Rendering of the rebuilt Highland Park Children’s Pavilion, due to open in 2028. Photo courtesy of Highland Park Conservancy.

After decades of advocacy and fundraising, our partners at the Highland Park Conservancy in Rochester, NY have reached a milestone that demonstrates what slow, steady stewardship can accomplish. This month, state officials announced that New York State will be providing $3.9 million to rebuild Highland Park’s beloved Children’s Pavilion.

Highland Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in the late 1880s, with its iconic Children’s Pavilion serving as a beloved fixture for families for over 70 years—from the park’s opening in 1890 to the pavilion’s demolition in 1963. When it was torn down, Monroe County officials promised to replacing it—today, that promise is closer to fruition than ever before.

The original Highland Park Children’s Pavilion, at its dedication in 1890. Photo courtesy of Highland Park Conservancy.

The new, 6,000-square-foot pavilion will blend Olmsted’s original design and intent with modern accessibility improvements, including an elevator in the three-story timber structure that allows all visitors to experience the striking views at the top.

The approximately $7.7 million project was assembled through years of public and private investment, culminating in Governor Kathy Hochul’s $3.9 million commitment that closed the remaining funding gap. For park advocates across the country, the project illustrates the persistence and coalition-building often required to bring historic preservation projects across the finish line.

  • Rendering of the rebuilt Highland Park Children’s Pavilion, due to open in 2028. Photo courtesy of Highland Park Conservancy.
  • Rendering of the rebuilt Highland Park Children’s Pavilion, due to open in 2028. Photo courtesy of Highland Park Conservancy.

“For more than 60 years, Rochester has waited to see this historic landmark restored, and today we’re delivering on that promise,” Governor Hochul said. “We’re preserving an important part of Frederick Law Olmsted’s vision while creating a beautiful, accessible destination that families will enjoy for generations.”

For Highland Park Conservancy President JoAnn Beck, this project has been generations in the making.

  • The original Children’s Pavilion in Highland Park. Photo courtesy of Highland Park Conservancy.
  • The original Children’s Pavilion in Highland Park. Photo courtesy of Highland Park Conservancy.

“We have advocated, since our founding in 1994, for the reconstruction of the Pavilion at the high point of Highland Park — our first park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and a signature feature of Rochester,” she said. “The Pavilion was, and will be again, the high point of the park experience. On behalf of all who have worked and donated over the years, we are ever grateful and happy that the project can proceed.” Construction on the pavilion is expected to begin in 2027, with an opening set for early 2028. As the project gets underway, the Olmsted Network is eager to share updates on this historic win for Rochester’s Olmsted parks.