This may not be the time to travel, but we are lucky that so many museums have opened up virtually. Check out the hours of fabulous fun that Rochester offers.
Top virtual learning activities include:
• The Strong National Museum of Play is bringing the laughter and joy found their museum to your home! Their list of Play at Home Activities on their website suggests lots of different activities for families with younger children, ages 4-12 – with ideas for art projects, imaginative play, sensory fun and more!
• The Rochester Museum & Science Center has a Science at Home series that includes a Virtual Planetarium! Families can explore the Sun, Moon, and Stars, learn about Exoplanets, find out more about the Eclipse coming in 2024 (Rochester is going to be perfectly positioned for that one!) and more with free videos adapted from the planetarium show for YouTube. Also part of their Science at Home offerings:
- Science Experiments that can be conducted from the home
- Science Storytime taking place Tuesdays at 3pm, complete with animal guest star
- Animal Meet & Greets over video
- Virtual Tours of some of the best museum exhibits
• The George Eastman Museum is the former home of Eastman Kodak Company founder, George Eastman. Their Eastman Museum at Home has plenty of hands-on activities, virtual tours and virtual collections accessible online.
• The Genesee Country Village & Museum, is the largest living history museum in New York State consisting of 68 historic buildings that showcase life between 1790 and 1900.
- Their virtual tour highlights all of the beautiful buildings around the Museum’s Historic Village. For those interested in art or architecture, listen to the brief audio clips for information on the architecture in the Genesee Valley, determining appropriate paint colors and more!
- Tap into your creative side by downloading coloring pages of the Village’s historic buildings. For budding fashionistas, download color pages to see how ladies fashion changed over 100 years.
- Read about the different buildings and their real-life history.
• Susan B. Anthony Museum & House marks the 200th birthday of Susan B. Anthony, the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote, and the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Susan B. Anthony Museum & House in Rochester, where Susan B. Anthony lived home for 40 of her most politically active years. Learn about Susan B. Anthony, the history of the suffrage movement, and her house on Madison Street in Rochester, NY. Explore the “Her Story” and “Her Home’s Story” tabs under the “Learn” drop down section.
When things begin to open think of our sister city, Rochester. as a travel destination. Rochester, NY has over 75 family friendly activities and attractions within a 4-hour drive from the Hudson Valley. (Maybe a little more, depending on where you live.) And it’s not all about adventure and fun – these places have some seriously cool educational opportunities as well, perfect for a family “Schoolcation” sure to set eager minds abuzz.