Spotlight: Cooperstown

Credit: Milo Stewart Jr./National Hall of Fame & Museum

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.

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 7 pm. Dancing is encouraged.

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). Get a lift at Howe Caverns High Adventure Park, packed with affordable outdoor fun for all ages, from ziplines to rock climbing walls.

On the way back, stop in Sharon Springs to visit the fabulous Beekman Boys' Beekman 1802 Mercantile on Main Street, selling heirloom-quality artisanal and handcrafted goods, from their famous goat-milk soaps and cheese to pasta sauce. Have a fabulous farm-to-table dinner down the street at the American Hotel.

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 Belgian fare, from beer-steamed mussels with frites to waffles. 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.

Friday

Ride the charming trolley down Main Street and visit the Farmers' Museum (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.

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 tour and see their retail shop. After 5 pm, 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.

Sunday

Start big with the sumptuous Sunday Brunch Buffet 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 one of Cooperstown Summer Music Festival's Sunday afternoon concerts, from classical to bluegrass, May through October.

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.