Highland Park

A Historic Arboretum with Modern Charm

Located in Rochester lies Highland Park, a 150-acre green haven that feels like stepping into a botanical storybook. Dating back to 1888, it's one of America's first municipal arboretums.

The park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the renowned landscape architect who transformed a city reservoir area into a thoughtfully planned green space. With its gentle hills, meandering paths, and open meadows, the park offers a much-needed breath of fresh air near Strong Hospital and within Rochester's urban landscape.

Lilacs That'll Make You Swoon

Highland Park is particularly known for its lilac collection, featuring 1,200+ lilac shrubs spanning more than 500 varieties - which is why it hosts Rochester's annual Lilac Festival. The collection was started in 1892 by horticulturist John Dunbar, who earned the nickname "Johnny Lilacseed" in local circles. The original 20 varieties he planted included descendants of native Balkan Mountain flowers that early colonists had brought to North America, giving the collection a lineage that stretches back centuries.

The Lilac Festival, held each May, isn't just a local tradition - it's the largest festival of its kind in North America, drawing visitors from around the world. The celebration brings the community together with live music, food vendors, art displays, and activities for all ages. Even if you miss the festival, visiting when the lilacs bloom in May offers an impressive display of colors and fragrance.

Various types of cacti fill the interior of the Highland Park Conservatory

Photo: Michael Scialdone (CC BY 2.0)

Not Just a One-Hit Wonder

Don't make the mistake of thinking Highland Park is just about lilacs. The plant diversity here is extensive. You can find elegant Japanese maples, 35 varieties of magnolias, a pinetum housing over 300 types of conifers, and 700 varieties of rhododendrons, azaleas, and andromeda. Many trees here hold the title of tallest of their species in New York State.

One of the more eye-catching seasonal displays is the Pansy Bed, where 10,000 pansy plants are arranged in an oval carpet pattern. The design changes each year, so even frequent visitors will find something new to look at. The park's curators have thoughtfully designed the space so something's always blooming during growing season, giving you an excellent excuse to return throughout the year.

A bench nestled among red and green trees on a sunny day in the park

Photo: Ryan Hyde (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Cool Spots You Shouldn't Miss

As you wander the rolling landscape, you'll discover several noteworthy attractions. The Lamberton Conservatory houses exotic plants, tortoises, and quail year-round - a welcome indoor option during Rochester winters. Then there's Warner Castle, a Gothic-style mansion that looks like it was plucked from a European countryside and now houses the Rochester Civic Garden Center, which maintains a publicly accessible horticultural library of over 4,000 volumes and runs educational courses open to anyone interested.

For performance lovers, the natural amphitheater known as the Highland Bowl hosts concerts, free movie screenings, and Shakespeare productions under open skies. The free Shakespeare performances have been a consistent fixture since 1997, when the Rochester Community Players launched their annual production, typically staged in early July. Overlooking the Bowl is a statue of Frederick Douglass, the abolitionist and orator who had deep ties to Rochester - worth pausing at whether or not there's a performance scheduled.

The reservoir area provides some of the best views in the park - a fantastic spot to pause and take in the Rochester skyline while enjoying a moment of tranquility.

Far From Just Pretty Plants

Highland Park successfully balances being both beautiful and functional. Nature enthusiasts can study the diverse plant collections, while fitness fans have plenty of paths for walking and jogging. It's also simply a great place to spread out a blanket and enjoy a picnic lunch.

Families appreciate the two playgrounds - the larger Lilac Adventure Zone featuring natural logs, a castle-like tree house, and balancing beams, plus a smaller play area near the reservoir. You'll discover clean restrooms in several locations within the park (always a plus for an outdoor destination). The park also houses meaningful memorial spaces, including the Greater Rochester Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the AIDS Remembrance Garden, offering places for reflection and remembrance.

A Park for All Seasons

One of Highland Park's best qualities is how it transforms during the year. Spring dazzles with cherry blossoms, magnolias, and those famous lilacs. Summer brings lush green canopies well-suited for escaping the heat. Fall turns the landscape into a painter's palette of reds, oranges, and golds. And winter? Those hills become the neighborhood's favorite sledding spots.

You're welcome to bring your four-legged friends (just keep them leashed), and the well-maintained paved paths make the park accessible for everyone. There's something special about Highland Park that sets it apart - it doesn't feel like your typical city park but rather like wandering through a thoughtfully curated forest that changes its outfit with each passing season.