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Spotlight: Cooperstown

Small-town charm meets big-league attractions, sweeping vistas, and home-run history.

Affectionately called “America’s hometown,” Cooperstown blends Main Street Americana and timeless nostalgia with grand-slam attractions. From the legendary National Baseball Hall of Fame, a must-visit for any fan of the game, to the immersive living history of the Fenimore Farm and Country Village, to world-class opera at the Glimmerglass Festival, to four-season outdoor recreation and bustling breweries, Cooperstown appeals to every kind of explorer.

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Three Things You Can't Miss

Cooperstown ILNY - Baseball Hall of Fame - Photos Courtesy of ThisIsCooperstown.com

National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum

From the uniform that Cy Young wore and bats used by Willie Mays and Derek Jeter to interactive exhibits and special events, the museum's vast collection tells great stories of America's national pastime. 

Fenimore Art Museum

Fenimore Art Museum

This neo-Georgian mansion, built on the site of Fenimore Cooper's early 19th-century farmhouse, houses fascinating folk art, Native American art, decorative arts, and Hudson River School paintings. Splendid gardens overlook Otsego Lake, and a Seneca Log House and Mohawk Bark House offer a glimpse of the past.

Glimmerglass Festival

Glimmerglass Festival

World-class opera and musical theater are presented every summer in a lakeside venue called "the most magical of settings" by The Times of London.

family fun

The Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown

Fenimore Farm and Country Village

Weavers, blacksmiths, and farmers demonstrate crafts and skills in a recreated 1845 village and working farm that bring history to life. The Empire State Carousel features an Erie Canal boat and hand-carved animals native to New York. Events are held year-round.

Otsego Lake Cooperstown

Glimmerglass State Park/Otsego Lake

Four-season fun includes swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, and camping in the spring, summer, and fall, and snow tubing, ice-skating, ice-fishing, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing in the winter. Hyde Hall, described as America's finest neoclassic country mansion, offers tours just eight miles north of Cooperstown’s Main Street.

Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad.

Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad

16-mile sightseeing trips run from Milford Depot to Cooperstown in passenger coaches from 1928 and an open-air gondola. Special themed rides include fall foliage rides,ice-cream socials, staged robberies, dinosaur trains, the Easter Bunny Express, Halloween, and Christmas Trains.

spend the day

Kid in Yankees hat looking at display at National Baseball Hall of Fame

Let the whimsical folk art at the Fenimore Museum and living history exhibits at Fenimore Farm and Country Village next door take you back to simpler times. Even a trolley ride down Main Street is a magical trip in this vintage American town. 

Have lunch at the Doubleday Café and shop Main Street, lined with historic landmarks and colorful storefronts selling sports memorabilia, clothing, handmade and edible goods, and souvenirs.

Explore the world-famous National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum (pictured). Interactive exhibits, films, and thousands of artifacts celebrate the game, honor its greatest players, and reflect American culture.

Finish the day with a sumptuous lakeside dinner at the Otesaga Resort Hotel. Or, if you and your family are looking for a quick meal, head to Sal's Pizzeria on Main Street.

spend the weekend

Brewery Ommegang

Saturday

Get an early start with breakfast at Cooperstown Diner, a classic Main Street gem where locals, visitors, and the occasional celebrity go for good coffee, comfort food, and the latest news. Breakfast is served from 7 am to 1 pm daily.

Spend a few hours or the whole day exploring the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum. Visit during the Hall of Fame Classic or Hall of Fame Induction Weekend for a chance to meet living legends.

Stroll through Main Street shops and pick up a tasty lunch at Mel’s at 22 or the Cooperstown Farmers' Market

Plan a night to remember at the Glimmerglass Festival, world-class opera and musical theater in a magical lakeside setting. You can pre-order a gourmet picnic to eat on the lawn pre-show. Kids ages 6 and up are welcome at performances, and tickets for the little ones start at just $18. For more musical entertainment, the Cooperstown Concert Series presents stellar bands from Latin to electro-rock to classical, at various local venues. Brewery Ommegang (pictured) also hosts a year-round calendar of live music.

Cooperstown Bat Company

Sunday

Start your day with heavenly coffee, cinnamon rolls, and a serious roster of baked goods such as cupcakes and cookies from Schneider's Bakery, which dates back to 1887!

Step into an 1845 village at the Fenimore Farm and Country Village, and explore the houses, barnyard, school, and shops, as costumed guides tell tales about the Cardiff Giant, the Empire State Carousel, and traditions and tasks of 19th-century rural life. Next door, at the Fenimore Art Museum, find one of the world's biggest and best folk art collections, with whimsical weathervanes, ship figureheads, quilts, paintings, and trade signs.

Have lunch at the Doubleday Café, then catch a ballgame at historic Doubleday Field, where players play just for the love of the game—every day, three games a day during baseball season—on the perfectly manicured diamond.

Continue the baseball fun by visiting Cooperstown Bat Company (pictured), where you can watch bats being made. Order an engraved bat for a one-of-a-kind souvenir.

spend the week

Baseball Hall of Fame

Monday

Celebrate the spirit of baseball, its heroes, and its history at the National Baseball Hall of Fame (pictured). The world's most famous sports shrine has thousands of baseball treasures and exhibits on three floors. But this is no stuffy museum experience—plenty of the exhibits are interactive and kid-friendly. Pro tip: If you're planning to visit in the summer for Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, book your accommodations early.

