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Glenn H. Curtiss Museum

4.8 (46 reviews)
Closed 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

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History
Daniela B.

Great museum! The facilities are wide, spacious, tidy and very well kept. They have activities and an area for kids, which is pretty awesome. My favorite part was to get to see the workshop where they are reconstructing an aircraft. It's amazing! Also, to see the staff working (on Sunday) and get to talk to them was priceless. Highly recommended for all ages! To the museum: I saw an Olmeca head in the back of the house. I can't think of a reason why it was there! The Olmeca civilization is a part of my culture and I was shocked to see it there.

Donna R.

Just down the street from the Best Western Hotel is the Glenn H. Curtis Museum. It's dedicated to the memory of pioneer aviator, Glenn H. Curtis who was a resident of Hammondsport. It's a wonderful place to spend a couple of hours and walk around and take in all the airplane inventions from yesteryear with relating to early aviation and local history. There are also motorcycles, bicycles, boats, cars, antique tools that were also invented years ago. It's very cool to see how they improved and progressed over the years with each new invention. The museum also features a 75-seat theater, with a large open area for special events and a newly remodeled Museum Store. I was able to purchase a great sweatshirt, and pick up some cool gifts. Visitors are also welcomed to visit the Museum Restoration Shop. You can talk with volunteer craftsman and watch them work on historic aircraft. The staff were all very friendly and knowledgeable. This museum is a definite must if your visiting Hammondsport, NY.

As you approach the entrance, note the runway lights along with way
Jerry M.

The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum is a required pilgrimage for anyone who is a serious flying buff. The Wrights might have been first, but Curtiss did more for flight in his lifetime than the Wrights. Many of his accomplishments, along with others, are on display in the great museum. First point, Curtiss was born in Hammandsport, New York, in the Finger Lakes area of Western New York. It's an out of the way place, no doubt, probably an hour and a half south of the New York Thruway, although it's only a few minutes off I-86 from the Bath exit. It's worth the trip. Curtiss was a bicycle builder (so were the Wrights) who raced and was always trying to find a way to get more speed and performance. He went on to make and race motorcycles before he was introduced to flying, and the rest is (literally) history. You'll follow his growth and career path as you walk through the museum. The museum is on NY 54 and you can't miss it, a Curtiss-built C-46 cargo plane marks the front gate. Read the historical marker as you enter, and there's another marker near the door. As you approach the entrance, note the runway landing lights that line the sidewalk. Once inside, you'll have a chance to peruse a display of motorcycles, and I was happy to find a piece of home with some Harley-Davidson products on display. I was there when a feature (read: temporary) display of Snoopy and Red Baron was a part of my visit. Near a replica of Curtiss' "June Bug" (you saw one outside with the marker) is another little piece of home, a miniature car built by A.O. Smith. Also on display is a Curtiss JN-4D, fondly known as a Jenny. It was a plane of choice for barnstormers and the flying circus. Curtiss designed a 5th wheel RV that is on display, and scattered throughout the museum are Curtiss aircraft and sea planes. You'll find boats, aircraft engines, and a wide variety of automobiles of the Curtiss Era. Don't miss the Curtiss P-40 with its familiar "shark nose" paint job, parked under camouflage, and next to it is a WWII jeep built by Ford. Outside, you'll find a caboose from the short line Bath & Hammondsport Railroad, and if you go into Hammondsport (which I recommend) you'll find a depot from the same railroad. The Curtiss Museum turned out to be far more than I ever expected it to be. I'm a casual fan of aircraft and flying (I'm more of a car guy, actually) but this place was well worth the time to visit.

Victorian hair wreath
Vicky B.

Very worth the trip if you're in the area! The museum is very modern and not just for airplane enthusiasts, the diversity of exhibits offer something for everyone. Besides lots of airplanes and history on Glenn H. Curtiss himself, there's also motorcycles, cars, boats, a local wine history exhibit, Victorian era antiques, local history items, a caboose out back, and more! If you're into planes, you'll be impressed with the models they've restored and perhaps surprised with some of the local history behind them too. Interested in seeing a restoration in progress? The workshop out back is open to visitors as well. Like wine? The wine exhibit on local wineries is informative and takes you back to early wine making in the region. Like random stuff? Don't miss the impressive Victorian hair wreath or the large four leaf clover collection! The large museum is modern with a lot to see, plan to spend at least an hour here.

Motorcycles, and cars, and planes, oh my!
Tonya D.

