Such a beautiful setting for this museum. The permanent collection was brilliant and the Calvin & Hobbs the icing on the cake! read more

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Beautiful museum with a nice selection of art. Enjoyed the calvin & hobbes exhibit. Would like to visit farm museum next time.

My husband and I unexpectedly enjoyed this art museum! We went with very little knowledge of the exhibits and had a fantastic time. We really enjoyed the celebrity photo exhibition. read more

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The museum is on the smaller side, but they do have a wide range of art, that seems to change quite often. They had a really creative art piece outside that worked with the weather. It was a great activity for a rainy day, when you don't need anymore baseball in your trip. read more

We did the MoMA the day before, so no comparison really but well worth the trip. Gorgeous grounds and wonderful artifacts, along with a few very enjoyable paintings. read more

Wonderful friendly service by Linda in gift shop! Beautiful souvenirs and jewelry. Also great service at cafe. Good wraps and cider. Will be back! Thanks Linda and cafe team. read more

We stopped here while on vacation and did not check the hours first. It was less than 30 min from closing time so we stopped in the gift shop. So much cute stuff - including Van Gogh items. I circled the shop three times, finding new things each time. The next day we purchased a combination ticket at the Farmer Museum. After walking around the Farmer museum for a few hours, we stopped in at Fenimore. We were hungry so we stopped at the café first and I ordered a noodle salad with chicken. I absolutely loved it! Unfortunately my husband's feet were getting pretty tired so we did not go into the actual Fenimore museum But the gift shop and Cafe were both very satisfactory for us. read more

Fenimore Art Museum - Thai noodle salad with chicken - Art Museums Near Me - Cooperstown, New York

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What a beautiful museum! Came to see the MC Escher collection and what a beautiful collection it was. Toured the whole museum and found the collections there to be stunning. The grounds were just as breathtaking, could have stayed there all day!! read more

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We visited in the spring of 2023 and caught the M.C. Escher installation, and followed along on the spoken/guided tour, which was great. The other installations were eclectic and interesting as well. They had a display of psychedelic posters from the 60's, an assortment of safari photography by baseball pro Randy Johnson, Native/First People's artifacts, Day-To-Niht by Stephen Wilkes, and even a display of art by local schoolchildren. We spent the time to visit all of the floors and appreciated the great variety. I think we would stop back if in the area for vacation again. Also, the beautiful grounds of the Otesaga Resort are not far away- be sure to check it out for lunch or dinner! read more

Gorgeous museum- the location is great, the building was wonderful and we really were impressed with the quality of the exhibits. Highly recommend if you need a break from baseball when you are in Cooperstown read more

Very helpful staff and great venue. Interesting and varied special exhibitions. Nice addition during our brief visit to Cooperstown.

I give it between 3 and 4 stars; cute museum, I'm sure the displays rotate. Can't beat the setting on the lake. They have a nice smaller but right-size exhibit on the Coopers family and a map of the lake relative to spots in Fenimore's books. We were there during an exhibit of Greenland which was cool, lots of Native American works, which were cool and felt right in this place. Staff very friendly, gift shop had some cool stuff. read more

Small art museum focused on American art. Native American and Early American artworks. Spotlight on more contemporary artists in special exhibits. Grounds are beautiful and nice to walk after visiting the galleries read more

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We got a ticket to this museum when we opted for the double play ticket at the Baseball HOF. We knew we needed something to do the next day, so we went with this ticket deal. It as a good decision as the next morning was rainy and we could not walk around the village. I know that art is perceived by everyone differently, but this is an odd museum. Parking is very convenient as you can park in front or in a lot to the left of the museum. The girl working the front desk was very nice and offered a map, etc. The first room we visited was more of a history room of the Fenimore Cooper Family. This was an interesting room with some furniture, maps and art of the family. Several of the other rooms were more local art depicting local life back a century or so ago and Indian art work.. I did not care for any of this stuff. To me it looked like it was selected just because it was done in the area. They had a special exhibit of the Hamilton-Burr letters in one room. That was interesting but the letters were so faded they are just about impossible to read but the history of it was told on signs in the room and were interesting. The downstairs got even weirder, IMO. There is a small section where pictures were taken of small toy soldiers depicting different battles in history. I did not get that at all. Then there was a large exhibit of American Indian artifacts that apparently were from some long time supporters of the museum. Some of it was interesting, but just not to me. Lastly, there was a section on a featured photographer... We didnt stay long in there either. The back of the museum has a beautiful view of the lake, a garden area and a covered little area. It is a beautiful little outdoor area. Unfortunately, the visit ended on a bad note. We stopped at the coffee bar area to get a cup of coffee to go. Apparently, they open at 11 am. It was 10:55 or so. I didnt see the hours posted and asked the guy behind the counter. He was very rude in his answer. He could have pointed to where they were posted or said we open in 5 minutes. If you want to go see some different stuff, it may be worth your time. I liked the Hamilton Letters and the room on the family but that was about it. I dont recommend supporting their coffee place. read more

