In the foyer, a nurse's uniform greets you, complete with white cap and blue cape. The docent…read moreexplained recently an elderly woman had visited and said a wave of service -related memories had washed over her, just at the sight of seeing the starched whites. I was especially touched by the exhibit in the back, which explained the Code Talkers language. In addition to using Navajo speakers to avoid detection by the enemy, pieces of equipment were given oblique names as well, like "hummingbird" for airships. The museum has an ongoing outreach for veterans and their families to share mementos or stories about experiences. Oh, and why Eldred, PA for this museum? It used to have a munitions plant nearby: A railroad spur would take the arms to whatever port or base needed them. Plan on a 60-90 minute visit. Limited parking on the west side; more parking on the street.

"those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." -George Santayana…read more This is a museum in the tiny town of Eldred Pa, right along the new york - pennsylvania state line. Its dedicated to the history of WWII and the collection of artifacts and materials from that time period. They do have large collection of badges, insignias and uniforms from all combatants during the war. Eldred was the site of a munitions factory that ran non-stop from 1942 to mid-1945 that produced bombs and shell casings that were used in the war on the Allied side. It has a library where you can go around and check out books and maps if you're really interested in a certain topic. It is a great place to go if you have a Social Studies project to do and you want to go check it out. plus theres a cool tank half-bursting out of the wall, haha.

Interesting place. More of a store than anything else. Quick tourist stop. Wish they had some swag.read more

Took my kids and nephews, and they loved it. Mostly a Cutco/Kabar history museum. For me, as a…read moreknife collector, it was a big mistake... as it made me realize how many vintage knives produced by the factory there that I absolutely needed. :-) and, of course, couldn't leave without an item or two that they currently manufacture

This is a beautiful spot to stop on your elk viewing adventure. It is clean, has nice bathrooms, a…read moregift shop, and wonderful educational displays for all ages. There's trails and lookouts to look for the elk and ample parking.

There's a generous parking area with easy access to the Visitors Center. Inside ("Enter through…read morethe gift shop") you find two education rooms with taxidermy and tanned pelts; a rat snake named Java, and a cinema. Bathrooms are clean, modern, with warm water! On the trail, look for the many park benches overlooking a central broad green space: Elk prefer it to the forest, where their ears and racks can be poked by branches. In September and October it's rut season, and the mature bucks bugle to assemble their harems, warning other males to stay away. The sound of the bugling is magic: It's the sound of the Ogliocene epoch, 25 million years ago. Deer with upper canines? Highly recommend this experience! In the afternoon, enjoy deer and turkeys wandering on the green. The center is free. For best experience, bring your own folding chairs, sandwiches, and binoculars.

Came here to visit and was not disappointed! You enter to a store with knives, lighters, apparel,…read moreand a small section of candles. Through the store is the start of the museum with a history of Bradford and the companies. The 20+ exhibits take you through both companies at once which was integrated nicely. Definitely worth a stop in. There is a small parking lot or you can park along the side of the street or back ,nominal traffic there)

It had been a while since I last visited the Zippo/Case Museum, but while camping in Allegany State…read morePark for about five days around New Years, we decided to venture south to Bradford for a little New Year's Eve field trip and I'm glad we did! Yes, they closed early because it was New Year's Eve but it was still worth the stop. One of my favorite things about this place is that the museum is free (no ticket required!) which makes it very accessible. The gift shop is also a great size, with tons of Zippo, Case, and regional memorabilia. For example, I left with a Buffalo Bills Zippo! The employees were fine though they were not especially warm or chatty. Luckily the products and history speak for itself. Seeing the evolution of Zippo lighters and learning about the company's roots in Bradford never gets old. So, if you're anywhere near northern Pennsylvania or Western New York, this is a fun, quirky, and surprisingly fascinating stop that's definitely worth checking out!

I did a tour of Graycliff as part of the All Day All Wright tour a while ago anat that time it was…read moreinteresting but also a bit disappointing both because the renovations were ongoing and we arrived late due to traffic so the tour was cut short. Seeing online that Graycliff had just opened a new visitor center and was in full swing I decided to make a one day trip to see it again. Located about a half hour southwest of Buffalo and about an hour northeast of Erie, Graycliff sit right on the Lake Erie shore. There is a small sign at the end of the long drive that leads you to the new visitor center. The center is set up just outside the area that Wright designed. The center is very modern but it does have elements that are inspired by Wright, the horizontal lines of the building, the glass that allows you to see through the building is similar to Graycliff. Inside there is a very nice gift shop, some interesting exhibits and an unusual unisex bathroom. I had signed up for the extended tour and we had a nice group who all had some experience with Wright before, including one guy who had done extensive work in building the new visitor center. The tour starts in the visitor center with a very well made video giving some of the history of Wright, the Martins and Graycliff. After that we went through the Picking Garden which was very attractive and smelled wonderful. We then learned about the layout of the outside, including that the driveway was oriented to track the movement of the sun on the summer solstice. We were also informed about the history of the site, the local materials being used and the history of the house after the Martins had to give it up. We also were told about the water features and how the house was oriented to allow views through the house to see the lake. Although this was the 3rd project Darwin Martin had hired Wright for (the Darwin Martin House and the Larkin Company Adminstration Building were the others) here the client was Mrs. Martin and this was to be a summer house so the overall design is a bit unique. The timing of the project was also crucial as Wright had finished his Prairie Style and the Usonian style was not yet developed. Wright had also gone through a number of personal issues and public scandals so this commission was helpful in bridging a difficult period. Once inside Graycliff you realize that there are many common Wright elements, the use of natural materials, the importance of the hearth as the heart of the house and how he had opened up the common areas with a flow. Graycliff is unique in how it is oriented to the lake with huge windows on both sides. We also got to see the second floor and the second floor of the smaller second house that initially was the garage and chauffeur's quarters and later used by Martin's daughter's family. I have to compliment our docent Brian who did a great job of guiding us through the house and property while supplying information, pointing out details and just being very entertaining. Wright was a complex person, while a genius and visionary he also had personal issues and could be difficult to work with, Brian gave a nice balanced view of Wright, his relationship to the Martins and how Graycliff came to be, plus its history and restoration. On my previous visit I had enjoyed Graycliff, but also found it a bit disappointing, this visit reflects the great job that has been done on finishing the restoration and furnishing the property to best effect. While not as flashy as some of the better know Wright designs, Graycliff is well worth a visit for its historical significance to Wright and to see how he was in transition and developing new and different ideas. A great visit and I am so glad I took the time for a second visit.

