Inside Downtown Tour - This Friday & Saturday!

The 2023 Inside Downtown Tour is just a day away! We’re excited to welcome you to a variety of urban environments where Rochester residents are creating unique spaces to live and work. You’ll visit re-purposed spaces, renovated homes, lovingly preserved places, and new builds designed with sensitivity to the overall built environment.

This year’s Inside Downtown Tour will feature four sites on either side of the Genesee River, each no more than a ten minute walk from Tour Headquarters at the Times Square Building. And speaking of, this year’s tour (weather permitting) offers an exclusive opportunity to visit the roof of the Times Square Building and get a view of the iconic Wings of Progress!

Inside Downtown Tour tickets start at $29 for members and must be purchased in advance on our website. Hours are 6pm to 8:30pm on Friday, September 8th and 12pm to 4pm on Saturday, September 9th.

Cocktails & Carburetors - September 22nd & 23rd

Do you have your Cocktails & Carburetors tickets yet? The annual event is returning to FLX Auto Storage for the Cocktails & Carburetors Opening Night Party on Friday, September 22nd from 5pm to 8pm. FLX Auto Storage, located at 384 East Ave in Macedon, is a high-end storage facility for vehicles including a social lounge. Founded in 2018 by Jim Swetman as a place that would combine his interest in racing with vehicles storage, there will be a number of vintage vehicles at the facility for the party. The party will have catering by Betty Klein, music by Mystic Stew, a silent auction, and plenty of cocktails and great conversation. Guests are encouraged to drive their collector cars so all attendees can enjoy them in the parking area.

Included in your ticket price will be a tour of private garages on Saturday. Take a self-guided tour of several private garages and car collections from 10am to 4pm (a map will be provided to ticketholders at the Friday night party). Tickets are $95 and are available on our website.

Technical Assistance Grants from the Preservation League of NYS

Pre-Applications are now open for 2023 Technical Assistance Grants (TAG), which are available to eligible NYS nonprofits and municipalities through the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the Preservation League. The TAG program provides funding for planning studies of New York State historic resources that serve an arts and/or cultural function. The pre-application deadline is Monday, October 9th, and the grant application deadline is Friday, October 20th.  In-Person workshops are scheduled throughout September in Norwich, Mill Neck, Canton, Riverhead, and Elmira, NY. A recent webinar will be available for viewing soon.

Visit the League’s website for eligibility requirements, grant amounts, and details about the review process.

New Architecture in the Wild Tours with Rochester Brainery

September and October Architecture in the Wild classes with the YUPs and Rochester Brainery are now open for registration!  In these classes, you’ll learn the names of important architectural styles, basic architectural terminology, and how to approximately date the buildings you see every day in Rochester.

On the fall schedule, you’ll find encores of two of our most popular classes: “Architecture in the Wild: Exploring Downtown’s West Side” (Saturday, October 14th) and “Architecture in the Wild: Exploring Maplewood’s Lake View Park” (Thursday, October 5th).

New this year is “Architecture in the Wild: Exploring Downtown’s East Side” on Saturday, October 7th.

Our classes with Rochester Brainery always sell out, so make sure to register early!  There are also still spots available in “Architecture in the Wild: Exploring Susan B. Anthony’s Neighborhood.”

Landmark Travels - Prague & Danube Cruise, Cuba, and Brandywine Valley

Join us for an informational meeting to learn more about our newest Landmark Travels adventure: Prague and Danube River Cruise. Join us at Warner Castle on Monday, September 18th at 5:00pm to learn more. Please RSVP to Larry Francer, lfrancer@landmarksociety.org, 585-537-5954. Trip details below!

Brandywine Valley and Longwood Christmas – December 5-8, 2023
Registration has also opened for our Brandywine Valley and Longwood Christmas trip this December. We’ll enjoy 4 days of special holiday exhibits, expansive historic homes, and art museums in the historic Brandywine Valley, which traverses southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware. The highlight, of course, is Longwood Gardens, with its massive greenhouses and over 500,000 incredible holiday lights. Ppricing starting at $2,060 per person (member, double occupancy).

Arte Cuba – April 22 – May 2, 2024
The Landmark Society is excited that we are finally going back to the beautiful island of Cuba for an 11 day Landmark Travels tour. We have a wonderful trip planned that highlights the arts and coincides with the Havana International Art Biennial. We will be staying in Havana, Cienfuegos, and Varadero, with visits to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites and one UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Architecture, music, art, and great food in the company of Landmark friends (old or new). Pricing starting at $5,615 per person (member, double occupancy).

Prague and Danube River Cruise – Fall 2024
This tour that includes a 2-night stay in Prague before joining a 9-night Danube River Cruise. We will only be taking 30 guests on this exciting tour of the three architectural gems of Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. Our guests will experience an exclusive pre-cruise tour of Prague where we will meet Landmark friends, the Becan family – Frank, Hanna, Martin, Marketa, and their two girls. Our home base will be the elegant Hotel Pariz Prague and highlights will be a visit to the historic town of Kutna Hora and a magnificent view of Old Town Square and the Astronomical clock during a rooftop dinner at the Hotel U Prince. Then we will transfer to our Emerald Cruise Star Ship to embark on a first class cruise down the Danube River with beautiful staterooms, gourmet meals, and an indoor pool. We will visit the charming towns and villages of Passau, Germany; Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic; Linz, Melk, and Weissenkirchen, Austria; and Bratislava, Slovakia. There will be numerous excursions, hiking opportunities, and cultural activities, including a Landmark guest meet and greet with acclaimed actress, Sona MacDonald.

Young Urban Preservationists - CALL FOR NEW MEMBERS!

2023 marks the 10-year anniversary of the Young Urban Preservationists (YUPs). The YUPs are an emerging generation of preservationists in the greater Rochester region dedicated to promoting inclusive, modern, and innovative preservation practices to help revitalize communities and our built environment.

It all began at a happy hour at Black Button Distilling back in 2013. Since then, we’ve had a ton of fun holding events like Bikes, Beer & Buildings; volunteering with orgs like Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services and City Roots Community Land Trust; stripping vinyl siding off of fellow YUP’s houses (see pics 1 and 2); exploring cities with the Rust Belt Coalition of Young Preservationists; leading classes with Rochester Brainery; and heartbombing old buildings.

Now, it’s time for a new generation to take the reins. No prior knowledge or experience needed; commitment level/time flexible. A passion / budding interest in saving places a must!

Particular volunteer needs include:

• Social media, web content creation
• Photography
• Event planning
• Steering Committee members

Follow @youngurbanpres on Instagram and DM us or email Caitlin at cmeives@landmarksociety.org if you want to learn more!

Upcoming Events

September 8th & 9th: 2023 Inside Downtown Tour

September 18th: Informational meeting for Prague & Danube Landmark Travels trip

September 22nd: 2023 Cocktails & Carburetors

September 24th: Rochester Brainery Class: “Architecture in the Wild: Exploring Susan B. Anthony’s Neighborhood“

October 5th: Rochester Brainery Class: “Architecture in the Wild: Exploring Maplewood’s Lake View Park“

October 7th: Rochester Brainery Class: “Architecture in the Wild: Exploring Downtown’s East Side“

October 14th: Rochester Brainery Class: “Architecture in the Wild: Exploring Downtown’s West Side“

October 20th & 21st: Ghost Walk Returns!  (stay tuned for details)

November 12th: 2023 Landmark Society Preservation Awards and Annual Meeting

5 Castle Park, Rochester, NY 14620
PHONE: (585) 546-7029 x10 · FAX: (585) 546-4788