First time here and very impressed. From the greeting by staff at the desk to the enjoyment of the artwork and the grounds. We enjoyed the visiting works of Ansel Adams and Toulouse Lautrec along with very impressive displays of Native American Indian traditions of celebration and ritual. There were also exhibits of art by James Abbott McNeill Whistler and Robert Schneider. On the grounds, down near the lake, was a replica of a Mohawk Indian bark house and an actual log cabin. read more

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Located at a beautiful spot overlooking the otsego lake. Wonderful art esp Keith Harrington and the local artists pictures of the lake.

This is really a 3.5 star review. The museum is pretty good for what it is - a small art museum in a small town. The building is beautiful and is on the shore of Lake Otsego (just down the road from the Otesaga hotel and across the street from the Farmer's Museum). The museum has a nice collection of American art (some from the Hudson River School), which were my favorite paintings here. They also have a decently-sized collection of American Indian artifacts that are pretty interesting and a bunch of rotating exhibits, which were fairly poor and definitely the weak parts of the museum (aside from the exhibits of Len Tantillo, which were great!). The store is very small and not well-organized and I can't comment on the cafe as we didn't eat there. It's a decent museum for the size of the town and it's worth an hour or two to stop in and check it out. You can get a combination ticket for this, the Farmer's Museum, and the Baseball Hall of Fame for about $35-$40 a person, which is a great deal too! read more

This is a wonderful museum, hands down, and is a must-see if you're visiting Cooperstown. Several galleries populate the historic estate of James Fenimore Cooper, the famous American novelist and son of Cooperstown founder William Cooper. The Fenimore has a wonderful collection of folk art -- which in my opinion is one of the most honest and approachable fine art forms, as its messages are easily conveyed to the viewer. That's not to say that there aren't boundless layers to unravel as you stare at, say, a near life-sized stature of Abraham Lincoln carved from the memory of a "no-name" woodworker in his spare time. And don't forget the expansive collection of Native American pieces. While the majority of these artworks and artifacts on display are from the indigenous people of northwestern U.S and British Columbia, there are also items representing many other cultures from all across North America. There's also a regular rotation of touring exhibits. I was lucky enough to be there for a mini-retrospective of the paintings and watercolors of Winslow Homer. Add in a fantastic green space behind the museum that will stroll you down to lake Otsego, and you have, without a doubt, a very well-curated museum that is perfectly in synch with the family-friendly vibe and historic charm that is Cooperstown, New York. read more

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This is a great smaller museum in a beautiful house that is a work of art in and of itself. The reduced admission with the other museums in town is a great strategy. When we visited, there was an excellent temporary exhibit which was my favorite, but the regular exhibits were also really neat. Make sure to check out the ladies' room on the second floor as it acts as a bit of an exhibit in and of itself. This is certainly a nice part of a day trip to Cooperstown, and worth checking out. read more

This is a goldmine. I loved learning about the history of the Cooper Family and Fenimore was the maiden name of William Cooper's wife. They have a large section dedicated to Native American art (James Cooper was fascinated by Native Americans). Right now Dorthy Lange exhibit is in here. Must see. The house is divided into 4 floors. The top floor is not open to the public. You can walk to the lake and see the beautiful lake and put yourself in James Cooper's shoes when he looked out to the open lake. read more

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Taking In A Little Art Directly across from the Farmers' Museum is the Fenimore Art Museum. The Farmers' Museum offers a discount to the art museum on a double entry ticket. I was very interested in the Ansel Adam's Early Works exhibit. The exhibit was well laid out and easy to view, although there were not as many photographs as I had expected, it was very interesting to view. Some of the other exhibits include a series of landscape paintings, a whole room with Native American clothing, art and jewelry and a room set up to show the history of the Coopers of Coopersville New York. This was my first visit to an art museum and I did find it enjoyable. I am not sure this would be a good place to bring young children. read more

