Cooperstown

The village of Cooperstown is a lovely oasis in the heart of central New York State. Its main claim to fame is the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, built in 1939 to immortalize great baseball players. The "Hall of Fame" is a Mecca and a truly moving experience for any avid baseball fan. But Cooperstown has more than just The Hall. Rent a canoe or kayak and paddle down the Susquehanna River or learn about the history of Cooperstown on a walking tour of the village. There’s opera under the stars at the Glimmerglass Opera House, museums and cruises on the Erie Canal and life size dinosaurs and fossil digs at the Petrified Creatures ...

The village of Cooperstown is a lovely oasis in the heart of central New York State. Its main claim to fame is the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, built in 1939 to immortalize great baseball players. The "Hall of Fame" is a Mecca and a truly moving experience for any avid baseball fan. But Cooperstown has more than just The Hall. Rent a canoe or kayak and paddle down the Susquehanna River or learn about the history of Cooperstown on a walking tour of the village. There’s opera under the stars at the Glimmerglass Opera House, museums and cruises on the Erie Canal and life size dinosaurs and fossil digs at the Petrified Creatures Museum. At Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard, visitors can watch fudge being made, see apples pressed into cider and feed the farm animals. The Northeast Classic Car Museum displays 160 antique and classic cars in mint condition, a great draw for car buffs. The Farmer’s Museum shows how farming was done here in the mid-19th century. Architecture fans can tour Hyde Hall, a 50-room estate built in 1817 by Englishman George Clarke. Its setting is in what is now Glimmerglass State Park.

About the Expert

Frances Folsom is the author of CitySpot Palermo, a contributor to the Reiskits guides to Milan and Italy's Lakes Region, and Thomas Cook's Independent Traveller USA.