5 family-friendly outings that won't break the bank in Rochester
Spring days are the perfect time to get outdoors and active with your children. The trick is finding fun activities that get the whole family moving — and that won't break the bank with each outing. Here are several less traditional, free or low-cost options to get your family out and about in the Rochester region this spring:
Fairy trails in Monroe County NY
Two main fairy trails are located in Monroe County - the pixie path was added to the birdsong trail in Mendon Ponds Park in 2019 and a fairy trail was created at Springdale Farm in Ogden in 2020.
The birdsong trail in Mendon Ponds Park is always a fan favorite. Colorful doors adorn dozens of trees along the 3/4-mile long trail, just off Pond Road in Monroe County's largest county park.
Several houses also have bridges and rope ladders, knockers and door handles and posted signs. There's also a tiny fairy playground, with swings, along the path.
In the winter months, chickadees will eat birdseed from the palm of your hand. You can shorten the route to a 3/4-mile trek on "the square," an easy walk over gently rolling terrain.
Feeling more adventurous? Try some of the other nearby connected trails within the park.
The Victory Fairy Trail is located on the wooded trails at Springdale Farm in Ogden, located behind the pond and dairy farm. About 30 fairy houses are located along the path.
Wild Wings in Mendon NY
Encouraging a future ornithologist? Wild Wings Inc. is the place for you. Located by the nature center in Mendon Ponds Park, Wild Wings is home to more than 30 permanently injured raptors (and one declawed bobcat) that wouldn’t be able to survive on their own in the wild.
Falcons, eagles, hawks, vultures and owls all reside in their own enclosures at the facility, 27 Pond Road, at the western edge of the park. Wild Wings is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday through Tuesday. A tour of Wild Wings is free and self-guided.
Nearby is a small nature center (and adjacent gardens) and the stables for Monroe County sheriff's mounted patrol horses.
Fish hatchery at Powder Mills Park
We stuff our pockets with quarters to head to the Fish Hatchery at Powder Mills Park to feed the trout. Each toss of fish pellets brings frenzied masses of rainbow and brown trout to the surface.
Located at the corner of Park and Corduroy roads, the 90-year-old hatchery is open daily, year-round and is operated by the Riedman Foundation. Each fish run is labeled with the type and age of trout - from yearlings to the older fish.
Bring along a cup to hold fish pellets you buy from the food dispensers on site. (Hatchery employees ask that you not feed the fish any outside food.) One handful of pellets can seldom accommodate more than a few throws, and many visitors typically leave more on the sidewalk than in the water. (My mother enjoys collecting the "discards" from the ground to feed the fish, saying she's tidying up while also pleasing the trout.)
Geese and some blue herons often hang out at the nearby ponds, which house the older (and larger) hatchery-raised trout. There are also picnic tables, a gazebo and an informational kiosk telling visitors all about brown and rainbow trout.
Farm outings for the family
My husband was raised on a dairy farm, so we're big fans of farm outings, particularly when baby animals are involved. Locally, we have two go-to farm spots to meet some farm animals.
In western Monroe County, there's Springdale Farm, a 200-acre demonstration farm in Northampton Park in Ogden. In addition to the traditional farm animals, you'll also see several peacocks and roosters here.
Many activities at this farm at 700 Colby St. are free, including the poultry center, duck pond, playground and 2.5 miles of nature trails.
A focal point of the farm is a small petting zoo, which costs $1 per person. Goats here will greet you at the gate — and they may try to hop into your stroller or take a bite of your backpack. Milking center tours cost $2 to $3 per person.
On the eastern side of Monroe County, there's the ever-popular Lollypop Farm, 99 Victor Road, Perinton, where you can also visit a wide variety of farm animals (not to mention all the dogs and cats inside).
Lollypop no longer has a designated petting area for farm animals, but houses pigs, horses, sheep, goats, emus and chickens. Guests can visit but not touch the larger farm animals. The farm also offers several enrichment opportunities - a book buddies program in which visitors read to small animals and a shelter helpers program for children 8 to 16 to create enrichment toys or complete other work at the shelter. Both programs require small fees.
We also like to stop by the farm-themed playground at Egypt Park, an especially well-designed play area that borders the farm, and the (mostly) shaded 4.5-mile rail trail nearby, the Rochester, Syracuse and Eastern Trail.
Lamberton Conservatory and Highland Park
Located on Reservoir Avenue in Rochester's Highland Park, the Lamberton Conservatory is a low-cost option for botanical beauty no matter the weather, since sometimes springtime in Rochester brings rain, hail or whipping winds.
The 112-year-old conservatory offers an oasis in Rochester, popular with park-goers in every season. My boys love to turtle-watch and follow quails throughout the climate-controlled rooms of the conservatory.
Open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., admission is up to $3 per person. Kids 5 and younger are free.
Make sure you stop and smell the flowers outside the conservatory. Also in Highland Park, you will see stunning magnolias, rhododendrons, tulips and of course the famous 22-acre slope of more than 500 varieties of lilacs. The Lilac Adventure Zone, a natural-style wooden playground, is also located nearby in the park, on Highland Avenue.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: 5 family-friendly outings that won't break the bank in Rochester NY
