It is looking increasingly likely that my schedule in the December and January time frame is going to free up — a business trip that was slated to begin in late December and end in late February may become unnecessary. As such, and as my wife may have a little free time in December as well, I’m hoping to take advantage of opportunities to explore my new home on the East Coast.
The Baseball Hall of Fame has been high on my list for a very long time. An early December weekend seems like the perfect opportunity to head up and visit during what I have to assume is off-season for the Hall. The two New Yorkers that I’ve mentioned this idea to both commented on the likelihood of it being very cold and snowy, though both acknowledged that I’m a fan of the cold. I’m wondering the following:
[ul]
[li]How bad would you expect the weather to be during that time? Is it just cold, or is it likely to be the sort of misery that no tourist in his right mind would go near?[/li][li]How likely is it to be quiet (or relatively quiet, anyway) at the Hall as opposed to during summer months?[/li][li]What’s your impression of the Hall in general, for those that have been? Worth the trip?[/li][/ul]
I’d expect it to be very cold and snowy, and therefore, probably likely to be quiet. It’s a great museum, and anyone who’s into baseball at all should see it if they have the opportunity.
If you’re any kind of baseball fan, the HOF is definitely worth the trip. Awesome museum. I’ve only been there once and that was over 20 years ago, but I plan to get there again someday.
The Hall is awesome. It was better than I expected.
The weather there could be extremely bad. There’s nothing wrong with visiting the Hall in winter - it’s nice when it’s less busy - but getting there might be hard. If the day is clear, lucky you. If it’s snowy the drive can be dangerous.
The Hall is awesome. It was better than I expected.
The weather there could be extremely bad. There’s nothing wrong with visiting the Hall in winter - it’s nice when it’s less busy - but getting there might be hard. If the day is clear, lucky you. If it’s snowy the drive can be dangerous.
Cold in early December? Very likely, but we’re not talking anything like below zero temperatures (Fahrenheit) during the day. If you’re not the kind of person who puts on a parka when it hits 65 degrees you’ll be fine.
Snow is quite possible. Cooperstown does get a bunch of snow, though not at levels like Syracuse. On the other hand, a) you’re talking early winter so it’s hardly a guarantee, b) they’re good at snow removal, and c) unless you’re a complete neophyte at driving in snow, even most days when snow is falling it would more likely be an annoyance than a true hazard.
I certainly don’t avoid that area in the winter–in fact, it’s a great place to go if you have any interest in things like snowshoeing and XC skiing.
Yes, the HOF is wonderful. If you’ve never been, don’t let less-than-perfect weather keep you away.
I’ve been known to wear shorts/t-shirt in 40-degree weather, so I’m not very concerned about that. My wife may feel differently, however.
I’m hoping to take the train most of the way there from DC and avoid driving as much as possible. My preliminary thinking is getting there around midday on a Saturday, spending as much time there as possible (looks like they close at 5 during the winter), spending the night, and maybe going back for a little while Sunday morning depending on what we feel like we missed. Alternatively, I could take a day off, head up Friday, do a half-day Friday and all day Saturday, then leave Sunday morning. Again, all extremely preliminary.
It looks like there are hotels within about 5 miles of the museum.
I had just read the book If I Never Get Back before I went, when I was a kid, and I was so excited to see the characters from my book in the hall. Historical fiction FTW!!
You can’t get all the way there by train, unfortunately, but I think you can get a cheap rental car in Utica.
There’s no reason to stay five miles away, and no need to drive at all while in Cooperstown. Take a look at the Tunnicliff Inn for style and maximum proximity, or the Mohican Motel for economy and still an easy walk.
I grew up near Cooperstown, and unless they get hit by a rare blizzard, the roads should be very passable. 6" of snow is really nothing. Cooperstown is on the southside of a big lake and the wind of that lake can be extremely bitter.
The Otesaga Hotel is the luxury hotel in Cooperstown and it is less than a mile to the Hall of Fame. well within walking distance on a sunny winter day.
There are couple of small ski resorts within a easy drive if you are into that.
Yes, there are a number of lodging possibilities in the village (I’ve only done day trips so can’t speak to specifics). Check to make sure the ones you’re interested in are open year-round, though. I live in a less-touristy area a couple of hours away and some hotels and things do close during the winter even here.
Correct about train: if you came by Amtrak you’d have to rent a car in either Utica or Albany/Rensselaer. I believe Pine Hill Trailways operates buses to the village if you are dead set against driving at all.
At the risk of being a little too pedantic, I was not too impressed with the hall of fame itself (the room where the plaques are located - no information other than what would fit on the marker) but the museum itself is a must see for any baseball fan.
ETA: My weird sense of humor but I took a picture of the fire safety “Max occupancy” sign in the HoF.
The Hall (specifically, distinct from the Museum) is a lot about what you bring to it. The physical display is deliberately austere. There’s nothing exciting to see, just some rows of little signs on the wall.
Yet there can be a special timeless stillness here, as there is at the best monuments.
I certainly recommend that visitors spend several slow hours, at least, in the Museum, soaking in and digesting history, before setting foot in the Hall. If you’re there two days, let it go until the second half of the second day. Let yourself be in the right state of mind to feel it.
The Hall is a very good time for fans, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
Be advised, though, that it’s kinda small (smaller than I had expected it to be, anyway). A few hours will probably be more than sufficient to see everything. So, if you’re coming in from a long way off, you might want to look into a second activity or destination in the area to make sure all the travel time is worth it. (This is complicated by the fact that central NY State is, uh, a little sleepy, if you know what I’m saying.)
Well, this is a function of how one “sees” museums. I know that I often find myself poring over an exhibit (not just here), studying objects, reading notes, while other people stream past.
It is a small museum. But I spent the better part of two days in it, twice, aside from the time spent at a Hall of Fame Game, at an induction, and browsing the several memorabilia shops. (The first two of those won’t be available for Asimovian, but I assume the last will.)
My only visit was for Brooks Robinson’s induction in 1983, so the museum was about as crowded as it could get. Despite that, I really enjoyed it. I would love to visit again in the off season. Have fun!
It looks like we’re only going to be spending a single day there. Depending on how early we can get headed out from NYC, I’m thinking we should be there around 11 or noon, and it looks like they close at 5pm. It should be enough time for the way we tend to do museums, though I’m likely to spend a lot more time perusing individual exhibits at a baseball museum than I might at other types of museums.
Returning to say thanks for all the advice here. We ended up being there about five hours (unfortunately, we didn’t arrive until about noon, and they close at 5 this time of year). We were definitely moving quickly as the afternoon went on, and we didn’t take any breaks. I can easily see how you could spend two full days there if you truly read through all of the exhibits. The three of us all really enjoyed the Negro Leagues exhibit and the photography exhibit, but I don’t think there was any aspect of the museum we didn’t enjoy. I was very pleased that in the section that contained recent milestones for each team, the Dodgers’ case had memorabilia from Orlando Hudson’s Opening Day cycle (which I was in attendance for).
We also got extremely lucky in that we arrived on a day where they were running their annual food bank drive. So instead of paying $23 per person to get in, the three of us were able to go next door to the general store, buy more food than they were asking for, and gain admission for a total of $7.04 for all of us.
I’d love to go back some day. I’ll definitely plan better and be sure to spend the night in Cooperstown. Despite all the warnings, I still didn’t appreciate just how in the middle of nowhere that town is. It was a long drive back into NYC that evening.
Anyway, I wanted to thank everyone for their contributions to the thread!