Hey Baseball Fans: Cooperstown’s a Home Run – Parade

For a town that’s as American as apple pie, add this to your bucket list: A visit to Cooperstown, New York, a picturesque spot just west of Albany where—rumor has it—baseball was invented. It’s also the one place you can walk through town carrying a baseball bat, wearing a team jersey or hat and instantly strike up conversations with fellow fans—without thinking anything about it.

And, despite the fact that it’s highly unlikely that baseball was actually invented here, the town, which features just one traffic light and is 50-something miles off the nearest interstate, what awaits is baseball nirvana, including the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, a three-story museum, which opened in 1939 and features plaques for each and every inductee, the largest number of baseball relics in the world and exhibits commemorating every major moment in the history of the sport, from the legend of Babe Ruth to the major contributions African-Americans have made to baseball.

If this isn’t enough, there’s more for baseball aficionados. Other must-sees: Doubleday Field, the diamond largely considered to be the ‘birthplace of baseball’ and the Heroes of Baseball Wax Museum, where your favorite Little Leaguer can pose with the waxy likes of over 30 baseball figures, including Jackie Robinson, Ty Cobb and Ted Williams.

Even if you’re just accompanying a baseball fan, there’s something for you in this postcard-perfect town tucked on the glimmering shores of Otsego Lake, too. Art lovers will want to break away from the baseball crowds and take a stroll through the Fenimore Art Museum currently featuring Ansel Adams and Toulouse-Lautrec exhibits as well as other permanent (and impressive) collections.

Rounding out a visit to Cooperstown: Yummy meals featuring organic food harvested from the lush farms nearby—there’s lots more to learn about New York farm life at The Farmers’ Museum and Historic Village located across the street from the Fenimore—and shopping for baseball cards (new and vintage), baseball bats made from scratch and more caps and jerseys than you’d ever imagine stockpiled in shops lining a treelined main street. TIP: To get around town, consider hopping on the town’s Trolley, a steal at $2 a day, especially since parking downtown can be scarce.

STAY: For the ultimate in lakeside luxury, consider booking rooms at Otesaga Resort Hotel, a girls’ school transformed into a full-service resort that’s a member of the prestigious Historic Hotels of America. Easily walkable to downtown, this majestic hotel features a daily treat of afternoon iced tea, lemonade and cookies, lifeguard-manned dock for endless jumps into the lake, well-appointed rooms and spontaneous pick-up baseball games on the front lawn.

EAT: The Blue Mingo Grill, located right on the shores of the gorgeous Otsego Lake, features inventive cuisine and breathtaking views. Origins Café at Carefree Gardens will transport you to a simpler time with seed-to-table foods prepared lovingly by the Leonard family and served in a working greenhouse. At Alex’s Bistro, tucked away in a downtown ‘alley’ that feels worlds away from the crowds of baseball fans, players and collectors, an eclectic menu awaits.