What an incredible museum!…read more If you know me, you know I have a deep love of historic architecture. Now I've seen my fair share of octagon houses - and often being volunteer-run historic sites or restrictive museums, it isn't too often I get the chance to get a complete top-to-bottom tour. However, we happened to be in the right place at the right time for the Wilcox Octagon House Museum! This place is only open on select Sundays throughout the year, all of which can be found on their website. This place is entirely volunteer-run, and the women we met who gave us a tour of the site were incredibly knowledgeable, not only about the site itself but about the intriguing things going on in the world throughout the house's lifetime. We started on the bottom floor and learned about the structure itself, and all of the changes it went through as it changed ownership from its original builders, the Wilcox's. It was very interesting to see how at one point the house had been turned into a duplex, had a remodeled 1940's kitchen, and the unique and oddly-shaped closets. My favorite fun-fact was that the house was so highly taxed when it was constructed because each room - including the tiny closets throughout the house - was taken into consideration when being taxed. As we moved throughout the house, we were able to see the super-cool wine cellar in the basement, original kitchen, plus the top floor and the gorgeous windowed overlook with an amazing view of the surrounding town of Camillus. The volunteers were very informative and friendly, and understanding of the fact that we were kind of in a rush, only because we had plans to catch a boat ride at another museum a short drive away. I am so grateful that they were incredibly accommodating of us! In short, this was an incredibly cool place to experience, and I absolutely recommend coming here if you happen to be looking for something to do on a lazy sunday. A historic home like this is truly a treasure and it always feels good to support small volunteer-run historical such as this.

The perfect place to take your kids, especially in the winter season! Such a gem for kids &…read morecurious adults. There is always something new to explore. We love coming here, and every visit feels a little different because they keep adding new, hands on areas for kids to explore. The newest GROW exhibit is a huge hit with my crew, especially the part where they buy eggs and pretend to run their own little farm stand. It blends imagination, real world skills, and ag technology in such an engaging way. I also loved the Amateur Nature Photography winners wall. It's such a beautiful way to celebrate local talent and get kids excited about nature. As someone who loves nature photography myself, I could've stayed there all day. A few favorite spots: Building Bricks area -- my boys love making forts Science Playhouse -- a multi-level indoor play area with climbing, sliding, and exploring. Indoor playgrounds are rare these days, and this one is fantastic. Micron area -- super engaging and surprisingly educational. Vending machines and bathroom layout -- easy, clean, and parent-friendly (a huge win). And don't miss the Dome shows. It's always worth checking the showtimes. My kids love grabbing popcorn and watching the short movies and planetarium-style features. This is one of those places where you can spend 30 minutes or three hours and feel like it was absolutely worth it. Staff is friendly, everything is clean, and it's genuinely fun to watch kids learn through play. Highly recommend for families, nature lovers, and anyone looking for a relaxed, meaningful outing with young kids.

Just in time for valentine's day, the chocolate discovery fundraiser! Held at the MOST, plenty of…read moreroom to roam the designated area and sample all the chocolate treats, provided by Sweet on Chocolate. Truffles, chocolate covered strawberries and cherries, pretzels, and candy logs! Lovely to be greeted with sparkling rosé! 1911 was on site, pouring selections. The large charcuterie table prices a savory compliment! The evening ended with a show in the planetarium. What a great evening of science, discovery, and sweetness!

Feel like learning a little history, not too far from the Syracuse area? I decided to go with a…read moregroup to tTe Living History Center in Cortland, New York. There's plenty of free parking, spacious send clean. Because I was part of a group. We received a discounted rate. The mission statement is to develop a museum for the preservation of historical artifacts of local, national and international significance. They will host there that brought us around and answer any of our questions. Here we learned about the most rugged trucks in the world, the home of the Brockway Truck history, Military memorabilia from the Civil War to the Gulf war, model trains n railroad history, which was quite interesting. Theres a great display of Agricultural History in the Big Red Barn also located on the premises. You get a chance to see how people lived back in the day from Grandma's Kitchen Parlor, vintage Tractors, Fire Trucks from 1815-1970's and the History of the Dairy Industry! So take the ride with the family or group . The hi yes see Tuesday- Saturday 10-5. It's Handicapped accessible with wheelchairs bad scooters available too. information on events in the area regarding this museum you can visit them on Facebook or their website www.cnylivinghistory.org..

It's and amazing place to learn about history and about trucks that were built in New Yorkread more

While a small museum, the Museum Of The Earth packs in a lot of exhibits and information. It's an…read moreimmersive experience at times as well with full rooms decked out with artifacts or fun interactive displays. For those in the Ithaca/Cayuga area, it's worth a stop in for an hour or so of your time.

This is an excellent indoor activity for children and adults. The cashier also informed us of the…read moremilitary discount. My husband is a navy veteran and the family receives 50% off admission. So many interactive exhibits. Visually exciting and made learning fun for my daughters on a rainy day.

