I recently enjoyed gently rocking in a chair on a wide veranda which overlooks a magnificent lake vista in New York State. My stay at The Otesaga, a luxurious historic resort hotel perched at the edge of Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, was part of my interesting immersion in the destination.
The expansive porch and guest rooms—whose features include elaborate ceiling chandeliers and oversized windows which provide stunning panoramic views of the lake—combine the ultimate of comfort and opulence. Adding to the mix are a stunning golf course which is rated among the best on the East Coast, a heated swimming pool, tennis and pickleball courts, and restaurants which serve four-star meals.
While I could have happily spent my days relaxing at The Otesaga, the wide variety of things to see and do in town drew me away. Most people go to Cooperstown to see the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, which is a virtual Mecca for fans of the sport that’s known as “America’s Pastime.” It portrays the popular game through a combination of memorabilia and exhibits which provide both entertainment and education.
It’s among many reasons why many people visit the little village (population about 1,800) which is nestled in the foothills of New York’s Catskill Mountains. When I asked a museum guide how much time most visitors spend there, he replied, “From two hours to two weeks.”
As enjoyable as reliving the glory days of baseball turned out to be, that only scratched the surface of all that Cooperstown has to offer visitors. While the Hall of Fame is the main attraction, it’s augmented by an eclectic choice of other places which are related to the sport. For example, at the Heroes of Baseball Wax Museum, I came face-to-face with life-size replicas of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and many other iconic players, along with some surprises such as Bud Abbott and Lou Costello of the “Who’s on first?” comedy routine.
I also dropped by the Cooperstown Bat Company to see how professional models are made, and stepped into shops to be immersed in an avalanche of apparel, baseball cards and countless other collectibles. In addition, I spotted men walking through town wearing baseball uniforms, having just played a few innings at Doubleday Field, the little stadium which is named for the man who has been credited (erroneously, I learned) with inventing the game.
In fact, it’s not easy to escape references to the sport for which Cooperstown is most famous. For example, when I strolled into the Doubleday Cafe, I encountered walls plastered with baseball paraphernalia and photos. They included one myth-spreading picture titled “Abner Doubleday – Father of Dreams.”
After my introduction to countless baseball-related displays, I came up with what I think would be a good marketing motto for the town: “Come for the baseball, stay for a lot more.”
Begin with Cooperstown itself. There are many good reasons why it has been referred to as “America’s most perfect village,” and why it was included by Travel + Leisure magazine on its lists of best places to visit and best road trips from New York City.
The setting itself is a magnet for those seeking to enjoy breathtaking scenery of rolling farm fields tucked among pockets of forest amid tranquil lakes overlooked by low mountains. Against this backdrop, the town could be the movie set of a quintessential village.
Very walkable streets lead to the spectacular lakefront, and leafy parks lend welcome touches of Mother Nature. Adding to the storybook décor is an architectural mixture of stone, brick and wood-frame colonial buildings and gingerbread Victorian homes, many of them painted in vibrant eye-catching colors.
Some of these warrant a look-see. The 1790 House is the oldest in town, and the Nancy Williams House (1797) ranks as the oldest home constructed of bricks. Pomeroy Place (1804) was built by William Cooper as a wedding gift for his daughter Ann.
William founded Cooperstown in 1786, and was also the father of James Fenimore Cooper, the renowned author who spent his boyhood and last 15 years there.
His best-known works are the five Leatherstocking Tales, which are historical novels set in the frontier period. He wrote them between 1823 and 1841, and they combine pioneer and Native American lore against a backdrop of the region’s magnificent scenery.
A centerpiece of that landscape is Otsego Lake, a glacier-created body of water which appears as Lake Glimmerglass in Cooper’s books. The name is derived from the Iroquois word meaning “place of the rock.” That refers to a boulder at the edge of the lake known as Council Rock, which was a meeting place for Native Americans. Cooper referred to the lake as Glimmerglass because at times its surface is so still it resembles a mirror.
Among the welcome surprises in a town so small is the Fenimore Art Museum. It houses world-class displays of American folk and Indian art, and offers a constant line-up of changing exhibits.
Less surprising, in a region known as a bountiful source of food, is The Farmers’ Museum, a living history village which re-creates mid-19th-century rural life. The site it occupies has been a working farm since 1813, when it was owned by James Fenimore Cooper. Its collections run the gamut from an early 18th-century plow to home-made hay rakes and a 19th century milkfat tester.
The Otesaga resort hotel where I stayed was named for the Iroquois word for “place of meetings.” When it was built in 1909 it offered such then-modern amenities as an ice-cooled refrigerator, individually adjusted heating and a telephone in each room.
On the bottom floor are display cases with etched glasses that bear the name and number of each of the baseball Hall of Famers. When one of those greats dies, a white rose is left in his glass for the remainder of the year.
The hotel’s Leatherstocking Golf Course hosts a game for Hall of Famers, when the players compete against each other at golf and baseball.
For more information about Cooperstown, which is roughly 180 miles from White Plains, log on to thisiscooperstown.com. For The Otesaga, go to otesaga.com.
Victor Block is an award-winning travel journalist focusing on tourism geared to people over the age of 50. He is also a member of the Society of American Travel Writers.
