Congratulations, Cooperstown!

The Village of Cooperstown is looking to put the $4.5 million awarded through the first round of the NY Forward Program to good use

Additional downtown improvements will build on work already along Main Street and Otsego Lake.

Home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Fenimore Art Museum, Farmers’ Museum, Glimmerglass Historic District, and so much more, Cooperstown has small-town charm, while attracting visitors from all over the world. Whether you’re strolling down Main Street visiting local shops and eateries, or meandering along Otsego Lake, you’re bound to love the scenery no matter where you look.

Cooperstown’s downtown is the core of a tremendous community, attracting locals, regional residents, and tourists to frequent it. Anchored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown is known for being a national attraction for baseball players, fans and afficionados, as well as a premiere arts and culture destination. The Fenimore Art Museum and The Farmers’ Museum are located just outside the Village’s Boundaries, and the Village hosts numerous musical and cultural events in addition to the two major Hall of Fame Events. The entirety of the Village is listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Place, and Lake Otsego provides a scenic backdrop for the community. Cooperstown seeks to build on prior downtown improvements and its natural tourism draw by creating connections from Main Street to Lake Otsego, revitalizing historic facades, enhancing infrastructure to improve residential and commercial quality, improving walkability and accessibility and assisting in the creation of downtown apartment-style housing. – Governor Hochul

About Cooperstown

Cooperstown, New York, (population 1,853) is recognized by most Americans as the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. But it is the delightful small town of rural traditions, restored historic buildings, and myriad cultural attractions that visitors tend to remember just as much. Located in the central region of the state, Cooperstown was settled in the late 18th century by William Cooper, father of novelist James Fenimore Cooper, whose novels were set in and around Cooperstown. The aesthetic centerpiece of Cooperstown is beautiful Otsego Lake, which author Cooper nicknamed the Glimmerglass.

Surrounded by magnificent wooded hills and situated on the lake’s shores, Cooperstown became a popular summer retreat by the middle 1800’s.

Many of the estates and houses built during that time are still in use today, as is the Otesaga Hotel, the gracious keystone of Cooperstown which was built in 1909. The hotel is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and is a member of Historic Hotels of America. Fully restored with historic integrity, it has 137 rooms, several meeting rooms for business conferences, and a patio overlooking the lake. – Village of Cooperstown