It seems like every list on the internet for “Things to Do in Cooperstown” is filled with baseball, baseball, baseball. Cooperstown has so much more to offer! This quaint upstate New York town has plenty for couples, kids, and those just passing through for a hot cup of coffee.

So, if you don’t really care about about the Yankees or the Orioles, but are planning on visiting Cooperstown in 2021, keep reading!

Stormy skies clearing up over the Cooperstown area.

Every time my husband and I say we’re heading up to Cooperstown, someone mentions the baseball hall of fame. We have to clarify that we go for the breathtaking scenery that surround the small town and the old school Catskill-charm that enchants the little village.

One of my favorite things about taking road trips upstate is winding through cornfield after cornfield, dense woods and backroads and then all of a sudden coming up on the fringes of a small town. I love the old Victorian architecture, the brick, the main streets…these towns are still frozen in the past.

There was a time when the Catskills were the place to take your family summer vacation. These old “resort” towns all seem to have a motel, complete with 1970’s signage, an ice cream shop and mini golf.

What more does one need?

That brings us to Cooperstown in beautiful Ostego County, New York! It’s best known for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. And so, each year it draws thousands of baseball fans looking to delve into a world of bats, stats and balls.

When should you visit Cooperstown?

The best time to visit Cooperstown is between Memorial Day and Labor Day. That’s when everywhere seems to be open and the town is in full swing.

I wouldn’t recommend going in the winter, because it gets c-o-l-d cold up there. But hey, maybe that’s your thing.

Some tips for visiting Cooperstown:

Bring a raincoat. Upstate New York has these quick moving storms that will have it pouring one moment and sunny the next.
Call ahead for dining times. Some places aren’t open on Sundays, and some places aren’t open at all in the “off season” (Labor Day to Memorial Day). If you’re from a populated area you might not be used to restaurants closing at 9pm, so call ahead!
Doubleday Fields has public bathrooms. They aren’t by any means nice, but they’re available.
Bring money for parking. Parking fees are enforced, even on weekends.

7 things to do in Cooperstown that have NOTHING to do with BASEBALL:

Grab a cookie or doughnut from Schneider’s Bakery. The corner bakery has the best cookies and amazing lattes! They also have delicious bread and other baked goods.
Visit Ostego Lake. At the base of Cooperstown is beautiful Ostego Lake, also known as Glimmerglass Lake. Stay at the Lake Front Hotel and take a tour on the Glimmerglass Queen.
Barnyard Swing Golf. More than just mini golf! There’s also a family fun center with laser tag, ice cream and room for a picnic.
Eat at Mel’s. Mel’s at 22 has something for everyone at reasonable prices, just make sure to call ahead to see if they’re open.
Coffee at Stagecoach. They also have a full menu of panninis and breakfast sandwiches.
Take a tour of the Farmer’s Museum. The Farmer’s Museum has a 36 foot carousel in addition to tens of thousands of artifacts showcasing farm life in the 19th century.
Walk around the charming main street. Sometimes that’s the best part of visiting a old town. Walk Cooperstown’s brick lined main street, pop into a few stores and take pleasure in small town life.

A note about Fly Creek Cider Mill…

You will see it on every list of “things to do in Cooperstown”.

You will pass signs for it.

You will see brochures for it.

~~I write this with the heaviest of heavy hearts…. Fly Creek Cider Mill is closed.~~

BREAKING NEWS: FLY CREEK IS OPEN

The home of the best apple cider, the best doughnuts, the big chair, the honking geese and catchy “apples and cider, apples and cider” jingle has closed.

So, you’ll have to wait for it to be purchased and visit when it reopens. Or if you have a cool 2 million you can just buy it yourself!

Have you ever been to Cooperstown? Interested in taking a trip there? Would you add anything to this list? If you’re planning to take a road trip to Cooperstown with an infant, check out my packing list here.

Let me know below.

My mom would take us on these winding, seemingly endless road trips when we were kids. It didn’t matter if it was 3 hours or 15, we were always having fun. We had the portable DVD players, snacks, the minivan, those travel bingo cards…

I’m not sure if there’s a better way to travel America. Although my car-bound experience is limited to the Northeast, I feel that I’ve seen parts of the country I could only see through a Honda Odyssey window.

There’s nothing that brings me more joy than crossing the Throgs Neck Bridge, opening a bag of Baked Lays, and setting off into the woods.

Some of my favorite memories with my husband were made on our road trips. Last year we were in western Connecticut and craving apple cider from Ostego county, so we impulsively drove the 3 hours to get it. We’ve eaten at some really, really bad restaurants.

We’ve bought “dinner” from the gas station quick mart at 9 pm on a Sunday because we forget that small towns close down way earlier than they do here on Long Island.

This summer, things are going to look a little bit different with a 6 month old in tow. I couldn’t be more excited for our first road trip to upstate New York now that the world feels a whole lot safer.

We’ve never gone more than maybe an hour and a half away with our daughter. She was two months old and was still spending most of the day sleeping.

Now, that teeny tiny baby is a busy six month old.

I’ve found that being a mom means always having to be (at least!) one step ahead of my baby’s needs.

Here are some proactive steps we are taking to make it a smooth ride!

Checking the car’s tires and oil and filling up on gas.
Leaving at dusk. Although I’m sad we will be missing out on part of the drive due to nightfall, I feel this is the best thing for baby. That way she’s not strapped in a carseat during her wake windows.
Planning on taking breaks every 1.5-2 hours. We have our usual places that we like to stop on our way upstate. We plan on getting baby M out of her carseat, fed, changed and stretching our legs ourselves.

We will be staying in a hotel so we will be bringing the following extra items:

Our bassinet with sheets
Our trusted Burt’s Bees sleepsack
A few muslin cloths. (I love Oliver + Rain or Aden + Anais)
Travel size baby soap. Since baby started eating solids, impromptu baths are a thing.
Baby food. I’m not bringing any food she hasn’t had before, since were still wary of allergies and will be away from our pediatrician.