Visit the Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown

The Farmers Museum is in upstate New York in Cooperstown just blocks away from the museum which honors major league baseball. The museum is fully open from April through October...there are more than two dozen buildings on the museum site which are replicas and sometimes original buildings that existed in America in the 18th and 19th century. At the Farmers Museum during its main tourist season--April through October--you can see examples of farm life during the time when electric machinery was absent from the farming scene in America.

Workshops
In mini-workshops you can see demonstrations of blacksmithing during the colonial period as well as butter-making, maple syruping, and many other farm-related tasks which sustained people back then. The blacksmithing classes include beginners, intermediate, and advanced blacksmithing and show you how metal was forged into useful farming tools.

Period Farm Machinery
There are examples of farm machinery during colonial times such as mechanical seed spreaders, milk testing machines, and dozens of other period implements such as mason's mallets and looms. Additionally, there are examples of 20th and 21st century farming tools and machines.

Textiles
Textiles were produced by farm families in the 18th and 19th century including sweaters made by using homemade, homespun yarn. Wallpaper which was block printed by hand during colonial times is on display at the Farmers Museum. Quilts were frequently homemade back then as were tablecloths...some fine and decorative examples of quilts and tablecloths of the bygone days are on display here.

Maple Syrup Snow Cones
Each Sunday this March-- in 2011--there is a demonstration of how maple syrup is made...in addition to showing how to produce maple syrup visitors will be treated to a snow cone made with actual snow covered with hot maple syrup warmed over a fire...MMMMM!

Eat A Meal Like A Colonial
For about $60-- if you want to find out how colonials ate-- you can enjoy a meal served on period dinnerware and with flatware from the era which includes drinks and meals from colonial times which is probably unlike any meal you've ever eaten or probably ever imagined.

Additional Workshops
There are workshops throughout the Spring and Summer including how to make a hotbox and how to raise chickens from the perspective of an old farmer: a farmer from the 18th or 19th century. A workshop is available to show you how colonials raised and processed medicinal herbs.

Buy Period Piece Replicas
Todd's General Store o at the Farmers Museum has many items such as glassware, tinware, band boxes, brooms, games, soaps, and candles. Most of the craft wares at the general store are made with the same ingredients as the colonial items they are mimmicking.

Admission Rates
Prices of admission vary from full rates from April through October to discounted rates in March, November, and December when the museum is open for just a limited number of workshop demonstrations. By left-clicking the hyperlink above you will be directed to the page which describes all the admission rates. The Farmers Museum offers an admission rate which will get you into the James Fenimore Cooper Museum (also in Cooperstown) and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum as well. The ticket for these museums is discounted over what would be the full rate for each of these venues.

Resources:
www.farmersmuseum.org