Road Trip! The Farmers’ Museum Welcomes Thousands Every Year!

The Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown, New York is one of the top tourist destinations in the region.  This writer first visited the museum in 1960 with my little classmates on a field trip from about 45 miles away.  It was an amazing place then and a recent visit shows me that is is still an amazing place to visit today!

The history of the museum grounds is very cool.  This was the site of the original farm of famous writer James Fenimore Cooper in the early 1800s.  At the beginning of the 20th century it became owned by Stephen S. Clark, of the famous Clark family who have been magnificent benefactors to the village of Cooperstown.  Their fortune came from the Singer Sewing Machine Company.

Clark used this as a working farm and as a showplace for his nationally recognized herd of prized cattle.  The site opened to the public in the 1940s.

Today, thousands visit here each year to witness, up close and personal, what life was like in a small, rural community of, say, 150 years ago.  There are many live demonstrations, including at buildings which hold a blacksmith, a printer, a broom maker, a blacksmith, an old-time general store, an 1800's pharmacy, and others.

The stunning buildings around the museum's "village green" are either original or have been moved here from as far away as 60 miles.

There are many events for the public all year long.  They range from harvest festivals to sugaring off celebrations to scary Halloween tours and to a wondrous wintertime Candlelight Evening.

And (drum roll, please) the main attraction is, of course, the Cardiff Giant.  "America's Most Famous Hoax" still sleeps here in eternal slumber for all the world to see.  If you are ten years old, it will be an unforgettable experience.

In 1960, I was ten years old.  And, yes, I have also never forgotten it!

(Note: All visiting information to the Farmers' Museum, including directions and a website link, are in this gallery).