Beauty and the Buildings
Where Art, Culture and History Come AliveBelieve It Or Not: The beautiful mountains, lakes and rivers surrounding Cooperstown and Oneonta provide the setting for simply incredible adventures. Explorers will discover fascinating local folklore, one-of-a-kind attractions, and extraordinary museums revealing both the area's past and future.
Believe It Or Not: The Farmers' Museum, an intimate living history museum, recreates life in rural New York State circa 1845. About 40 original buildings make up this architectural wonderland, with an active village and working farm. Interpreters relate stories of the past with craft demonstrations and hands-on activities. The Empire Carousel, a beautifully hand-crafted "merry-go-round," is the highlight of the museum's Country Fair.
Believe It Or Not: Fenimore Art Museum is one of the nation's premier art institutions and home to an exceptionally rich collection of American folk art, Indian art, decorative art, photography and much more. 2009 exhibitions include New Additions / New Perspectives: American Indian Art and America's Rome: Artists in the Eternal City, 1800-1900. Formal gardens overlook Otsego Lake where, upon taking a short walk to the shore, visitors will find an authentic Indian Bark Lodge demonstrating how the Iroquois lived in 1750.
Believe It Or Not: The majestic Alice Busch Opera Theater is home to The Glimmerglass Festival an internationally acclaimed summer festival. Recognized for producing innovative works of musical theater, the spectacular setting is fully integrated with its 43-acre surroundings. Unique sliding walls allow audiences to enjoy fresh country air and magnificent views. None of its 914 seats is farther than 70 feet from the stage. The 2009 schedule features Verdi's La Traviata, Rossini's La Cenerentola, Menotti's The Consul and Purcell's Dido and Aeneas.
Believe It Or Not: Hyde Hall is a neoclassic 50-room mansion and stunning reminder of a bygone American era, when powerful English families established vast estates in their former colonies. The house itself is considered the finest example of neoclassic country mansions in America. Touring this restoration-in-progress affords visitors the opportunity to see, feel and understand where English patriarchy met American individualism.
Believe It Or Not: The Inn at Cooperstown, built in 1874, is a stunning country inn that continues a long tradition of gracious hospitality. The Inn offers 17 distinctive rooms and is located just a short stroll from the heart of the village. Cooperstown sits nestled along the sparkling waters of Otsego Lake. Known as "Glimmerglass" in James Fenimore Cooper's novels, the nine-mile long lake was created during the last glacial period and is significant for a number of reasons: it's the headwaters of the Susquehanna River Basin; the Clinton-Sullivan Campaign floated hundreds of barges down the river to get supplies to American troops during the Revolutionary War and it's watershed is on the National Historic Register.
We Got Game
Home Runs and Goals at Two Halls of Fame!It was 1907 when the Mills Commission determined that baseball originated in Cooperstown, New York. Today, it is internationally-recognized as the official Home of Baseball. Both the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum and Doubleday Field are located along the three-block Main Street in this charming village. A mere thirty minutes south, in Oneonta, is the National Soccer Hall of Fame & Museum as well as the Oneonta Tigers.
In 1939, the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum opened, exhibiting philanthropist Stephen C. Clark's extensive collections of baseball memorabilia, including the "Doubleday Ball." The museum houses awesome collections and exhibitions from baseball's past and present. You can spend days poking around the Hall of Fame and still not see everything. Baseball's timeless appeal is captured here preserving history, honoring excellence, and connecting generations.
Although there are no official teams affiliated with Cooperstown, visitors can watch games throughout the summer at the legendary Doubleday Field, located just a block-and-a-half from the Hall of Fame. The Oneonta Tigers, a NY Penn League Single A Team, play at Damaschke Field in Oneonta from June through August. Built in 1940, Damaschke Field has been a favorite with sports writers, players and fans for decades. The O-Tigers new management expects great things this season at Damaschke Field!
The National Soccer Hall of Fame & Museum started in Oneonta during the 1970s and was officially recognized by the U.S. Soccer Federation in 1983. The Hall now houses more than 100,000 items in a state-of-the-art museum that sits on 60 acres featuring four world-class soccer fields. What first began as a commitment by a group of former players to recognize the achievements of soccer in America has now grown to become one of the largest collections of soccer artifacts and records in the world.
For sporty outdoors lovers, the Otsego County area boasts seven golf courses, five state parks, as well as numerous state and county forests for hiking, camping, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. Boating, sailing and fishing can be enjoyed on three scenic lakes surrounded by these rolling foothills of the northern Catskill Mountains.
Fat and Happy in C'Town
Happy trails to beverage and culinary delights!The Cooperstown area has a centuries-old history of fine food and drink, going back well before baseball became America's pastime. Once the hops-growing capital of North America, it now boasts breweries, wineries and award-winning restaurants. Belly-up to our many tables for a fat and happy time!
Built in 1856, the Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard is a rambling rustic landmark beautifully decorated with flowering baskets and plants. Lose yourself in the Mill's unique inventory of gifts, hard cider, apple wines, NYS cheeses and more than 40 samplings of salsas, spreads and specialty foods. "Cider Mill Bill" and his friendly staff look forward to welcoming you to the Mill and Snack Barn.
Brewery Ommegang brews five award-winning and distinct Belgian-style ales, all crafted to make the dining and drinking experience special. Bohemian hops, Belgian-specialty malts and an array of traditional spices create a masterful collage of Belgian-style brewing. Take a tour and watch the brewing process, from the beginning to the bottling stage. Taste it, too! Visit the Gift Shop and take home Belgian-style ales, glassware, Belgian chocolate, brewery fashions, and more.
Roll along the scenic Cooperstown Beverage Trail, New York State's first beverage trail nestled in the scenic foothills of the northern Catskill Mountains. Sample the many delights at Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard, Brewery Ommegang, Bear Pond Winery (New York State wines and food products) and Cooperstown Brewing Company (premier ales, porters and stouts brewed with the finest two-row English barley malts, West Coast hops and English Ringwood yeast). Happy trails to you!
Foodies can also enjoy a plethora of delights - mustards, chutneys, and sauces - found in local gift shops and boutiques. For a sweet bite, catch some Cooperstown Baseball Cookies at the Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum. In the downtown areas of surrounding villages and the city of Oneonta, Farmers' Markets are social gathering places during the summer and harvest seasons. The local "flavor" includes farm-fresh produce, local honey, maple products and more.
Diners can explore the many bistros, cafes, restaurants and coffee shops throughout the countryside. The Otesaga Resort Hotel serves a sumptuous luncheon buffet overlooking Lake Otsego and the resort's scenic Leatherstocking Golf Course. Barbeque lovers can't miss Brooks' House of Bar-B-Q in Oneonta, home of the largest indoor charcoal pit in the East. Visitors can tour the barbecue sauce bottling plant, shop at the gift shop and savor its famous fare.
Yum, yum, belly up!!!