Midtown Plaza, Rochester NY 1963

This authentic 1960s color photograph, captured in 1963, showcases the striking modernist architecture of Midtown Tower and the street-level Wegmans food market at Midtown Plaza in Rochester, New York. The archival image highlights the skyscraper’s unique two-tiered design, with the upper residential and hotel floors featuring a distinct white-ribbed facade rising above the grey office levels. At the base, the textured brick exterior of the plaza is visible, featuring the mid-century “Wegmans” script logo above a street-level entrance. The urban scene includes a period-correct four-sided green traffic signal suspended over the intersection of Stone Street, with pedestrians and 1960s automobiles, including a silver sedan, navigating the downtown area. In the background, the red “RG&E” (Rochester Gas and Electric) sign is visible atop an adjacent building. Midtown Plaza was a revolutionary development, serving as the first indoor urban shopping mall in the United States. While the mall portion was demolished in 2010, the Midtown Tower was stripped to its core and completely renovated into the Tower280 mixed-use complex, which stands today as a centerpiece of Rochester’s revitalized downtown. This factual record preserves the peak of mid-century urban optimism and commercial design. All our images are available as royalty-free instant downloads for use in books, media, and creative projects – or make your own prints for home, work, or as a truly unique gift.