Farmers’ Museum

Attraction Description

As one of the oldest rural life museums in the country, The Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown, New York, provides visitors with a unique opportunity to experience 19th-century rural and village life first-hand through authentic demonstrations and interpretative exhibits. The museum, founded in 1943, comprises a Colonial Revival stone barn listed on the National Register for Historic Places, a recreated historic village circa 1845, the Empire State Carousel, and a working farmstead. Through its 19th-century village and farm, the museum preserves important examples of upstate New York architecture, early agricultural tools and equipment, and heritage livestock. The Farmers’ Museum’s outstanding collection of more than 23,000 items encompasses significant historic objects ranging from butter molds to carriages, and hand planes to plows. The museum also presents a broad range of interactive educational programs for school groups, families, and adults that explore and preserve the rich agricultural history of the region.

To Make You Smile

• Main Barn featuring Farming’s New Era: From Field to Table in New York State
• Historic Village
• The Empire State Carousel
• Lippitt Farmstead
• The Cardiff Giant
• 19th Century themed workshops
• Short plays and vignettes about historical events
• Character tours

Events

September/Harvest Festival/Harvest Festival is a regional favorite, bringing together a wide range of performers, artisans, exhibitors, great food, and activities your family will love.
October/Tractor Fest/Learn about the world of tractors and all the activities they powered on New York farms.
December/Candlelight Evening/Join us for one of the region’s best-loved holiday traditions, Candlelight Evening, when the landscape of the museum takes on a magical appearance, decorated in greenery and illuminated by hundreds of candles.