Rochester NY Children's Play Museum

I have been there. It is really neat. I don't recall where we stayed.
There is a pea that lives in Rochester or near, iirc.

I live in the area too, near the airport. Not too familiar with the hotels, but my aunt & uncle stayed at the Hampton Inn in Greece right off the expressway I390 (Greece is the suburb NW of the city) & my BIL has stayed at Home2Suites by Hilton in Greece - that is behind BJs & right off the expressway also. W Ridge Rd is near both with a mall & tons of shopping - all the chain stores & restaurants. And I believe this past spring he stayed at that Residence Inn on Jefferson Rd. Henrietta is the suburb to the south. And as noted, Jefferson Rd has all the shopping & restaurants. And depending on your preference & number of people, I have a friend with an Airbnb here in Gates (west suburb). They allow you to use their pool. Very nice folks - they have a son that just graduated high school.  www.airbnb.com/rooms/19364245?adults=1&children=0&infants=0&pets=0&wishlist_item_id=11003705050052&check_in=2024-10-15&check_out=2024-10-20&source_impression_id=p3_1719450456_P3VaSVfoAXedpY89&previous_page_section_name=1000

The Strong Museum of Play is fantastic! We had an annual membership while my kids were little. So much fun for grown ups too! The plabetarium mentioned is at RMSC - Rochester Museum & Science Center. That's also a great place - where we got the membership to as my kids got to schoolage. If you have time, depending on your kids' ages, check it out. 

Zoo was already mentioned - yep, had a membership there too! It's been expanded over the past few years, so I thik it's better than Buffalo's. If it's a hot day & you are so inclined, there is a wading creek not too far from the entrance. It;s off to the left before the 1st 2 indoor buildings. It's so refreshing. Last summer, I had a 4 yr old there, he waded around & I just sat there with my feet in the water, ahh...

Speaking of water, if you get a chance, head north to Charlotte Beach on Lake Ontario. During the day, it's very pretty. The Genesee River dumps out there. You'll find a Abbott's there for their famous frozen custard (a Rochester staple). And the old carousel is fun - even for adults (cousins, sister & I rode a couple years ago as adults in our 50s & 60s!). I have never had a bad experience up there, but note that sometimes the algae can be bad & the water is stinky. And it's not really a place to be after dark. But again, I've been several times with young kids & had no problems. Good picnic spot. The walk out to the lighthouse is nice. Frequently see boats.

Rochester is a great city - so much here, but it's easy to get anywhere with the expressway system. You can get from one side of the city to another in a matter of minutes (as long as it's not rush hour with construction going on!). Enjoy your trip!