2026 High Falls Terrace - High Falls State Park

High Falls Terrace

High Falls Terrace serves as the inaugural phase of High Falls State Park, establishing a vital gateway between the downtown community and the future phases of High Falls State Park in the lower Genesee River gorge. The design expands on renovations completed by the City to provide safe, accessible public access to the city’s stunning waterfall and unique geological strata.

Park Amenities:

Accessible Overlooks: Panoramic vantage points offering clear views of High Falls and the Historic Brown’s Race District.
Nature-Themed Playground: An interactive “Play Space” featuring a play tower, slides, and a climbing wall.
The Lawn: A flexible open space for community events and gatherings, inspired by the 19th-century “Falls Field” entertainment era.
Visitor Facilities: Modern accessible public restrooms, shady picnic areas, and a small public parking area positioned for ease of access.

Heritage Walk Concept

Uniquely positioned with a view of the Falls that spurred Rochester’s industrial growth, the Heritage Walk will be a memorial centered on immigration and the migration of people to Rochester. The memorial will highlight the lived experience of the people who sought a better life in Rochester’s factories and neighborhoods through themes of past (memories of original homelands), present (daily life in Rochester), and future (aspirations for themselves and their families). The Heritage Walk will be the first phase of a larger Heritage Trail that will traverse High Falls State Park and interpret the many stories and cultures that shaped this historic site.

High Falls Interpretive Principals

The Heritage Walk and storytelling throughout the park will be guided by four core interpretive principles:

1) CONSULTATION FIRST

Authenticity Through Consultation: Parks will partner directly with organizations and local experts to ensure narratives are led by the people who lived them.

2) SITE SPECIFICITY

Right Story, Right Place: Every interpretive element should have a direct historical link to the High Falls site to maintain and emphasize a sense of place.

3) PARK INTEGRATION

Landscape is the The Monument: The design will avoid standalone objects in favor of embedded narratives. History is woven into the functional DNA of the park: the park, the seating, the lighting, and the relics.

4) REGIONAL COORDINATION

Complementing, Not Competing: High Falls State Park will tell stories that complement rather than duplicate nearby historical sites.

Couldn’t attend the High Falls Terrace Launch and Open House?

See the Open House material!