Location: Cooperstown
Top Things to do in Cooperstown
The 10 Best Things to Do in Cooperstown, United States
Located in the foothills of the Catskills Mountains, Cooperstown is proud to be a one-stoplight town, with quiet streets and charming old homes, sitting amidst the natural beauty of Otsego County. The area is home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the National Soccer Hall of Fame, the Fenimore Art Museum and the Glimmerglass Opera. Otsego County is also a popular destination for activities as diverse as antiquing, horseback riding and golf.
Restaurants in Cooperstown
1. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3 reviews
The National Baseball Hall of Fame is a nonprofit committed to preserving the history of America's pastime and celebrating the legendary players, managers, umpires and executives who have made the game a fan favorite for more than a century. Preserving History. Honoring Excellence. Connecting Generations.
Reviewed By Grayhare - Macungie, Pennsylvania
It's been a few years since I've been there. But the place gets better all the time. They keep things fresh by changing exhibits. And really engage young kids by giving them a questionnaire they have to fill out by looking at exhibits and then at the end they get a free pack of baseball cards and some gum. Great gift shop with reasonable price. Don't forget to see one of the halls newest inductee. Homer J. Simpson. No not kidding he is in the baseball in fill area and has a plaque like all the other players.
2. Glimmerglass Opera
Overall Ratings
5 based on 219 reviews
A popular opera and musical theater company, offering innovative productions and theatrical events every summer.
Reviewed By dickliberty - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
American premiere of Donizetti's L'assedio di Calais. Opera drama about an incident from the Hundred Years' War (14th cent.) was updated to present day, any war-torn country. Staging, by Francesca Zambello, made perfect sense of the drama, and super-titles wisely omitted references to France or England (combatants of original libretto). Principals Leah Crocetto (Eleanora, sop.) and Aleks Romano (Aurelio, mezzo) were both excellent musically; Romano, singing a trouser role, was very credible as a young man. Adrian Timpau (Eustachio, bar.) possesses a beautiful instrument which he uses well but needs further artistic refinement. Zachary Owen (a spy, bass) held his own in his scene with other principals and chorus. Chaz'men Williams-Ali (ten.), Makoto Winkler (bar.), Joseph Leppek (bar.), and Carl DuPont (bass), all portraying burghers of Calais who, with Eustachio and Aurelio, volunteer to sacrifice their lives to save their fellow citizens, made good individual contributions to ensemble pieces and blended beautifully in the Act III prayer. (Williams-Ali, with the most solo lines to sing, also created the most individualized burgher.) The orchestra, which played well and with spirit, was very ably conducted by Joseph Colaner. The theatre is attractive and has good acoustics. I loved my first experience at this festival, and I'm certain to return.
3. Otsego Lake
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 348 reviews
This picturesque nine-mile-long lake is the centerpiece of Cooperstown.
Reviewed By T D - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
We stayed in Coopertown for a weekend for a wedding. We got to see a small part of this lake. It's beautiful and so peaceful. You can rent boats or eat at restaurants that have a view towards the lake to enjoy its beauty and Fall foliage.
4. Fenimore Art Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 552 reviews
Located inside a neo-Georgian mansion with terraced gardens overlooking Otsego Lake, this museum features fine collections of American art, James Fenimore Cooper memorabilia and historic photographs. (Closed January 1 - March 31) New exhibitions open April 1.
Reviewed By btindy - Indianapolis, Indiana
My previous visit to this museum had been as a child; I remembered it as lots of paintings of early America. On this visit, I realized it had many more things going for it.
I'm usually bored by Native American art, but the collection here was quite interesting, as was the special exhibition of ice skating art and artifacts. The Lewis Hine photo exhibit was unexpected and mesmerizing (especially the photo - appropriate here at Cooperstown - of kids playing baseball that included a young Babe Ruth). The exhibit on the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr was well done.
Then there are the impressive grounds, with a view of Otsego Lake.
What impressed me most were the fascinating facts presented on the labels accompanying each piece. I found myself often calling to my wife: "Wow. Did you read this?" I can't recall the last time I spent so much time reading the labels in a museum. Kudos to the person(s) doing this task.
5. The Farmers' Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 510 reviews
Living history museum re-creates 19th-century rural life, complete with craftspeople demonstrating rural trades and skills in the restored buildings of an 1845 village.