Graycliff is one of Frank Lloyd Wright's residential designs and is often regarded as the bridge…read morebetween his Prairie houses of the early 1900s and later masterpieces, such as Fallingwater (I look forward to visiting one day). Designed by Wright for Isabelle and Darwin D. Martin (and unlike the Martin house, which you should also visit), the estate sits on an 8.5-acre bluff overlooking Lake Erie. It's about 25 miles southwest of Buffalo, New York. And I did not realize this important tidbit: the gardens and landscape designed by Ellen Biddle Shipman, who worked with Wright. The property was built between 1926 and 1931 as the summer home for the Martin family. Also, Graycliff is a New York State Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Importnat note: the Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House and Graycliff Conservancy are two separate nonprofits -- I did not know that before my visit. The two even have distinct missions. But they each have the common goal to preserve and share the history of the Martin family and Wright's work. I highly recommend visiting both sites. And be sure to check the schedule and tour times. Outside of the welcome center, gift shop and adjacent garden, you must sign up for a paid tour to see the rest of the buildings on site. In the central house, Wright effectively dissolved the traditional boundary between indoors and outdoors. There is local limestone, ochre stucco and cedar shingles and, if you keep a watchful eye, you will see Wright's designs at work: triangles, circles, hearts, diamond-shapes and other shapes are embedded and featured throughout the grounds and in the architecture. Graycliff was also personally significant for Wright. During the mid-1920s his career and finances were in turmoil. The Martins, longtime friends as well as clients, commissioned Graycliff at a moment when relatively few of Wright's designs were being built. Over time, many architectural historians view the project as helping sustain his practice during one of the most difficult periods of his life. And last interesting tidbit: The Martin family owned the property until after Isabelle and Darwin died. It was sold in 1951 to the Piarist Fathers, an order of Roman Catholic Priests from Hungary. They lived in and used Graycliff until 1997 (even built buildings and structures), when the property was sold. Graycliff was actual set to be demolished for condominiums -- can you imagine?! A few tips for your visit: -If you are driving a larger vehicle (large trucks, RV's, camper vans, vehicles pulling trailers, call in advance. The team will work to accommodate your vehicle. Do not miss the brand new visitor center. It has interactive educational features, an informative video and an excellent gift shop, with snacks on site. -Parking is out front at no cost. -A portion of all tours is outside, rain or shine. -Wear comfortable clothing and comfortable walking shoes. -Apparently, stiletto heels are not allowed in the main house to protect the restored floor. -Only service animals are allowed on the grounds.

A MUST see for anyone interested in local history, early American bicycling, early American…read moremotorcycles, as well as early aviation and naval aviation history. There's is so much packed into this big, dark block of a building, its amazing. There is a one hour movie that really is a well made, must see...preferably before exploring the exhibition. Curtiss was involved in so many different things during stages in his relatively short life, and the museum gives substantial display area to each and all of his interests. Very well worth the entry fee.

The age of innovation when the Industrial Revolution pushed the boundaries an me like Glee. H…read more Curtiss dreamed big and literally reached for the stars. From humble beginnings to legendary flight we learn about one of Hammondsport's most famous resident. It is well worth the stop to see the collection and history. Our family found it interesting from each of their perspectives. My favorite is the restoration of a 1943 Curtiss P-40 E "War Hawk". I purposely didn't take pictures as the experience is well worth seeing for yourself.

We took a quick (2 hour) road trip to Salamanca to see this smallish collection of Seneca art and…read morehistory. It was well lit, clean, and interesting. Nice staff person.

Amazing experience and would love to return . Found the experience valuable and educationalread more

Great museum of glass artwork!…read more We found some really nice, fun bars and restaurants in Corning NY. We really drove here from Ithaca for the Corning Museum of Glass. What a treat! Clever creative colorful artwork. A lot of talent. A good dose of whimsy. An amazing visualization of population-growth in cities around the world, represented by glass shapes hanging over a map. Like a 3-D NyTimes infographic! A floor-to-ceiling rainbow window making a rainbow room! Etched glass. Blown glass. Sculpted glass. Hours of shapes and colors we are still dreaming about :-)

We visited Corning Museum of Glass on a weekend getaway trip, and it was a must see! Parking is…read morefree; admissions was $25 for adults and $23 for seniors (62+). They have activities and events for all ages. I really enjoyed the demonstrations (glass making and the torching- I wish I got to see the glass breaking but missed it). I would give this place a good 3-5 hours, especially if you enjoy art. They have SO many items on display and activities to do. We even went back a second day! (Included in the admission ticket)