Central-Leatherstocking

The name Leatherstocking is derived from James Fenimore Cooper's novels that chronicled the region's pioneer days. The region has a noted historical background of heroic battles fought during the Revolutionary War. The Erie Canal that opened up passage West runs right through the heart of the region. There is four-season entertainment as the region is rich in natural beauty with numerous parks, lakes, canals/waterways, lush forests, fertile and bountiful farmland and orchards, all-season outdoor activities, antique shopping at its best, fine dining, excellent museums, art galleries, award-winning brewery, and zoos, For the sports-minded the region has five Halls of Fame: Baseball, Boxing, Distance Runners, Soccer, and Twirling. For gaming enthusiasts there is a first-class gaming casino/resort. Each season holds something for everyone and the fall season is especially dramatic as the foliage colors explode in a brilliant display. Bring your camera! Things to See and Do Attractions Adirondack Scenic Railroad in Utica provides scenic rides from Utica to Thendara Station near Old Forge. Especially enthralling during fall foliage season. Broome County Carousels in Binghamton; six antique carousels located in different Binghamton locations. Erie Canal Village in Rome is a restored 1840 village with museums and restored buildings. A 30-minute mule/horse-drawn packet boat ride on part of historic Erie Canal. Herkimer Diamond Mines in Herkimer; dig for "Herkimer diamonds" (actually quartz crystals). Gem and mineral shop, museum, and picnicking. Howe Caverns in Howes Cave are a cave explorer's delight. Go down by elevator 150-200 feet to year-round 52 degree comfort and walk the brick paths among stalactites and stalagmites and take the underground boat ride. Above ground, food is available as is a picnic area. Pony rides at animal farm. Oneida Community Mansion House in Oneida is the former home of the 19th-century Utopian Oneida Community. Begun in 1860, the house contains 300 rooms where members lived as one family. Guided tours, Empire and Victorian furnishings, costumes and photographs. Secret Caverns in Howes Cave; natural entrance, fossils, stalactites and stalagmites, a 100-foot waterfall. Picnic area. Sylvan Beach Amusement Park in Sylvan Beach located on the shores of Oneida Lake. Rides, games, entertainment, shops, and restaurants. Covered Bridges Blenheim Covered Bridge in North Blenheim was built in 1854 and at 232-feet long is considered to be the world's longest single-span wooden covered bridge. Pedestrian traffic only. Salisbury Covered Bridge in Salisbury Center built in 1875 is on the National Register. Open to traffic. Halls of Fame International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota honors and preserves boxing's heritage. Displays memorabilia as robes, gloves, videotapes and photographs. National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum in Cooperstown chronicles the history of baseball by exhibits of photographs, memorabilia and artifacts, and multimedia presentations. Feature is the Gallery where plaques of each Hall of Famer are hung. National Soccer Hall of Fame & National Soccer Museum in Oneonta; interactive exhibits relay the history of soccer in America. History footage, artifacts, and video presentations. www.soccerhall.org National Distance Running Hall of Fame in Utica exhibits inductees and memorabilia from distance running history. New York State Twirlers Hall of Fame in Utica contains a children's museum and offers free baton and drum lessons. Memorabilia and twirling artifacts. Historic Sites Lorenzo State Historic Site in Cazenovia - An 1807 mansion and estate overlooking Cazenovia Lake displaying original furnishings, formal garden and houses a carriage collection. Tours. Fort Johnson in Fort Johnson was built in 1749 as a fortified stone home of Sir William Johnson and, during the Revolutionary War, was confiscated and sold at auction. The fort was restored and contains original period furnishings, Native American and military artifacts. Herkimer Home State Historic Site in Little Falls is the restored 1764 home of American Revolutionary War General Nicholas Herkimer who led the Battle of Oriskany where he suffered fatal wounds. Historic furnishings, artifacts, memorabilia, and a herb and vegetable garden. Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site in Oriskany preserved as a memorial park commemorating the site of the Revolutionary War battle fought on August 6, 1777 and noted as "the bloodiest battle of the Revolution". Fort Stanwix National Monument in Rome; restored fort at the site of a three-week siege withstood by American forces against British, Tory and Indian forces. The fort contains exhibits and structures replicating original configuration. Costumed personnel reenact 18th-century life at a military outpost. Museums Caverns Creek Grist Mill Museum in Howes Cave is an early 1800's working grist mill that is on the National Historic Register. Water wheel, mill pond. Tours, country store. Children's Museum in Utica provides hands-on exhibits and programs for children. Recent recipient of a small, operational airplane. Discovery Center of the Southern Tier in Binghamton is a hands-on children's museum with 4,000 sq ft of interactive exhibits. Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown features James Fenimore Cooper memorabilia, photographs, Native American and American art, and terraced gardens overlooking Otsego Lake. Fort Plain Museum in Fort Plain; an 1848 house museum, site of Revolutionary War headquarters for the western defense. Extensive collection of Native American artifacts, Erie Canal Room, vehicles and tools. Iroquois Indian Museum in Howes Cave is devoted to the Iroquois culture and preservation of their heritage. Collection of Iroquois art, archeological and historic exhibits. Children's museum contains hands-on exhibits. Munson-Williams-Proctor Art Institute in Utica is an internationally recognized art center, art museum and performing arts center and art school. Collection of American art from the Colonial period to the present with emphasis on 19th and 20th-century art and sculpture. Fountain Elms Museum, an 1850 Victorian house, adjoins the center. Northeast Classic Car Museum in Norwich; over 100 restored antique cars from the turn of the 20th-century to the 1960's including Auburns, Cords, Packards, Stutz, Pierce Arrows, and the largest collection of Franklin cars in the world. Old State Fort Museum in Schoharie is a 1772 Dutch Reformed church, fortified and attacked during the Revolutionary War. Artifacts of the period are housed in seven buildings. Furnishings, weapons, tools and farm implements. Oriskany Museum in Oriskany commemorates the Revolutionary War's Battle of Oriskany and is official museum of the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany which served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Set in the village park displaying an aircraft and anchor from the carrier. Remington Arms Museum in Ilion; a historical museum of Remington firearms from flintlock rifles to rare pistols and revolvers. Other Remington products as 19th century typewriters and a 1900's bicycle. Roberson Museum and Science Center in Binghamton is a regional museum of 19th and 20th-century art, history, science and folk life. The mansion houses the museum, planetarium and science gallery where nationally recognized hands-on programs are educationally interesting to young and old alike. The Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown is a living history museum where craftspersons demonstrate trades and skills in restored buildings of an 1845 village including a general store, blacksmith shop, tavern and a working farm with animals and a main barn where hands-on activities are included. Walter Elwood Museum & Art Gallery in Amsterdam displays Native American and Eskimo cultures, has a blacksmith shop, a nature room, a cabin dating back to the first European settlers, and an art gallery. Parks & Trails Delta Lake State Park in Rome is situated on a peninsula jutting out into Delta Reservoir. Beach, swimming, fishing, camping, nature trails. Pixley Falls State Park in Booneville; a 50-foot waterfall, steep, wooded hills, open meadows, nature trail, fishing and streamside camping. Science/Nature Related Fort Rickey Children's Discovery Zoo in Rome; two hands-on petting areas for children to interact with animals. Pony rides, pedal boats, playground. Picnicking and shops. Ross Park Zoo in Binghamton is a 25-acre facility in the 90-acre park. More than 150 exotic animals including lions, tigers,bears, red wolves, otters, penguins, and golden lion tamarans. A 1919 carousel, picnicking,,gift shop and concession stand. Utica Zoo set on a hillside overlooking the city. Featuring snow leopards, tigers, bears, sea lions, monkeys, alligators, snakes, and endangered species. Snack bar and gift shop.

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