Day trip to Cooperstown

Published in The Post-Star (G1)
9/21/06

The symptoms are subtle, but serious: Emerging from the local pub's "sports trivia night" with an armload of loot after screaming out the name of an obscure shortstop. Telling your girlfriend she reminds you of Endy Chavez, and thinking it's a compliment. Yelling "YAAAHHH!" in a stranger's face because their outfit bears a familiar team logo.

The diagnosis: Baseball on the brain. If you've got it, well, we can understand. Not only is there a tantalizing possibility that two New York teams will slug it out in this year's World Series, but there's the equivalent of baseball paradise practically in your backyard -- The National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

The museum is the most famous of the town's many attractions, and it certainly deserves attention. A true fan could spend all day wandering through the information-packed exhibits, memorizing trivia and stats, or just gazing at their favorite player's plaque in the gallery of famous players. Only about 7 percent of the museum's massive collection is on permanent display, but the public gets a chance to view a few items from the archive in the education gallery each day.

On the other hand, if the only thing the words "Babe Ruth" make you think of is a trip to the vending machine, you're probably going to fall asleep during the introductory movie at the Hall of Fame. Instead, check out some of Cooperstown's other cultural treasures, like the New York State Historical Association's museums about a mile north of the village.

The Fenimore Art Museum's permanent collection includes many landscape paintings, historical portraits and photographs, as well as an impressive collection of American folk art. Don't miss the current special exhibit of works by Grandma Moses, a Washington County native whose sweetly simplistic paintings of rural life made her one of the most commercially successful artists of all time. Other current exhibits through Dec. 31 include the art of American Indian women, masks from around the world, photographs by Milo Stewart Sr. and landscape paintings by the Hudson River School.

The Farmers' Museum is an interactive exhibit of rural 19th-century life that includes a re-created historic village and a working farmstead complete with live animals. Special attractions open through mid-October include the Empire State Carousel, a handcrafted merry-go-round that uses contemporary folk art to depict New York's history and "Mysteries of the Lake," an exhibit about the history and ecology of nearby Otsego Lake.

Downtown Cooperstown offers a bounty of baseball-themed souvenir shops and eateries like The Doubleday Cafe and The Short Stop Restaurant. If you order a beer, try a local brew like Ommegang's Belgian-style Hennepin ale or Cooperstown Brewing Company's Benchwarmer Porter. Both breweries are just a few miles outside of town and are open for tours most afternoons.

By the end of a day in Cooperstown, you might have gotten that baseball fever out of your
system temporarily.

Or you might just find yourself fighting an overwhelming craving for peanuts and Crackerjacks.

--

IF YOU GO
The Farmers' Museum and The Fenimore Art Museum, across from each other on Route 80 just north of the village, are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 9, with reduced admission and hours for the remainder of October. Admission to either is $11 adults/$9.50 seniors/$5 children age 7-12, and free for kids 6 and younger. Joint admission to both museums is $17.50 adults/$8 kids. Combination tickets are available with the Baseball Hall of Fame. More information at www.farmersmuseum.org and www.fenimoreartmuseum.org.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, at 25 Main St., is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $14.50 adults/$9.50 seniors and veterans/$5 ages 7-12 and free for kids 6 and younger. Combination tickets are available with the Farmers' Museum and/or the Fenimore Art Museum. More information at www.baseballhalloffame.org.

.Brewery Ommegang, 5 miles south of Cooperstown on county highway 33, is open for tours and tastings from 12 to 5 p.m. daily. More information at www.ommegang.com.

Cooperstown Brewing Company, 10 miles south of Cooperstown in Milford, is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for tours and tastings. Admission $3 adults/kids free. More information at www.cooperstownbrewing.com.

Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard, 3 miles northwest of Cooperstown in Fly Creek, is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily for self-guided tours and tastings through mid-December. More information at www.flycreekcidermill.com.

GETTING THERE
The simplest route from Glens Falls is to take the Northway south to I-90 west. After about 11 miles, take Exit 25A onto Route 88. In Duanesburg, pick up Route 20 west (Western Turnpike) and continue about 30 miles. In Springfield, turn left onto Route 80 South, following the west shore of Otsego Lake into Cooperstown. Park near the museums and take the free trolley to downtown. Total drive time: Two to three hours.

From Saratoga, a more scenic route on smaller roads follows Route 29 west to Route 10 to US-20 to Route 80. Consult Google Maps (www.maps.google.com) for detailed directions. Total drive time: Two hours.

For a map of downtown Cooperstown, go to www.farmersmuseum.org/visitor/getting_here.htm.