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24 Feb 2025
0 Commentsa visit to cooperstown
I recently enjoyed gently rocking in a chair on a wide veranda which overlooks a magnificent lake vista in New York State. My stay at The Otesaga, a luxurious historic resort hotel perched at the edge of Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, was part of my interesting immersion in the destination.
The expansive porch and guest rooms—whose features include elaborate ceiling chandeliers and oversized windows which provide stunning panoramic views of the lake—combine the ultimate of comfort and opulence. Adding to the mix are a stunning golf course which is rated among the best on the East Coast, a heated swimming pool, tennis and pickleball courts, and restaurants which serve four-star meals.
While I could have happily spent my days relaxing at The Otesaga, the wide variety of things to see and do in town drew me away. Most people go to Cooperstown to see the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, which is a virtual Mecca for fans of the sport that’s known as “America’s Pastime.” It portrays the popular game through a combination of memorabilia and exhibits which provide both entertainment and education.
It’s among many reasons why many people visit the little village (population about 1,800) which is nestled in the foothills of New York’s Catskill Mountains. When I asked a museum guide how much time most visitors spend there, he replied, “From two hours to two weeks.”
As enjoyable as reliving the glory days of baseball turned out to be, that only scratched the surface of all that Cooperstown has to offer visitors. While the Hall of Fame is the main attraction, it’s augmented by an eclectic choice of other places which are related to the sport. For example, at the Heroes of Baseball Wax Museum, I came face-to-face with life-size replicas of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and many other iconic players, along with some surprises such as Bud Abbott and Lou Costello of the “Who’s on first?” comedy routine.
I also dropped by the Cooperstown Bat Company to see how professional models are made, and stepped into shops to be immersed in an avalanche of apparel, baseball cards and countless other collectibles. In addition, I spotted men walking through town wearing baseball uniforms, having just played a few innings at Doubleday Field, the little stadium which is named for the man who has been credited (erroneously, I learned) with inventing the game.
In fact, it’s not easy to escape references to the sport for which Cooperstown is most famous. For example, when I strolled into the Doubleday Cafe, I encountered walls plastered with baseball paraphernalia and photos. They included one myth-spreading picture titled “Abner Doubleday – Father of Dreams.”
After my introduction to countless baseball-related displays, I came up with what I think would be a good marketing motto for the town: “Come for the baseball, stay for a lot more.”
Begin with Cooperstown itself. There are many good reasons why it has been referred to as “America’s most perfect village,” and why it was included by Travel + Leisure magazine on its lists of best places to visit and best road trips from New York City.
The setting itself is a magnet for those seeking to enjoy breathtaking scenery of rolling farm fields tucked among pockets of forest amid tranquil lakes overlooked by low mountains. Against this backdrop, the town could be the movie set of a quintessential village.
Very walkable streets lead to the spectacular lakefront, and leafy parks lend welcome touches of Mother Nature. Adding to the storybook décor is an architectural mixture of stone, brick and wood-frame colonial buildings and gingerbread Victorian homes, many of them painted in vibrant eye-catching colors.
Some of these warrant a look-see. The 1790 House is the oldest in town, and the Nancy Williams House (1797) ranks as the oldest home constructed of bricks. Pomeroy Place (1804) was built by William Cooper as a wedding gift for his daughter Ann.
William founded Cooperstown in 1786, and was also the father of James Fenimore Cooper, the renowned author who spent his boyhood and last 15 years there.
His best-known works are the five Leatherstocking Tales, which are historical novels set in the frontier period. He wrote them between 1823 and 1841, and they combine pioneer and Native American lore against a backdrop of the region’s magnificent scenery.
A centerpiece of that landscape is Otsego Lake, a glacier-created body of water which appears as Lake Glimmerglass in Cooper’s books. The name is derived from the Iroquois word meaning “place of the rock.” That refers to a boulder at the edge of the lake known as Council Rock, which was a meeting place for Native Americans. Cooper referred to the lake as Glimmerglass because at times its surface is so still it resembles a mirror.
Among the welcome surprises in a town so small is the Fenimore Art Museum. It houses world-class displays of American folk and Indian art, and offers a constant line-up of changing exhibits.
Less surprising, in a region known as a bountiful source of food, is The Farmers’ Museum, a living history village which re-creates mid-19th-century rural life. The site it occupies has been a working farm since 1813, when it was owned by James Fenimore Cooper. Its collections run the gamut from an early 18th-century plow to home-made hay rakes and a 19th century milkfat tester.
The Otesaga resort hotel where I stayed was named for the Iroquois word for “place of meetings.” When it was built in 1909 it offered such then-modern amenities as an ice-cooled refrigerator, individually adjusted heating and a telephone in each room.
On the bottom floor are display cases with etched glasses that bear the name and number of each of the baseball Hall of Famers. When one of those greats dies, a white rose is left in his glass for the remainder of the year.
The hotel’s Leatherstocking Golf Course hosts a game for Hall of Famers, when the players compete against each other at golf and baseball.
For more information about Cooperstown, which is roughly 180 miles from White Plains, log on to thisiscooperstown.com. For The Otesaga, go to otesaga.com.