Fun things to do in Cooperstown: 10 fun attractions and activities

Very nice museum. My baseball loving family had a great time especially my husband and son. I found some of the items and information interesting as well. My daughter also found some things interesting. It's a beautiful and well kept museum. A lot of great baseball items for all fans. I do wish they had a few more interactive things specifically geared towards kids, but the few things they had my kids enjoyed. Parking is in public lots or you can use the trolley system to park further out of town. Tickets can be bought online or at the museum. People working were great and very nice.

What an awesome experience if you’re a baseball fanatic! So much history to see and more! I would expect to spend at least 1-2 hrs here. There is a 17 film they have at certain times you watch then walk around the exhibit. You can purchase different types of books from the library and then there is a huge area for the gift store with plenty of selection!

A great time if you are a fan of baseball and the history of how it came to be. They had a lot of exhibits dedicated to what you would expect. But also plenty dedicated to women in baseball, how other countries and cultures have contributed to the sport, and acknowledge the good and the bad that baseball has faced. Very interactive museum. All of the floors have bathrooms. There are stairs and escalators. Watch the movie they play. There are tours of the plaque room or you can wander on your own. Staff announce when these will happen. The staff are very helpful and if you have questions ask them. Plan to spend at least two hours or more here. They do not have their own lot for parking, but you can park at the Doubleday Field lot and walk down.

Definitely a bucket list visit! I was attending a conference in Syracuse and made the incredibly beautiful drive to Cooperstown and 99% of it didn't disappoint! I love seeing all the plaques, the displayed memorabilia was amazing and there was even game use memorabilia from this year! My only disappointment was how small and minimalistic the baseball broadcasters hall of fame display is. Honestly it's an embarrassment!

We stopped at the National Baseball Hall of Fame on our way to Bar Harbor, Maine. We camped at Glimmerglass State Park, which is highly recommend! The museum was pretty decent. My preference would have been for the design to have been the history of baseball in a more chronological order before splitting up varying exhibits. It just didnt flow. The exhibits themselves were great. My biggest criticism might be that you have to go back all the way to the beginning to go to the gift shop. Again, a flow problem. Fortunately, most of the actual town is a gift/souveneir shop.

If you are near Cooperstown, you have to come !!! All the players you have heard about all your life are here .. nearly 150 years of baseball in one building .. The biggest tip I can give you is to come on a Tuesday or Wednesday .. the crowds are so crazy on the weekends .. parking can be a bear to fine on the weekends also .. that said , the staff are so helpful and very nice . Any questions at all, they will try to find an answer.. the bathrooms can be a bit hard to fine, plus the handicap elevators were not working, but we used the employees' elevators. The people move fairly well and very respectful of each other .. no food or drink inside the hall for everyone safety.. we had a wonderful time to top off a great week ..

I finally made my pilgrimage and it lived up to my expectations. I visited in November, so there wasn't a crowd, but there also wasn't much to do it town. Perfect for a visit centered around the hall itself.

I visit the Fenimore Art Museum every so often, both for its permanent exhibits (my favorite is the Thaw Native American collection) and temporary exhibits. My last visit was to specifically see its Women Impressionists exhibit and exhibit of powerful, mostly black-and-white, photographs. Both were brilliant and informative. The museum is in a beautiful location in Cooperstown, New York, and one can walk down the sweeping back lawn to Otsego Lake.

What a stunning place! My partner and I had the most beautiful late summer day exploring the collection and the property - we even met a lovely woman who told us all about the history of the land down at the Mohawk bark house. Pro tip - walk down to the lake, look left and check out the replica bark house hiding along the waters edge.

Absolutely beautiful museum! I just had my wedding here and it was perfect. Everyone was wonderful to wok with. While I didn't look around the museum a ton, I look forward to coming back for a visit!!

