Top 10 Specialty Museums in New York, United States

July 28, 2021 Moriah Teneyck

New York State has it all – booming metropolises, majestic waterfalls, mountains, wine country, chicken wings. Yes, NYC is a magnet for tourists, but an exploration of the rest of the state can be equally thrilling. The Finger Lakes Wine Region is a vision of serene waters, quaint B&Bs, and pretty vineyards. Movie buffs will love Rochester, home of the George Eastman House and one of the world’s most comprehensive film archives. On your way to Niagara Falls, stop in Buffalo to fuel up on spicy wings.
Restaurants in New York

1. Glenn H. Curtiss Museum

8419 State Route 54, Hammondsport, NY 14840-9795 +1 607-569-2160 [email protected] http://www.glennhcurtissmuseum.org
Excellent
81%
Good
18%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 601 reviews

Glenn H. Curtiss Museum

The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum, bearing the name of Hammondsport's favorite son, is located on Route 54, one half mile south of the village of Hammondsport, New York. Dedicated to the memory of pioneer aviator, Glenn Curtiss, the museum contains a priceless collection relating to early aviation and local history. The museum also features a 75-seat theater, large open area for special events and a gift shop. In addition to motorcycles and aircraft, visitors will also see antique tools, toys, boats, home-furnishings, fire equipment and much more. Visitors are also welcome to visit the Museum Restoration Shop, talk with volunteer craftsman and watch them work on historic aircraft.

Reviewed By KMJackson60

We popped over to this museum on a rainy day. I knew very little about Glenn Curtiss and early airplane history. We loved it! Glenn Curtiss was a very creative, very interesting person who did a lot of inventing. It was fun watching his life and inventions play out, and the early air pioneers start the industry.

2. Antique Boat Museum

750 Mary St, Clayton, NY 13624-1119 +1 315-686-4104 http://www.abm.org
Excellent
83%
Good
15%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 423 reviews

Antique Boat Museum

This museum houses an impressive collection of wooden sea vessels.

Reviewed By spanglyanimal - Clayton, United States

Really amazing museum in the small vacation town of Clayton. Be sure to take an antique boat ride and to check out the race boat building. Wood Boat brewery is just across the street with amazing pizza and beer.

3. Corning Museum of Glass

1 Museum Way, Corning, NY 14830-2253 +1 607-937-5371 [email protected] http://www.cmog.org
Excellent
81%
Good
16%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 3,696 reviews

Corning Museum of Glass

From children looking for an adventure to artists looking for inspiration, there is something for everyone at The Corning Museum of Glass. The world's largest glass museum offers the opportunity to browse 3500 years of glassmaking history in the collection galleries. See works ranging from a small Egyptian pharaoh head to enormous works by Tiffany and discover the wonder and artistry behind glassmaking. Explore the day-lit Contemporary Art + Design Galleries which house the best of the last 30 years in glass, and a 500-seat Amphitheater Hot Shop, a space dedicated to live glass demos and design sessions. See glass created before your eyes during a live, narrated Hot Glass Demo, and be inspired to experience glassmaking for yourself during a Make Your Own Glass experience, with projects for all ages for an additional fee (reservations available online). Best of all, kids and teens 17 and under are free! Advance tickets required. Tickets are valid for two consecutive days.

Reviewed By DEP3 - Binghamton, United States

If you love glass, this is the place for you.Beautifully laid out, with exquisite temporary and permanent exhibits. Lots of demonstrations of glassblowing, ability to make your own objet d’art, as well as a huge gift shop with Pyrex, Corelle, Steuben Glass, jewelry, trinkets,glass gift items, games, and more and more. A definite highlight of Corning, not to be missed.

4. Motorcyclepedia Museum

250 Lake St, Newburgh, NY 12550-5262 +1 845-569-9065 http://motorcyclepediamuseums.com
Excellent
86%
Good
14%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 166 reviews

Motorcyclepedia Museum

Reviewed By juliemD1269RB

What an amazing place. So much to see so much to learn about. The most amazing collection information. Very knowledgeable staff that brought a lot of the information to life as well. Place is spotless the machines I just can’t say enough how amazing this collection is this is a must see!

5. Niagara Power Project Visitors Center

5777 Lewiston Rd, Lewiston, NY 14092-2199 +1 716-286-6661 [email protected] http://www.nypa.gov/vc/nvcdir.htm#Directions
Excellent
83%
Good
15%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 172 reviews

Niagara Power Project Visitors Center

Set your inner engineer free at the all-new Niagara Power Vista! - Operate a power plant at the Control Room Simulator - Direct power where it's needed most at the Transmission table - Immerse yourself in a surround-sound, multi-sensory Power-Up 4D theatre experience - Ride a thrilling 4-D virtual roller coaster where you get to experience how a drop of water is turned into a unit of energy - Watch a spirited debate between Tesla and Edison over whose version of electric transmission is better And with the new hop-on, hop-off Discover Niagara shuttle, getting to the best attractions in Niagara has never been easier!

Reviewed By TrpReviwr - Buffalo, United States

We visited with 4 kids ranging in age from 7-15. Everyone had a good time. We planned to stay an hour and ended up staying a few hours. We could have stayed longer, but got hungry. Haha. The exhibits are interactive and modern. There is s great view of the gorge, a 4D simulator ride, and 3 floors of interactive exhibits including informational quizzes, exercise bikes, hand gears, etc. walk through a smart house, learn about electricity, see what it was like to build the power authority and learn about the area. Free admission includes a smart badge that loads your pictures and points which you can access at home.

