Nostalgia rules in Cooperstown, New York. Known to most as the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, this little burg also boasts a tribute to upstate New York’s rural heritage — The Farmers’ Museum, where you can experience small-town life as it was in the 1800s.
As you meander through the museum’s 19th-century village, you might want to consult your cell phone to confirm it’s still 2009. Every structure is authentic, relocated from area towns and preserved to create a genuine early-American community. At Todd’s General Store, you can shop for the same goods that graced the shelves more than 150 years ago, including children’s toys from the period, such as jacks and dominoes.
Of course, the Farmers’ Museum also features an extensive collection of agricultural implements used throughout the era, including an original milk-fat tester and handmade hay rakes. You can see how farmers employed these and other tools at the museum’s Lippitt Farmstead, where, depending on the season, you can experience the harvesting of hops, the nurturing of young animals and more.
A highlight for children is the Empire State Carousel, which was crafted by more than 1,000 volunteers over a 20-year period. Dubbed the “museum you can ride,” it features 25 hand-carved animals, all indigenous to New York, in place of traditional carousel horses.
Interested in learning a new skill? The museum offers several workshops throughout the year. Learn the art of beekeeping on May 9, figure out how to grow and craft herbs on May 16 and experience the butter-making process — from cow to kitchen — on June 13.