  • Bristol Mountain Ski Resort, Canandaigua
  • Hunt Hollow Ski Club, Naples
Finger Lakes Arts & History
Finger Lakes Entertainment

 

 

Related Pages
Campus Map
Visit and Tour Geneseo
Admissions