Sitting on the bay of the beautiful lake Otsego in Central New York, Cooperstown is a destination that has a little something for everyone. This quaint little all-American village is most popularly known for being the home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but there are so many more things to do whether you love or loathe the United States national pastime.
Cooperstown has always been special to me, as my dad has taken me north to the baseball mecca probably a dozen times since I was young.
My favorite parts of the museum are the movie at the Grandstand Theater that gets played hourly, the Latinos in baseball section, the section filled with screens showing video highlights from history, and the section about the current teams filled with pieces from their recent history. Also, be sure not to miss the sections on women in baseball and black and African-American people in baseball.
We grabbed a flight at three places: Red Shed Brewery, the Cooperstown Brewing Company, and Brewery Ommegang. Each place offered a unique trait we loved, and we can’t recommend one place over the other.
Brewery Ommegang is the classiest, Red Shed Brewery is the most relaxing, and Cooperstown Brewing Company is the funnest. Still, check them all out and decide for yourself!
Doubleday Field is Cooperstown’s own baseball stadium located right in the heart of town. This stadium hosts many different games throughout the year. They range from occasional professional games to little league games and everything in between.
There is no minor or major league team that is actually local to Cooperstown. So, there is really no set schedule of games that you can find online. One time of the year that you can be sure to catch a game is Memorial Day weekend when several Hall of Famers and other retired players return to Cooperstown to play a game at Doubleday Field and host other meet-and-greet events.
My dad and I have gone to this many times and have met over a dozen Hall of Famers. This is called the Hall of Fame Classic. Visiting over Memorial Weekend to attend this event is definitely the best time to visit Cooperstown.
Be sure to buy your tickets online in advance!
This one is probably a bit more appealing to the baseball fans out there, but I think it’s still something that anyone can enjoy and appreciate for a little. Cooperstown is completely baseball-themed, from the museums to the stores and all the way to the beers.
On Main Street, which is the heart of Cooperstown, there are endless adorable, family-owned shops filled with baseball-themed clothing, food, drinks, and of course, memorabilia.
Whether you’re looking for autographed baseballs, framed pictures, baseball cards, or just a t-shirt with your local team’s logo, you can find it in the shops on Main Street. A couple of my favorites are Shoeless Joe’s and Yastrzemski’s.
When you shop for memorabilia, make sure that you compare the prices between different stores. You can find very similar autographed baseballs by the same guy, for example, that sell for extremely different prices. By comparing at a few different stores you’re more likely to find a good deal!
The Fenimore Art Museum is very highly regarded by art lovers. It has a very large section devoted to Native American Art. Cooperstown is located in an area that was heavily populated with Indigenous people at one point, and this is still evidenced by many of the names of locations and landmarks in the area.
The Fenimore Art Museum strives to preserve and admire that history within several of its exhibits. In fact, right outside of the museum is the largest piece in the museum’s collection; a giant totem pole!
In addition to Native American Art, there are many other exhibits in the museum. They range from all different kinds and origins of art, and some of them are very unique. They rotate, and the best way to know what is currently being shown is to visit their website. General Admission tickets are $12, senior citizens get in for $10.50, and people 19 and under are free.
If you enjoy playing a round of golf, Leatherstocking Golf Course is worth a few hours of your time. This public golf course is located right alongside Otsego Lake.
Leatherstocking Golf Course is located right next to and also owned by the famous Otesaga Resort Hotel. This hotel is widely considered to be the ritziest hotel in the whole area.
A round of gold here definitely puts a dent in the wallet with greens fees ranging from $70 to $127. If you’re a golfer it might be worth it to you. Book your tee time online here.
If you aren’t worried about your budget, a stay at the Otesaga Resort Hotel is about as luxurious as it gets in Cooperstown. This hotel is where all of the Hall of Fame inductees stay during their induction weekend. The hotel offers reduced greens fees to its guests.
There are loads of great restaurants in Cooperstown. After visiting a dozen times, I have a pretty good idea of which places to recommend to you.
This is not an exhaustive list, and these are all places that I myself have eaten at. I chose not to include anything that I haven’t visited myself.
Sal’s Pizzeria for the best pizza in town