Reviewed By Brian C - Rome, New York
We saw the ad for this place's Christmas candle light special in a local newspaper and decided to come here for what should have been a fun filled, festive, and memorable night. We were very disappointed all around unfortunately. We parked at a local hotel and walked down to the museum where we paid for two adult tickets. Upon arrival at 4:45 things were pretty, all of the lights were illuminated and things were well maintained overall. Though there were lots and lots of people, one could get in and out of most buildings without too much of a wait. We entered the buildings in hopes of seeing them decorated for Christmas in time period decorations. Nope. Not one interior building was decorated in any type of festive attire. A couple of buildings had some garland on it, but that was it. It was no different being inside these buildings during Christmas than it was when we were here in July. We went to eat in the main building and liked what we saw on the menu board so we ate here. What a shame! What super chinsy portions of food they were serving here. A small paper bowl with one ladle of egg noodles and 3/4 of a ladle of beef stew. My fiend ordered the pasta meal and got 1.5 small ladles of dried pasta with a dried sauce on it. With this meal you get one very small piece of bread, a dessert, a side of veggies (which they did not have despite them saying more was on the way), and a 6 ounce cup of cider that was literally only half full. The hot cocoa was empty and there was one type of tea. Total cost for this anemic meal ... 22 dollars. An absolute waste of money. It is a good thing this museum is not in the food service industry of they would have closed long ago. By 6:00 pm, 2/3 of the luminaries and candles that light the way were either knocked over or burned out and nobody made any attempt to relight them or repair the overturned lights, totally killing the ambiance. This place needs to take more pride in this night. They made lots of money by the admission and food sales and I feel they just took the money and ran. I was expecting to see them make Christmas related decorations and bake Christmas type food in the exhibits and they were instead making chicken stew and brooms in the shops. I was expecting much more than I got, and I am not that hard to please. I won't return here next year. This visit left a bad taste in my mouth, particularly the poor meal with chinsy servings and entirely missing sides. If you were out of veggies, just say so instead of shorting your customers.
6. Glimmerglass State Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 160 reviews
Reviewed By Kathy H - Boston, Massachusetts
Worth the effort to drive through this park in order to appreciate the preservation of this gorgeous lake from overdevelopment. The views of the lake here are probably nit much changed from the 18th C. We visited on a sleepy Saturday morning at end of September; but I expect it gets crowded in the summer season. Swimming, camping, picnicking. Don't miss the oldest covered bridge in the US on site.
7. Hyde Hall
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 131 reviews
Hyde Hall is a 50-room Regency-style neoclassic stone English manor house that was built between 1817 and 1835. Now a museum, Hyde Hall offers fabulous views of Otsego Lake and the surrounding countryside. Hourly guided tours are available May through October, with tours departing from Tin Top, the Visitors' Center, beginning at 10 am through to 4 pm.
Reviewed By Kathy H - Boston, Massachusetts
Very exciting to visit this historic home. It is undergoing a remarkable rehabilitation to return it to it's original roots. The setting is extraordinary, with gorgeous views of the lake and surrounding hills. I've visited historic homes throughout the US; this one is extraordinary due to its architecture (English country estate style), original furniture, and the glimpse of another way of life, akin to Downton Abbey. The restoration includes the weaving of authentic and historic fabrics by an amazing local artisan named Rabbit Goody.
8. Abner Doubleday Field
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 344 reviews
This 9,000-seat ballpark, owned by the Village of Cooperstown itself and located near the Baseball Hall of Fame, commemorates the reputed "birthplace of baseball."
Reviewed By fic1225 - Madison, New Jersey
This is a nice outdoor stadium that has a touch of old time feel. Nothing was going on while we were there so all we did was go into the stadium and look around.
9. Barnyard Swing Miniature Golf
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 66 reviews
18-hole western-themed miniature golf course with water features and drop down holes in a park-like setting. Wild-west pistol laser tag in our authentic barn. Grab a screen and bag of "rough" and gem-pan for real gemstones. Party tent for your group.
Reviewed By njlocal510
Kids enjoyed this place.Miniture golf and lazar tag topped off with a bar-b-que..Worth stopping at..Kids wanted to go back for the lazar tag..We are thrilled your family had a good time here- all about creating family memories! We hope you get a chance to stop back during future visits!
10. Cooperstown Distillery
Overall Ratings
4 based on 56 reviews
Reviewed By Kathryn M - New York City, New York
We went on a tour as part of a weekend at the Inn at Cooperstown. We had a private tour with the owner who is a passionate about the distillery and has amazing stories to tell and knowledge to share about how all bourbon in whisky but not all whisky is bourbon... We learned his story and got to taste the wide and growing types of liquor they are making. I am NOT a hard liquor person but after this tour I bought the award winning Gin and am looking into ways to make this tasty drink. Don't miss this!
