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Life in Cooperstown has indeed unfolded according to
James Fenimore Cooper's vision. The Village of Cooperstown,
with its rich array of museums and other diverse attractions,
is the jewel of Otsego County and of the Central Leatherstocking
Country region of upstate New York.
Dubbed 'the village of museums', Cooperstown boasts
three nationally and internationally recognized museums.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame, known everywhere for
our 'national pastime'; The Farmers' Museum, one of the
country's oldest outdoor living history museums showcasing
rural life in 1845 in its lively Village of Historic trade
and craft shops; and Fenimore House Museum, home to one
of the country's premier folk art collections, and now
the American Indian Wing with a dazzling collection and
galleries "any museum in the world would envy."
(The New York Times) The museums attract visitors
year round for special events such as Candlelight Evening
in December and Sleigh Rally in February.
In addition, Glimmerglass Opera, a world class company,
attracts 32,000 patrons each season to its beautiful Alice
Busch Opera Theater on Otsego Lake. Opera lovers
dine in their restaurants and sleep in their hotels and
comfortable B&Bs. They shop in the many unique
clothing and gift emporiums that line the Shopping District
streets.
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Visitors and residents are also drawn to the fine
arts galleries, including the juried National Art
Association Show sponsored by the Cooperstown Art
Association. The Smithy-Pioneer Gallery, the
Cooperstown Brush and Palette Club, and Cooper Country
Crafts offer changing shows that highlight local artists,
many of them nationally recognized.
The architecture of Hyde Hall, a neo-classic English
19th century manor under restoration just north of
Cooperstown, attracts visitors both to observe the
restoration in progress and to attend special events
held at the Hall.
Several village parks border Lake Otsego in and around
the village and offer picnicking and swimming.
Glimmerglass State Park is located nine miles north
of the village, where visitors camp, picnic and swim
in the summer and cross-country ski, ice skate and
"tube" during the winter months.
There are scenic wetlands along the lake shores that
are open to the public at Goodyear Sanctuary.
Two golf courses, the championship 18-hole Leatherstocking
Golf Course
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and the 9-hole Otsego Golfand Club, one of the oldest in
the U.S., are located along the shores of Lake Otsego.
The Oneonta Tigers play minor league baseball from mid-June
to Labor Day 30 minutes from Cooperstown. There are
several batting cages and miniature golf courses in and
around the Village.
Traffic is mitigated by the Trolley System featuring four
old-fashioned trolleys that carry visitors to Main Street
and the museums from convenient parking lots located on
the outskirts of town. They are a tourist attraction
in their own right and have been widely embraced as the
best way to travel around Cooperstown.
A myriad of annual events enriches the tourism venue,
including an annual canoe regatta, inductions of soccer
and baseball Hall of Famers,
baseball games at Doubleday Field, craft shows, harvest
festivals, and car shows. There is no parallel
to the Christmas atmosphere in Cooperstown.
The combined decorating efforts of The Clark Foundation,
The Scriven Foundation, Lake and Valley Garden Club and
individual businesses and homeowners create a magical
scene for shoppers and sightseers. Special activities
are planned throughout the Holiday Season including visits
with Santa in his cottage located on Main Street.
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