Cooperstown

Nestled on the south tip of Lake Otsego, Cooperstown, equidistant between I-88 and Route 20, is best known as the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, whose three floors contain the history, memorabilia, data, and records of those who made this sport what it is today. There is a theater with a multimedia presentation, and a library housing records from this great sport, information about baseball reporting, and film clips of the great moments of baseball. (607-547-7200) Other worthwhile things to see in Cooperstown include the Farmers’ Museum, a collection of 19th-century buildings moved to this site and in which are now displayed the trade buildings of the time (doctor’s office, school, church, farmhouse, and a general store) and within them the tools and artifacts of the tradesmen. There are also demonstrations here of the trades that were part of the rural life in an earlier era (607-547-1450). The Fenimore House Museum, located on the shores of Otsego Lake, houses a collection of Native American and American folk art. There is a new wing focusing on the crafts of textiles, beadwork, basketry, masks, and costumes of various Indian tribes (607-547-1400). The Alice Water’s Glimmerglass Opera (607-547-5704), to the north of town on the edge of the lake, affords a spectacular backdrop of lake and mountain for its seasonal concerts.