Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Rochester's George Eastman Museum
The George Eastman Museum is one of the best museums in Rochester - because it’s so much more than just a museum. It’s the world’s oldest museum dedicated to photography, for starters, but there are also historic gardens, a mansion that’s well worth carefully exploring, a theatre, exhibitions galore, and on and on! It’s a cultural and historical hub of Rochester, New York.
“The Conservatory” in the George Eastman Museum.
The George Eastman Museum is a personal favourite of mine largely because of just how much it encompasses. It’s much more a thought-provoking complex more than a prototypical museum.
On the one hand, you have the story of Kodak and George Eastman himself, a story which would be more than enough to hold anyone’s attention for a few hours. You’ve also got the world’s oldest photography museum, and one of the oldest film archives on record.
The other hand, though, is not as much about illuminating the past, as much as holding up Eastman’s principles to examine the present. The Eastman Museum regularly has temporary exhibitions on photography and cinema which are profoundly impactful, and don’t fail to ask (and answer, in some respect) important questions.
There’s much more to the museum than this, as I’ll explain below, but I think it’s worthwhile to visit the George Eastman Museum with this context in mind. The context being that, at its core, a visit to the Eastman Museum is an opportunity to examine how one man’s quest to document life changed the world, how that world has changed (for better or worse) and, perhaps, how we too can document our lives and the lives of others for the betterment of society.
Who Was George Eastman?
Answering a question such as this could be an article unto itself, but I’ll provide some key details here for you.
George Eastman was many things, but he’s best noted as an American entrepreneur who founded the Eastman Kodak Company. You’ll learn this if you visit, but the company really is largely responsible for bringing photography into the mainstream. Before the Eastman Kodak Company, the idea of photography for personal use, at least with you being the person taking the picture, was largely unheard of.
This invention and this movement totally changed the world. Roll film ultimately inspired motion picture film stock, and the rest is history.
He was also a noted philanthropist. Visiting Rochester, it feels impossible to escape his impact. He established institutions like the Eastman School of Music and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and was also active in supporting dentistry, medicine, and technology. His philanthropy extended well beyond the city as well, especially as his fortunes grew.
I remember visiting his living quarters/mansion for the first time, and being both surprised and deeply moved in knowing how his life ended. After two years of struggle with debilitating pain in the latter part of his 70s, he ended his own life, leaving only a note that said, “To my friends: my work is done. Why wait?” That very note is there, and it’s something to behold. Of course, it’s a sad and difficult ending to the story, but I also felt it was indicative of someone who was determined at all costs to live life on his own terms.
How Can You Best Experience the George Eastman Museum?
As with anything, you can let your interests guide you on your visit to the George Eastman Museum, but I’ll let you know what people tend to focus on at the Eastman Museum, or at least what’s available to peruse and experience. I would strongly recommend giving yourself at least a few hours (and even a half-day if you have the time) to experience this museum, as there’s a lot to do, see and learn.
Visit the Historic Colonial Revival Mansion
It was built in the early 20th century, and it’s been beautifully restored so that visitors can feel as if they’ve taken a step back in time. Many visitors aim to visit the historic mansion on Sunday afternoons as, typically, there’s a live music offering.
I would recommend wandering around a little and stumbling across different rooms as opposed to an exact or planned approach. The Conservatory is the centre of the mansion and it’s one of the most striking (and photogenic) rooms in the mansion, largely due to the elephant (you’ll see what I mean!). You’ll want to make time to visit the library, the billiard room and so on, and you can also go up the Grand Staircase to see the bedrooms and sitting rooms.
Spend Time in the Gardens
There are several gardens at the George Eastman estate, primarily because he loved to entertain people there, but also because it served as a bit of a working farm. Some of the gardens, at least until recently, were undergoing renovation, so be mindful that not all the gardens may be fully up and running. They’re typically open from May to September offering guided tours, summertime concerts, and all sorts of other special events.
The Schuyler C. Townson Terrace Garden is the most famous on the property, and it’s only accessible with museum admission. It’s known today for its perennials, but in all there are almost 25 beds with nearly 100 varieties of plants. In full bloom and well-manicured, it’s something to behold. Take note of all the carefully planned symmetry!
The Library Garden is also only accessible with museum admission. It’s actually a rooftop garden built on top of the underground two-story vault containing the museum’s archives. The soil depth is only around two feet, believe it or not.
The Rock Garden and Grape Arbor are accessible without museum admission. It’s a rocky garden landscape that apparently served as an escape for any of Eastman’s guests who wanted a moment of reprieve.
The West Garden (accessible without museum admission) is modelled after an English walled garden. It’s been redesigned a number of times over the years, with each designer adding their own touch to it. Look for the sundial!