The Children's Museum in Oswego is fantastic and filled my kids with hours of fun and…read moreentertainment. We arrived on a Monday morning, left for lunch, and returned for more play until the museum closed at 4PM. The museum is technically two stories, although the first floor mainly consists of the admissions desk, a small gift shop, and a water play station. Waterproof smocks or covers would have been nice since my son's shirt did get quite wet. There were boats, fishing rods, and cascading channels of water for various kinds of water play. This was a hit with both of my toddlers. The second floor had much more activities. From large and small foam blocks, Magnatiles, a scarf suction pipe/chute, books, light tables, brite light pegs, and a mini spiral climbing structure, to a dentist's office, pizza and salad restaurant, fire truck, tree house, farmers market, farm, toilet to teach plumbing, aluminum recycling, color wheel, and much more, there was a lot for kids of all ages to explore. There was also a small sectioned-off area for 0-2 infants and pre-walkers. The space hosts birthday parties as well as STEM classes. The staff were lovely. We were given a stamp in our hands before we took a break for lunch so that we could re-enter for free that same day. The only complaint I have is that there was less in the way of offering arts and crafts or even free-form drawing. We did not see any parking lot, but took advantage of free 2-hour street parking. This is definitely a great spot for families with young kids in Oswego.

our family loved this place up until my daughters birthday party we had there, we paid for the most…read moreexpensive birthday party package, they didn't decorate the room with the colors we told them, they never gave us any scents for the slim add on that we paid extra for and they NEVER gave us any goody bags that were apart of the birthday package, we called and complained, it took them a couple days to call us back to tell us we would be getting an $80 refund and that it would take 5 plus days to receive the money and still haven't received it. We paid a ridiculous amount of money and didn't get what we paid for...... Also the pizzas they give you for the party are not actual normal sized pizzas they are slightly bigger than a personal pan pizza. But a lot smaller than a medium sized pizza. Definitely not happy with this place.

Whether you're a Syracuse resident or just visiting, the Erie Canal Museum is a must see…read more The Museum is small but mighty. It packs fun and education all into one place. Meander around the self guided museum to see a variety of exhibits including a boat you can actually sit in! The museum is great for all ages; young and old. The staff is super friendly and the admission price won't break the bank.

I didn't know much about Syracuse on the whole other than they have a university. And that the Erie…read moreCanal passed through here when it was a major mode of transportation. I am glad that I came to this museum as it added to my knowledge of the Erie Canal. More than I thought I knew. Do check out the website ahead of time. It has some important information. One such thing is parking, if you are lucky enough, you will be able to snag a spot reserved for the museum parking in the city lot located across the street from the museum. Find the spots that are labeled "Visitor Center Parking," this place doubles as the visitor center as well. Otherwise, there is street parking available at a small cost. Also from the website you will find the hours and price for admission. Admission here is technically "pay-what-you-wish" meaning it can be whatever you feel an admission is. But they suggest $12 at the time of me writing this review. Once inside you will be greeted right away. The staff here is mostly volunteers but definitely know their stuff when it comes to the canal. I was given the layout of the museum and suggested where to go first. The museum is two floors and it is suggested to go through the first floor first, unless you need to use the restroom, those are upstairs. If that is what you need, you can start upstairs. I started off by just checking out the first areas of the exhibits and was approached by another volunteer who took me on quick once through about the canal and important dates and events that marked the opening of the canal. You also find out that the street in front of the museum is named Erie Boulevard because that was once the canal route. That is until it was rerouted. The things you learn when you just listen. Then I was sent on my way to make it through the museum. I went slow and took a lot of pictures so I could go back to them in case I missed something. I really enjoyed the set up of this museum. You go through an explanatory phase of the museum and then you get to explore set ups and walk through displays. Take some time to explore the canal boat as you can walk through it and see what it was like to travel by canal. Believe it or not, people still travel through the canal for leisure travel and they have had visitors here that have shown up via the canals. Once you complete the first floor, trek upstairs and take a look at the displays of the businesses of the day. Bar, pottery place, general store, and theater. All meticulously put together and showing what it was like back in the heyday. After you have taken in everything in the museum you can head outside and take in a bit more. On the canal side of the building you can view the boat inside and what the weigh station looked like. Street side there are a few things to check. Their garden area is beautiful and a nice place to catch some rest. Fun fact, Syracuse was a major stop on the canal because of all the salt. Hence their nickname The Salt City.

The Everson is a place I've appreciated since I was a kid. It showcases a variety of art that is…read moreadmirable on countless levels. They host classes available to the community- one I took was pasta making which I'd never would have thought I'd make pasta in an art museum which made it even more glorious. Always check to see what exhibits are in house & take the time to appreciate the space when you have the opportunity to.