We recently returned after a long absence when we were in the vicinity. The Fenimore Art Museum was once well known for its displays of American folk art, and still shows several rooms with folk art paintings and objects. More recently, their collection has evidently moved in other directions, purchasing traditional "American" academic art, apparently funded by the Thaws, whose art philanthropy has been in evidence at the Met and Morgan in NYC for some time. Unlike many of the works in NYC institutions that were once part of the Thaws' own carefully assembled collections, the American works in Cooperstown were apparently only bought with their money and are of inconsistent quality. That growth, combined with unrelated special exhibitions on multiple levels, makes a visit a haphazard time. A couple of summer 2025 exhibitions featured an extensive displays of American photography, while another showcased paintings and works on paper by impressionists Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot. If we hadn't read about it on their website in advance, we would have likely missed that awkwardly wedged into a dark lower-level room of American Indian art was a model of the truss work at Notre-Dame Paris which was recently restored after a terrible fire, and that although not visible from the museum itself, out on the beautiful rear lakeside lawn was actually a towering replica of a truss. While it is always nice to encounter unexpected art treasures, the overall Fenimore experience was not consistent, and despite picking-up and consulting their map, we may have missed other installations we would have enjoyed. We were fortunate to find one of the few remaining parking spots in front of the Museum. We didn't spend time in the gift shop, but they have a simple cafe run by a bakery a few towns over from which we enjoyed a sandwich and slice of cake. The Fenimore is across the street from a farm museum and adjacent to a golf course, which combine to make for a busy approach and exit.

This is a wonderful small museum. Outstanding American folk art and photography collections. Also, museum has added to American painting collection.

This is a small but mighty museum with art and history from ancient to modern Native American and folk artists and impressionists from the 17th to 20th centuries. Beautiful grounds on the lake

Pwe went for the Calvin and Hobbes exhibit and lecture. So many laughs! Seeing some of my favorite comic strip as part of the exhibit was great!

I expected something better for the price. Some of the figures were missing fingers, and while I can appreciate people leaving mementos (money) to pay homage to the greats, the money on the figures themselves took away from it. It has potential to be better!

Wow. I came to Cooperstown expecting a celebration of baseball history — silly me. What I got instead at this wax museum was a love letter to the New York Yankees written in melted candle wax and broken dreams. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to walk through someone's obsessive shrine to pinstripes, but with mannequins that look like they were sculpted during a blackout, this is the place for you. Want to see a wax Joe DiMaggio locked in an eternal awkward smirk, desperately trying to forget his marriage to Marilyn Monroe? They've got that. Mickey Mantle makes an appearance too — I think. It could also be a melted Elvis in pinstripes. Hard to say. Non-Yankee fans, be warned: this museum makes you feel like you accidentally wandered into a cult meeting — and everyone's wearing navy blue. The few players but wearing pinstripes (if you can find them hiding in the back) feel like they were added under protest, possibly during a hostage negotiation. Save your money. Better yet, light it on fire — the experience will be just as warm and slightly more realistic.

It was a little disappointing. It was mainly Yankees wax statues and they weren't as good as as expecting. It is definitely a tourist trap that should be avoided

Fun stop! $15 per adult, 2 floors.

Overall neat thing to check out…. However they say the open at 10 yet really didn’t open until about 1020. I really did like the museum though. Some wax statues did not look like the person they are supposed to, BABE RUTH was the least accurate. But it’s a nice relaxing museum. Lou Gehrig’s was the best for sure.

Old and dated. Not realistic and not maintained. I cannot recommend this to anyone . Sorry

A very worthwhile thing to see. Wax figures brought the players back to life. Also has a DVD playing baseball bloopers. Everything was enjoyable.

We went to the Farm and Country Village Museum on a school trip, and it was a wonderful experience. The visit was both fun and educational. The staff were dressed in 1940s-style clothing and actually performed the kinds of jobs that would have been done back then, which really brought history to life. Our guide was very informative and engaging—explaining everything clearly and answering all our questions. We learned a lot about how people lived and worked in the 1940s. It was like stepping back in time! I would definitely recommend this place for anyone interested in history or looking for a meaningful and interactive learning experience.

Absolutely beautiful place! I just had my wedding here and it was perfect. Everyone was wonderful to work with. I came to here many times as a kid and while I didn't look around a ton this time, I look forward to coming back for a visit!

A nice look at past life in central New York. If you enjoy history and have time it’s worth a visit. The newer carousel has a wonderful story to share.

Great museum complex!! Very friendly and knowledgeable staf!!

Beautiful place, we went to see the Calvin and Hobbes art show, if your life hasent been enhanced by Calvin and Hobbes, your just missing out.

Actually such a cool experience. I was kinda like meh on the idea before coming BUT I left totally won over by the expertise of the artisans and how Committed they were to staying authentic! Definitely felt like going back in time. The broom maker and the tavern guide in particular were standouts for us. Definitely recommend going!

