• Accessibility
Menu Close
  • View of Schoharie County along Route 88

Batavia to Mumford

A Route 5 Museum Tour

tours-map-batavia

(1 Day)

Route 5 is one of the most storied travel routes in all of New York State. Experience this Museum Tour and find out why! Ask the LeRoy House docent to show you the painting of a woman whose gaze seems to follow you no matter where you are in the room.

Begin your journey in Batavia at the Holland Land Office Museum, "The Birthplace of Western New York." Built in 1815, the museum once operated as the Holland Land Company, which surveyed and sold the more than 3 million original acres of Western New York. Today the museum's ever-changing exhibits feature a pioneer kitchen, and 200 years of history from around Genesee County, including the Civil War, Seneca Indians, and more. The Joseph Ellicott Book & Gift Shop, located in the museum, also has many unique items for sale.

Depart along Route 5, until you meet Route 237, head north to The Stafford Museum of History, where you'll enjoy the ambiance of a 19th Century tour featuring farm implements, household furnishings, one-room school house records, quilts, games, and a rare collection of Morganville pottery. Established in 2004, the Stafford Museum of History provides a look into the early settlements of Western New York. A three-media display of written history, pictures and artifacts helps portray a typical rural community during the time the Erie Canal opened.

Retrace your travels on Route 237 back to Route 5 for the JELL-O Gallery Museum in Le Roy. Take a tour through time and explore the history of "America's Most Famous Dessert", JELL-O. Find out how this piece of Americana was produced, marketed, and enjoyed by millions. Don't forget to visit the transportation exhibit, or to pick up great JELL-O Souvenirs in the JELL-O Gallery Gift Shop. Next, take the short walk along the JELL-O Brick Road to the Historic LeRoy House. Experience three floors, and 100 years of history, with highlights such as Ingham University, the first women's university in the Nation to grant a four year degree, or the invention of the string-less green bean. And, don't miss the self-guided tour of nearly 100 Leroy Barn Quilts.

Depart for the lunch at the historic D & R Depot Restaurant. Dine in a restored train depot, where the food is homemade, the service is friendly, and even the background music is old-fashioned. And of course, for dessert-JELL-O!

End your Rte 5 journey on Flint Hill Road in Mumford (Brooks Grove) at the Genesee Country Village & Museum, one of the largest outdoor living history museums in the country. Breathe life into your understanding of history by experiencing and seeing demonstrations of ordinary tasks done hundreds of years ago. Costumed actors churn butter, dip candles, punch tin and much more in a charming 19th century setting that boasts over 40 furnished historic buildings restored to their original glory.

For additional information, visit The Western New York Southtowns Scenic Byway website, www.wnyssb.org

APPROXIMATE MILEAGE: 20-25 miles

Read More