Rent a canoe, kayak, or fishing boat from Sam Smith's Boatyard on Otsego Lake. You can also buy fishing licenses, poles, and bait if you'd like to try to catch your dinner. If you come up empty, Blue Mingo Grill on-site serves lunch and dinner lakeside on the porch.

Glimmerglass State Park

Tuesday

Swim or hike along the wooded trails of Glimmerglass State Park (pictured). Just north of the village, it's beautiful in every season. Watch for wildlife, walk through the covered bridge, and tour the neoclassical mansion and National Historic Site Hyde Hall, surrounded by rolling hills and stunning lake views. 

Rent a bike from Woodland Cycles in Milford. This area's great for riding, from rural roads and rolling hills to epic climbs. See bike routes at This is Cooperstown. For a gorgeous 22-mile loop, head north and keep turning right around Otsego Lake.

In summer, bring a blanket to the free Cooperstown Lakefront Concert Series, at the bandstand in Lakefront Park every Tuesday evening at 6:30pm. Dancing is encouraged.

Howe Caverns

Wednesday

Take a 35-mile road trip to Howe Caverns (pictured)—a geological wonder 156 feet below the Earth's surface and New York's second-most-visited natural attraction (after Niagara Falls). Test your skills at Howe to Escape, an immersive escape room 15 stories underground! 

On the way back, stop in Sharon Springs to visit the fabulous Beekman Boys' Beekman 1802 Kindness Shop on Main Street, selling heirloom-quality artisanal and handcrafted goods, from their famous goat-milk soaps and caramel confections to cheese and pasta sauce. Stop to smell the flowers at Slate Hill Lavender Farm and enjoy summer season U-pick lavender days.

Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown

Thursday

Follow the Cooperstown Beverage Trail, a scenic 37-mile route in the former hops-growing capital of the US. Breweries, wineries, a distillery, and a cider mill host tours, tastings, and events.

Tour Brewery Ommegang (pictured), a Belgian farmstead-style brewery on a former hops farm, named one of America's 25 Best Craft Breweries by The Daily Meal. The café on-site serves American and Belgian fare, from soft pretzel sticks and chicken and waffles to poutine and a smoked brisket grilled cheese. You have to be older than 21 to taste the brews, but kids are welcome to tag along.

Visit Fly Creek Cider Mill, offering samples of 40 foods, from sweet cider to tangy New York State cheddar cheese. In autumn, pick up apples and fresh-baked pies.

Empire State Carousel at Farmers Museum, Cooperstown

Friday

Ride the charming trolley down Main Street and visit the Fenimore Farm and Country Village (pictured), a very kid-friendly replica of an 1845 farmstead and village with seasonal crops, farm animals, and costumed interpreters showcasing traditional trades, crafts, and chores. 

See great American art, from Thomas Cole to Grandma Moses, at the Fenimore Art Museum. The gardens overlooking the lake are an ideal spot for a picnic lunch.

If you're looking to soak up some fresh air on the water, board Glimmerglass Queen, which offers narrated cruises and views of the scenery that inspired James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales from May through October.

Family on pedal bike in Cooperstown

Saturday

Experience the magic of the railroad like never before with Rail Explorers (pictured). Electric-assisted, pedal-powered rail bikes take you through a stunning 12-mile journey of farmlands and forests alongside the Susquehanna River.

"Field to flask" Cooperstown Distillery crafts award-winning spirits from New York farm products. Take a Saturday tour of the distillery at the Railroad Avenue location and afterwards check out their retail shop at the Main Street location. In the evening, the shop transforms into a cocktail lounge serving pub food, music, and cheer.

Be inspired by a performance of opera or musical theater at the Glimmerglass Festival, a summer season of world-class music. Food trucks and concession stands are available so you can picnic on the grounds.

Baseball players at Doubleday Field, Cooperstown

Sunday

Start big with the sumptuous Sunday Brunch at the Otesaga Resort. Then bring home country flavor from Middlefield Orchard. Depending on the season, you can pick berries, peaches, apples, pears, or pumpkins at the family-friendly farm with more than 10,000 dwarf fruit trees for easy picking.

Catch a performance during Cooperstown Summer Music Festival, where you can enjoy genres ranging from creole soul to world-renowned string quartets. 

Take a seat behind home plate in the grandstand and watch a ballgame at Doubleday Field (pictured). Mickey Mantle played here in 1965. Admission is free; the experience is priceless.

Hotels and Stays

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getting there

By Train

Take Amtrak to the Utica station (1-hour drive to Cooperstown from there) or the Albany-Rensselaer station (1.5-hour drive from there).

By Plane

Fly into Albany International Airport (ALB) and from there it's a 1.5 hour drive into Cooperstown.

By Bus

Trailways and Greyhound provide direct bus services to Cooperstown.

By Car

• From Albany: 1.5 hours
• From Buffalo: 3 hours, 45 mins
• From NYC: 4 hours
• From Boston: 4 hours
• From Philadelphia: 4 hours, 30 mins
• From Montreal: 4 hours, 30 mins

Bonus Tip

Check out This Is Cooperstown for more information.