Cooperstown = baseball, no question about that. What does one do when in Cooperstown and could care less about baseball? Head to their art museum! The Fenimore is located in a grand manse on the shores of Lake Otsego. The collection focuses mostly on 19th century American art with an emphasis on New York. Their folk art collection was wonderful as were the paintings by Grandma Moses. There is a beautiful gallery highlighting their native American collection as well as two galleries with rotating exhibits. The museum has enough stature to host an exhibit featuring the work of the great portrait artist John Singer Sargent. Although their gift shop is small, their cafe is divine! Most of the seating is on an outdoor terrace with magnificent views of the Lake. The museum is worth a side trip to Cooperstown. My next visit, I promise, will be baseball focused! read more

On our second visit to the Fenimore (our first was the summer of 2011 for 'A Window Into Edward Hopper'), we found the museum to be as wonderful as we remembered. Today's visit was to see 'The Wyeths: A Family Legacy', and it was stunning. If you're at all a fan of the Wyeths (N.C., Andrew, Henriette, Carolyn and Jamie), N.C.'s mentor Howard Pyle (the father of American illustration) or Henriette's husband, Peter Hurd, then hurry and get yourself to the Fenimore to see this exhibit. It closes September 2nd. My only disappointments were (1.) there is no catalog for the Wyeth exhibit, and (2.) the overpriced crabmeat salad from the café; but neither will deter me from visiting again. :) read more

a small museum, yet jam-packed with Americana - folk art, photography, paintings, and a collection of items from Native American cultures that could warrant its own museum. on that note - the Thaw Collection of Native American exhibit is most likely the highlight of this museum - hundreds of items on display. since it is operated by the New York State Historical Association, a fair amount of focus is on the cultural history of New York (with some nods to our friendly neighboring states in the region). there's an exhibit on the Hamilton/Burr duel going on until the end of the year, which I enjoyed, and not just because people mistake me for Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of "Hamilton". Otsego Lake is behind the museum and you can get a sense of tranquility and peace from it. I trudged through the snow to go out back behind the museum just to do so, though I assume in nicer weather it would be a better view. museum amenities: free and reliable wifi! a cafe where you can grab sandwiches or a cup of coffee, but it was not open when I visited. also, on the top floor, outside the restrooms, there was a small parlor set up with chairs and tables that you can just relax in. as I mentioned in my review of the Baseball Hall of Fame review - you can save a few bucks by purchasing a combo ticket for the museums in town. I definitely recommend that; the Farmer's Museum is across the street from Fenimore if you're interested in checking that out, and you can include them in your 2- or 3- museum combo ticket. read more

Nice small museum. Take 1-2 hours. Best for Thomas Cole and Native American exhibits. One Grandma Moses painting. Clean bathroom, cafe for lunch and gift shop. Pick a sunny day and have lunch overlooking Lake Oswego. read more

First-class museum tucked away in this upstate NY vacation getaway. The physical space is immaculate, the views of the lake are spectacular, and the eclectic exhibits are as professional as anything you'll experience in Manhattan, London or Paris, particularly the permanent exhibit of Native American artifacts. Especially enjoyed Emily, our Native American story-teller in the outdoor Amphitheater. She had youthful enthusiasm and unabashed, creative gumption. Advisory: Purchase the discounted combo ticket for the BBHOF and Art Museum, and take the trolley out to the Fenimore. Great views of Cooperstown and Otsego Lake. read more

Beautiful building for an art museum located on Otsego Lake. Museum is small and I spent time on what interested me. Only one Grandma Moses but the glass framing was detracting. Collection of Hudson River painting was interesting also folk art. My favorites were the beautifully rendered paintings of early NY history by contemporary artist, Len Tantillo. Nice gift shop. read more

Wonderful museum and excellent tour of historical native people. Our tour guide Emily was especially enthusiastic and knowledgable making the experience all the more enjoyable! read more

I went here many years ago as a child who didn't particularly care for art and for whom a museum without a dinosaur exhibit is not worth visiting, and I actually had fun. They had an exhibit of Native American ceremonial outfits that were so beautiful and almost like something from a fantasy movie. I vaguely remember some paintings, but I think it's safe to say it must have been a very good museum to keep the interest of ten-year-old me. read more

wonderful museum in large sprawling historic home, a great variety of exhibits with a wide range, very friendly staff, great patio overlooking the lake for lunch , will visit again read more

The price is pretty decent being $12 for adults and the outside is beautiful! The inside however had a big American Indian influence as an entire floor was filled with their pieces and not much else. The Steven Skollar and Michael Parrish exhibits were wonderful and made up for the lack of variety on the other floors. read more