I always love going to the Everson museum. I appreciate the rotating artwork, pop up events, and…read morefood truck Fridays (during the summer). My favorite event is the Annual Festival of Trees. They are celebrating the 40th year of the event this year and the trees are creative and amazing. This event is held the first 2 weeks of December and offers a variety of decorated trees on display throughout the museum. Trees, wreaths and other holiday creations are donated by local artists and businesses. The trees are for sale for anyone interested and most-if not all-proceeds go to the museum. If you purchase an item it can be picked up/ delivered after the last day of the festival, which this year is December 13th! In 2020 I purchased a Peanuts tree that was donated by a family who's grandmother/mother had passed and I still display the tree every year. There are also scheduled music and dance performances, arts and crafts, and live music in the main gallery. Santa even appears on some days and volunteers are welcome via sign up. They used to have an opening night gala that was held the night before the festival opened to the public which offered heavy hors d'oeurves, live music, and first pick of items for sale. I think this stopped with the pandemic and have hoped for it's return. Anyway if you have a chance to go see the trees, it's a festive addition to the holiday season!

After touring the nearby Stickley factory we drove a few miles to the Fayetteville library where…read morethis gem of a museum is located on the second floor. This used to be the factory years ago. The library on the first floor is hands down the best furnished library we've been in since it was all Stickley furniture! The museum is small but well done with good displays. The curator Amanda was very helpful and enthusiastic. We learned a lot on top of the tour we just did. Highly recommend but check the days and hours that the museum is open since they are limited.

We planned to tour the Stickley Museum as an add-on rather than a focal point of our family's…read morevacation itinerary, but it turned out to be the highlight of our trip! In fact, we enjoyed it so much, we were surprised we stayed so long! And, we hope to return! I must say that our enjoyment was mainly due to the personableness and knowledgeability of the director and curator, Amanda Clifford, who communicated effectively from day one; that is, the day I emailed before the trip, and that's out of the country since we're not even Americans! We're Canadians and we're antique furniture artisans. Amanda was so attuned to our passions--perhaps sharing them even--that the three of us covered a lot of territory together at once. We felt like the tour was a real treat, being able to discourse deeply over the mechanics, aesthetics, history, sentimental values plus the current appreciation of antique furniture. We discussed the variety of woods, the types of structural techniques, the idiosyncrasy per Stickley brother, and enjoyed listening to all the fascinating stories behind specific pieces, time periods, and personalities. The visit really adds meaning to our own work! Moreover, the museum is situated above a lovely public library, which kept our kids, who preferred to do something other than to study old furniture, busy with computers and books while my husband and I toured the floor above. The librarians were friendly and accommodating. Even more, every space in that building, including the washrooms, seems to be furnished with prized pieces of Stickley antiques! The venue, including its outdoor garden and indoor cafe, has a wonderful atmosphere all around! While explaining some of the history of the Stickley company, Amanda ended up also covering information on Fayetteville, a quaint, history-preserving community, plus other cities and regions in the state of New York. Every question we asked her--be it regarding furniture, geography, history, or just plan tourist-related interests--was answered with expertise, courtesy, and thoughtfulness. Thank you, Amanda, for making the tour a thorough pleasure! We hope to return in the near future for a visit to the Stickley factory in nearby Manlius, NY, too! ------------------------------- People may not realize this as personally until they visit a museum like this one, but the pieces of wood we use as furniture in our homes are items we live with day and out, and throughout history. How we make them, use them, decorate with them, choose them, maintain them, and value them speaks a great deal about the culture from which we come and about the characters who own them. This is what makes furniture both pragmatic and personal, functional and fascinating, and why so much of ourselves as human beings is invested into antiques; hence, making a visit to the Stickley Museum so significant. (Written by the owner of "Olden Wood Revivals", a co. of artisans who specialize in restoring antique furniture in Northumberland County, Ont., Canada)

The Herbert F Johnson Museum of Art on the campus of Cornell University is a great attraction to…read morespend a few hours while in Ithaca. Admission is always free, but you do have to pay for parking on weekdays. The building itself is designed by IM Pei and is meant to let visitors experience art and also view the natural surroundings, as there's several floors from which you can get great views of Cayuga Lake and the Cornell University campus. While it doesn't compare to world class art museums, it's perfect for a college/university art museum with a diverse collection of paintings and ancient artifacts. The lobby is a wonderful gathering place with plenty of space to sit and open windows to admire the views. It's the perfect way to kill some time, so recommend a visit to art lovers visiting Cornell University or those needing a rainy day activity while visiting Ithaca.

Wicked awesome. All of my favorite things…read more An extensive gemstone collection. Porcelain. Linen tapestries. Dutch Masters. 5000 year old artifacts. An out patio with Twinkle lights with a glorious view of the whole city and lake. Best of all, it's free.