All of the gardens are lovely in their own right, so if you’re a nature lover, take time to visit. I personally have done the guided tour of the Terrace Garden on a sunny September day not all that long ago, and I quite enjoyed it!
Catch a Film Screening at the Dryden Theatre
Also on the property is the 500-seat Dryden Theatre. What I love about the Dryden Theatre is that they screen over 300 movies per year, and they show all films in their original formats to honour the originally intended mode of exhibition. Very fitting, right?
Fun fact - it’s one of the only theatres in the world that can project original nitrate film!
If you’re a film buff, then feel free to plan out your visit by checking out their film screenings. There’s certainly no harm in spending an entire day at the Eastman Museum if you’re keen to see a film and then visit before or after (or both!).
Check Out the Photography and Cinema Exhibitions
To me, if you’re visiting the George Eastman Museum, you need to make time to visit whatever photography or cinema exhibition they have on.
The George Eastman Museum does a brilliant job of having exhibitions on which add to the conversation of current events. When I was last there with Bri, for example, we had the privilege of visiting Joshua Rashaad Mcfadden’s exhibition, “I Believe I’ll Run On.” The exhibition is currently scheduled to run until June 19th, 2022.
“Artist Joshua Rashaad McFadden (American, b. 1990) uses photography to engage some of the most challenging subject matter of our time. Working across genres—social documentary, reportage, portraiture, book arts, and fine arts—he critically examines race, masculinity, sexuality, and gender in the United States. His work reveals the destructive impact of these constructs on Black Americans. Looking to the idea of “being-ness,” he considers the contemporary condition of Black life while referencing US history as a means to rediscover and define the Black self.”
If you have the chance, I’d urge you to visit. The photography was poignant, striking, tremendous and about a thousand other adjectives. Joshua Mcfadden has a mezmerizing ability to communicate everything with one photo.
Bri and I also were able to visit “To Survive on This Shore: Photographs and Interviews with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Older Adults.” It closed in early January, but you can read more about it here.
These two aforementioned exhibits are what I was referring to up above when I noted that it’s a museum that showcases a history, but is also dead-set on having a meaningful impact in the present.
Head here if you want to know what current exhibitions are on, as well as information on upcoming exhibitions and past exhibitions.
What Else Should You Know Before Visiting the Eastman Museum?
There are a number of other things that I wanted to share with you to ensure you’re fully aware of all that’s offered, as well as providing some general tidbits of information that’ll help you fit this into your Rochester itinerary.
If you’re planning on spending a large amount of time there and you get hungry, you can stop by Open Face which featured freshly made sandwiches and soups, and a number of other items. It’s health conscious as well as being vegetarian and vegan friendly. It’s also a good spot to get a cup of tea or coffee, but just know that it may take a minute as they make everything fresh for the most part. You can view the menu here if you’ve got dietary concerns or are curious.
If you’re interested, you can see if tours are currently running. They are, understandably, put on pause here and there based on the situation at the moment in time.
The museum offers regular talks as well as workshops. Personally, I feel this part of the museum’s efforts are firmly in line with the ethos of George Eastman, a man who was all about giving back to others, and sharing what he could to make this world a better place.
Regular hours are Tuesday to Saturday 10am-5pm, and Sunday 11am-5pm, while being closed on Mondays.
Advanced tickets are required for non-members. Here’s what you need to know about tickets and admission.
Be sure to bring a phone or device with you to access their on-site tours and interactions which are available at eastman.oncell.com
This Rochester Museum is Truly a Gem
I’ve been fortunate to visit this museum multiple times and, as I’ve insinuated, it’s a museum that can be visited over and over again. As a Canadian though, or at least someone who grew up outside the city, I think this is a must visit museum not only to learn about the story of George Eastman, but to learn about the story of Rochester.
In my humble opinion, those two stories are inextricably linked, and forever will be, and that’s something people of this city should be proud of. I feel fortunate that I have a deeper understanding of what makes Rochester, Rochester.
With travel, it’s always the case that what we put into it, we get out of it. The people I’ve met who may not understand why I appreciate Rochester so thoroughly are the same people that don’t take the time to visit museums like this when they visit. My connection to the city is so much richer because of the visits to this museum, and as a bit of a “furthermore,” the staff here are off-the-charts invested in and informed about the museum and the city at large.
No matter how little time you’ve got in the city, don’t miss the chance to visit the George Eastman Museum. It’s a special place serving a valuable purpose in a city that I feel is as underrated as it gets.
I want to humbly thank Visit Rochester for hosting me as media. All opinions are completely my own.
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