6. National Comedy Center

203 W 2nd St, Jamestown, NY 14701-4903 +1 716-484-2222 [email protected] http://comedycenter.org/
Excellent
85%
Good
11%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 261 reviews

National Comedy Center

The National Comedy Center is the United States' official cultural institution and museum dedicated to presenting the vital story of comedy and preserving its heritage for future generations. Recently named the “Best New Museum” in the country by USA Today, and one of the "World's Greatest Places" by TIME magazine, the Comedy Center offers a visitor experience filled with laughter – featuring state-of-the-art technology, interactivity and personalization to create a one-of-a-kind, immersive museum environment perfect for the entire family. Based on the vision of Jamestown, NY native Lucille Ball for her hometown of Jamestown, NY to become a destination for comedy, the National Comedy Center showcases comedy's great minds and unique voices in ways that engage, inspire, educate and entertain. The Center’s award-winning LaughSafe program will keep everyone laughing safely, touch-free and worry-free throughout their socially-distanced experience in its expansive 37,000-square-foot museum.

Reviewed By marksinghTO - Toronto, Canada

I think the National Comedy Centre is worth a drive to Jamestown, tbh. The use of technology to personalize and enhance your experience is quite awesome. My favourites included seeing some uber-famous costumes up close and personal, comedy karaoke (turns out, I'm hilarious!), the Blue Room, celebrating the non-PG side of comedy and more. On top of it all, they have a bar with reusable "to-go" cups - and you're allowed "to go" anywhere in the museum with your reasonably-priced drink. So bloody civilized. A must-visit!

7. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

25 Main St, Cooperstown, Otsego, NY 13326-1330 +1 607-547-7200 [email protected] http://baseballhall.org/visit
Excellent
79%
Good
16%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 3,619 reviews

National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

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 disneyguy333 - Clifton Park, United States

Although I have been to the Hall of Fame several times over the past several years, it never gets old and it's constantly being updated. On this visit I ventured to the 3rd floor for the first time in a few years and was impressed with the amazing exhibits on stadiums, statistics and new interactive displays. The actuall Hall was decorated for the Christmas season and there were many displays celebrating the 2017 World Champion Houston Astros. Although the World Series exhibit won't be open for a while, there were highlights of the game playing :) Overall a great visit and definitely worth the trip from anywhere for true baseball fans.

8. George Eastman Museum

900 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14607-2298 +1 585-327-4800 [email protected] http://www.eastman.org
Excellent
70%
Good
24%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1,037 reviews

George Eastman Museum

The George Eastman Museum is located in Rochester, New York, on the estate of George Eastman, the pioneer of popular photography and motion picture film. Founded in 1947 as an independent nonprofit institution, it is the world's oldest photography museum and one of the oldest film archives. The museum holds unparalleled collections-encompassing several million objects-in the fields of photography, cinema, and photographic and cinematographic technology, and photographically illustrated books. The institution is also a longtime leader in film preservation and photographic conservation.

Reviewed By lesliek79 - Montreal, Canada

My primary interest was the history of photography, and the Kodak company’s inventions and innovations that popularized photography. The “History of Photography” exhibit was much smaller than I expected, featuring only a few historically important images and many cameras. A smaller exhibit (upstairs in the house) featured Kodak inventions and progress that included details about the early box cameras and the use of photosensitive emulsions on rolls (substituting individual plates). It was this exhibit that demonstrated Mr. Eastman’s genius. The temporary Warner Brothers Cartoons exhibit was informative and delightful; a throwback to my early television viewing experience. The congenial tour guide was a font of knowledge about George Eastman’s personal history and life, entry into photography, entrepreneurial skills, financial success and philanthropy. The tour of his mansion highlighted it’s history and attested to Eastman’s affluence, interests and tastes. He was a wealthy man whose interests reflected the mores of his time. His legacy reverberates in Rochester’s cultural and social life, generally, and through his inventions and philanthropy internationally.

9. Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park

Planting Fields Rd., Oyster Bay, NY 11771 +1 516-922-8678 [email protected] http://www.plantingfields.org
Excellent
72%
Good
25%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 282 reviews

Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park

Located in Oyster Bay, New York and originally landscaped by the Olmsted Brothers, the grounds feature 409 acres of greenhouses, rolling lawns, formal gardens, woodland paths and outstanding plant collections. The original historic estate buildings remain intact including Coe Hall, a 65-room Tudor Revival mansion designed by Walker and Gillette. The interior of the house is a showcase of artistry and craftsmanship and features a distinctly American aesthetic through original ironwork commissions by Samuel Yellin and murals painted by artists Robert Winthrop Chanler and Everett Shinn. Planting Fields is included in the National Register of Historic Places.

Reviewed By 25sandya - Haddonfield, United States

This was a beautiful park in which to spend a couple hours on a low key vacation. While we did not manage to walk all the trails in our limited time here, we enjoyed what we saw immensely, and had the place almost to ourselves. I would love to come back in the spring when more flowers are blooming. Do not miss the main greenhouse! The cactus, begonia and orchid branches were great, as well as the wonderful tropical plants and trees in the main section. The dahlia garden was very nice. Also of note, the Sensory garden and Italian garden. After Labor Day, the $8 per car fee is only collected on weekends.

10. Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum

2 W 3rd St, Jamestown, NY 14701-5104 +1 716-484-0800 [email protected] http://www.lucy-desi.com
Excellent
59%
Good
31%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
2%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 605 reviews

Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum

Lucille Ball's hometown of Jamestown, NY honors the legacy of "The First Couple of Comedy" with the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum. The museum attraction is open seven days a week, and features replica sets, Lucille Ball's Emmy awards, costumes, rare memorabilia, and much more.

Reviewed By Burtdol - Apex, United States

This museum reviews the great days of Lucille Ball, her husband during part of this time. Ricky Ricardo and all the familiar players in the great production of The Lucille Ball Comedy Show! Background of both Lucy and Ricky are provided from the beginnings of their lives and travel through history to the final days. Absolutely great in every respect!

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