Wish more of the animals were out & the demonstrations were lacking, but we still had fun. I remember when I was in elementary school there were more oddities other than the Cardiff Giant.

This boat ride cost my family $90….2 adults and 4 children. All children are $13, no matter what age. The ride is about an hour long and does not go the entire length of the lake. A quick recording plays in the beginning, but it is otherwise just a 30 minute ride out and 30 minutes back. The boat is clean and the staff were very friendly, but the experience was not worth the cost in my opinion.

No great narration. Wish the captain had given the tour to all and not just one couple. Bathrooms should have been offered somewhere when tour was finished. This tour was cash only.

Really enjoyed this tour. The captain was very knowledgeable about the lake's history and local stories! Perfect hour on Ostego Lake! Definitely worth the small price!

Beautiful Day! Beautiful Cruise! This is the best way to enjoy the lake and listen to the background of the Tower on the shore. We will do it again next summer! Ticket came with hotel stay, but I'd buy one to go again.

Boat was super clean tour was about a hour , lake is 9 miles long and water is amazing and clean being spring fed and deep! Cool boat ride if in the area.

A nice hour and a half ride out and back around the lake, with great views of the surrounding area, and a brief narrative of some of the history and points of interest. The Glimmerglass Queen itself was pristine clean and looks almost brand new - very well maintained.

Enjoyed the tour on a lovely Sunday morning. It was about an hour ride around the lake on a nice boat. Bring cash.

Cute spot to enjoy some swimming. Love the diving board, and that there were lifeguards. Very narrow sitting area at the waterfront, but the chairs were great to sit in.

Beautiful lakeside swimming and sunning spot. Not much parking and locals use mostly. Visiting from other area pay $5.per person. Lifeguard is on duty. Steep walk down to the water best be sure footed.

Nice, beautiful little place. Nothing extra, just a good place to launch and/or let the dogs swim

Love this park and Jacob is a phenomenal care taker. Was so glad to find this hidden Gem.

Entrance is past the cemetery. Tiny parking lot with a narrow piece of sand and a dock and diving platform. You might or might not be asked to pay admission.

Beautiful area. Rough road

Very peaceful....

Nice hike but not marked at all, at some points you will wander off the trail. The hike is extremely steep and when you make it to the caves and rocks, it is unfortunately very dangerous. Views and scenery are nice, I would rate it higher but it is too dangerous.

I would like not have minded the impossible, near-death experience, 6 inch trail IF there was actually a cave at the end. In the case, there wasn’t. We found a hole in a rock, and the hike was not worth it.

I only gave this rating because GPS stops in the middle of the road. I also didn't see any clear sings posting the trail. I couldn't tell if the property was posted or not. I couldn't see any place to park

Just down the street from the Baseball Hall of Fame you have a lovely little park area with the statue or James Fenimore Cooper.

It’s got a cool atmosphere for sure it’s just a shame they can’t be bothered to oil the lanes except for league. Damn lanes are bone dry and hard to manage. The ball returns also leave a lot of rubber r and scuffed some brand new balls. However… Great prices though great staff and I’m telling you… Mark in the proshop. Best dude ever hands down 10 star service with that guy. I won’t use anyone else and I’ll drive the hour and a half or more to get to him and pay for quality service with sincere and genuine kindness. Damn candy machines….. 4 stars cause he’s in there and the dudes at the bar are awesome.

Haven’t been bowling in a very long time. We had a good time. The crazy, ugly shoes are still the same. 🤭. All kidding aside, Patel’s was a really nice bowling alley, the lanes & sitting area were very clean & the staff was nice. No complaints at all, except for my score. 🥴

Great Bowling Alley!!! Clean, modern, and well maintained! Staff was attentive and helpful! Snack Bar and Bar are CASH only, with ATM on site. Really good prices, and options for all guests!!

So much fun. 3 games. Yummy fries.

My family and I went to this bowling alley and we had such a good time while we were there! We got to play really good arcade games and then we bowled. The lanes and balls are in great shape and the men’s rooms were by far the cleanest I’ve ever seen in a bowling alley. 10/10 would recommend!

I highly recommend hosting Birthday Party’s at Patel’s - 100% Stress free! Staff was amazing, Kids were all thrilled. Thank you!!

Was very clean and friendly More bathrooms now. Kept right up on cleaning after everyone. Will definitely go back.