Orville and Wilbur who??? I can't believe how the story of American aviation has evolved in such a way that the average American only knows of the Wright brothers and not much else. This museum was so interesting and explains who Curtiss was and how he fit in to the story of American aviation. What a story it is! Curtiss' first factory built motorcycles, so this museum has quite a collection of motorcycles as well as aircrafts (and even a few bicycles and boats!) The Curtiss museum isn't huge, but it's bigger than you'd expect. One could get through in an hour, but if you are really into motorcycles and planes there's plenty to keep you for a couple of hours. They are even working on the restoration of a Curtiss P-40 in the back workshop. When we visited, someone was in the workshop and so we had the opportunity to ask questions about the restoration. I'm going to tell everyone about this museum and I'm bringing my dad with me next time!

Arman A.

Great museum, staff is kind, gift shop has a bunch of goodies. Some workshop tools you can spin. Kids area has legos that will distract them. If you like planes and motorcycles this is the place to go.

Extra
Derick W.

What a great place! you can read all the praise given to Glenn Curtiss by the other reviewers but they are well deserved based on this museum. Definitely start with the movie. It provides the story, history and backdrop to all the displays you will see. Plan on a few hours to really enjoy it.

Christopher G.

I arrived early in the morning before they opened, and received a pseudo tour from the very nice lady who was opening up the museum. We shared a ton a info about the area and the history of Glenn Curtiss; quite the treat!! It was very nice to walk around all the aircraft, engines, and cars. In the back lot there is an active restoration project for a P-40

Dzmitry M.

The museum is very spacious and well-organized. It will impress you with multiple stories and unique artifacts. Totally worth visiting.

Mel B.

This museum has an eyeball from the monkey soup in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Have I got your attention, finger lake winery visiting hipsters? The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum is cool, and you should go check it out on the way to the nearby Keuka Lake wineries. Admission is only $8.50 for adults and pocket change (not really, but cheaper) for students and kids. Not like the place needs to be sold--the parking lot was full when we drove up. Glenn H. Curtiss was a genius. The photographs of him are amazing because his face never changes in any shot. However, this man made BIG CHANGES in the way we travel today. There was a map of the world absolutely covered with pins from international visitors--it just shows you how many people are excited about his achievements. The collection at the museum fits airplanes, motorcycles, boats, and trailers, as well as an entire Restoration Room. It's just huge. In a span of about two hours, I checked out record-breaking seaplanes and heroic aircraft with shark faces from WWI. I saw Indiana Jones' hat. That's there too. There is the biggest four leaf clover collection that I have ever seen, dozens of intricate doll houses, humongous engines, motorcycles, a Women in Aviation exhibit (We Can Do It!), and a wreath made out of hair. It's really pretty until you realize it's hair--those silly Victorians. Curtiss also made big money making seaplanes and aero-trailers and super-fast motorcycles a reality. There is an exhibit dedicated to his luxe living, including his fancy (and sunshine yellow!) 'Florida automobile' on display, and his wife's lovely jewelry. I found it fascinating to see what ingenuity can buy. I'm going to be serious for a minute. I wanted to climb into a plane. You can't do that here, and that made me a little bit sad. However, you can climb into a Train Caboose outside the museum. There is also an aircraft flying video-game simulator, and dress-up clothes so that you can look like a pilot, even if you can't pretend to be one in a big airplane. The best part was checking out their Restoration Room, complete with the museum's latest project paused in the workroom with tools neatly lining the walls and papers strewn about with project plans. It was like snooping in your neighbor's workshop, if your neighbor works on restoring airplanes and army jeeps from WWII. Good stuff.

Fastest man in the world motorcycle
PJ C.

This is one quirky museum. We had been meaning to visit this place for years and with relatives in town we decided to make the 1.5 hour trip down to Hammondsport. Who knew that Glenn Curtis was such a key innovator in all of these different industries. Too bad he has never been given his due in the history books. Fascinating! There is alot to see in this museum and in some ways that is the problem because in feels like a mish-mash of different topics with no coherent theme. Ok the bikes, motorcycles, planes make sense given Glenn's inventiveness but then other memorabilia is thrown into the mix: doll houses, boats, wine making, movie props, cameras, civil war cannons, etc. All of this was interesting but it made it hard to follow the GHC story when interspersed with all of these other collections. It felt like people with other collections needed a place to house them and this museum took them in. Don't get me wrong this is a must see but just kinda odd...

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If you are a fan of Naval Aviation and the pioneers of flight adding in antique motorcycles you will enjoy this museum!

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4 years ago

Excellent museum! Really learned a lot about Mr. Curtis. Very reasonable charge. Loved the whole set up.

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you can read all the praise given to Glenn Curtiss by the other reviewers but they are well deserved based on this museum.

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It's A Wonderful Life Museum

It's A Wonderful Life Museum

3.8(16 reviews)
41.8 mi

If you're a fan of the Christmas classic film, you will love the It's a Wonderful Life Museum in…read moreSeneca Falls. Having seen the movie many times, I was overjoyed to visit the museum, which contains a treasure trove of unique photos and artifacts related to the movie. While many of the items are replicas not used in the actual film, it's still a perfect place for fans of the movie to kill a bit of time perusing pictures of the cast members, some of which who visit the museum annually for events. Admission is a modest $5 donation, and they have a cute gift shop with items for purchase. Staff on site at the museum cannot have been any friendlier, and were willing to let us stay a few minutes even past the closing time as we had arrived shortly before they closed for the day. There is a perfect photo op spot to commemorate your bisit to "Bedford Falls." This particular museum is located in a temporary spot through 2026 while the original permanent museum is undergoing major construction and expansion. While I'm sure the permanent museum complete with theater.would be a perfect 5 out 5 rating from me, this temporary museum space was still a very enjoyable experience for me. If you are a fan of It's a Wonderful Life, make it a point to visit this museum in Seneca Falls. There is a bridge in town which served as inspiration for the bridge scene in the movie.

Was dying to visit this spot--this is a favorite movie, special to my family--as I I know it is to…read moremany--and certainly deserving of its esteem and lore, IMHO. The museum itself is a small spot that is chock full of great photos and interesting stories about the movie and its cast, many of which were new to me. I learned some interesting tidbits and could definitely feel the care and appreciation with which the museum is curated. It is, though, very small, and surprisingly lacking in actual memorabilia--as explained up front, only 5 known movie props exist, most with private collectors. Perhaps unfair, but I guess I was expecting something a bit more. Still and all, worth a visit if you are visiting scenic Seneca Falls and the amazing Women's History National Park nearby. Make sure to walk over to the nearby bridge after your museum visit, which is definitely a convincing piece of this town's claim to be the "real" Bedford Falls.

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It's A Wonderful Life Museum
It's A Wonderful Life Museum
It's A Wonderful Life Museum - Outside the museum.

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Outside the museum.

Pleasant Valley Wine Company - Museum

Pleasant Valley Wine Company

4.2(30 reviews)
1.0 mi
$$

Also known as Great Western winery. It's the 1st bonded winery in the United states. For historical…read morepurposes of understanding champagne, wine, and sherry production, as well as its inception and roll in the region everyone should take the tour of Pleasant Valley Wine Company. This really is a treasure!! Allow 3 hours to spend time in the museum, watch a short film, take the tour, do tastings, and shop! It was time we'll spent for our group! Jenny, the manager, was our tour guide today. She was engaging, knowledgeable, and plain old a pleasure to spend time with on our tour. She gave us an in-depth tour of the facility with a lot of history! It gave us a better understanding and appreciation for champagne and sherry, how they are made and their history. I hope sherry has a comeback!! What a cool product with so many uses. The property could use some TLC, new roads, some fresh paint, but I get the idea they're doing what they can to keep the business alive. Our tasting experience, also with Jenny was enlightening! We had their champagne, found them to be wonderful! They also offer wine tastings, and sherry tastings. I'd never had sherry before. But it won't be that last time. I'll bake with it, cook with it, sip it! What a treat! They have an on-site shop where champagne, wine , sherry, and trinkets can be purchased for VERY reasonable prices! Don't miss this treasure!

While visiting Keuka Lake, my boyfriend and I ended up running into my mom and aunt who were in the…read morearea celebrating my aunt's birthday. Their next stop was to Pleasant Valley, so we decided to join them. My mom had made reservations and we arrived and added to them. The tasting was only $5 for each person, which was really nice compared to some of the other wineries who are charging a lot for the wine tastings. We were part of the last tastings of the day, so we didn't have time to look throughout the museum they have, which would have been nice. There is a lot of history there. For this winery, you are seated, and you give the server which wines you want and they bring them back with some crackers, and a piece of brownie. I didn't really care for the wines, I like drier, but my mom and aunt enjoyed it.

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Pleasant Valley Wine Company - Retired vats where you learn about 'coopers'. The chandelier is a Tiffany one of a kind.

Retired vats where you learn about 'coopers'. The chandelier is a Tiffany one of a kind.

Pleasant Valley Wine Company - Main offices, vat rooms, catacombs. This building was a post office for Rhimes/Reims, NY until 1945

Main offices, vat rooms, catacombs. This building was a post office for Rhimes/Reims, NY until 1945

Pleasant Valley Wine Company

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Glenn H. Curtiss Museum - museums - Updated May 2026

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