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 Museum at the Creamery (Skaneateles Historical Society) was the hidden gem of our trip to…read moreSkaneateles! It's a block off of W. Genesee Street and very easy to walk to from the main part of town! The docent there, David, was so friendly and knowledgeable! He took the time to chat with us and show us around the museum. There are two parts to the museum - one focusing on the boats, and one focusing on the history of Skaneateles. Both were very interesting! Lots of pictures and artifacts to go along with the information. There is also a model of the lake that tells you about different spots around the lake and shows the watershed. No official admission fee, but there is a suggested donation of $5. Well worth the visit!

Make sure that Dave gives you the Tour! His wealth of knowledge and presentation are excellent.read more

Well worth a visit for anyone interested in American history. It was hot but our tour guide Ally…read morewas unflappable, entertaining and gave us a fantastic experience. The history of the house and the Seward family was very interesting and Ally knew about every painting and object our group asked about.

William Seward could have been the US President instead of Abraham Lincoln at that time - did you…read moreknow that? Lincoln was selected by their political party to run. Candidacy was not in Seward fate. True. Yet, after the election Mr. Seward worked alongside President Lincoln. Much unrecognized credit goes to Seward for promoting forward thinking policies at the time. Seward may be best known for his contribution as US Secretary of State in the purchase of the Alaskan territory from the Russian Empire in 1868. Termed "Sewards Folly" as at the time many skeptics who thought it unworthy for the US to purchase Alaska for $7 million dollars. Seward went to his grave firmly believing that one day in the future it will prove to be a very good decision. Alaska, rich with oil and natural resources, later was appreciated as an asset. Willam Seward held office as a governor of New York and Senator of New York. He was also a US Senator. And a US Secretary of State. This and many other interesting and historical facts are to be learned when you tour the Seward House Museum in Auburn, NY. Our tour-guide was enthusiastic. Fantastic wealth of knowledge. He gave us so much information in a fun and lighthearted way, about Mr. Seward, his family members, his political involvement, and his contributions to ending slavery. Amazing tour, and beautiful historic home where almost every artifact is the original. Beautiful wood work in the home. Lovely China dishes and stately decor. Did you know that the Underground Railroad and Harriet Tubman had a stop in the basement of this now historic home? It sure did. The Seward family housed and protected slaves seeking freedom right in this very home. Harriet Tubman, a slave from Maryland who became a famous freedom fighter, finally settled in Auburn, NY in 1859. Harriet Tubman practiced her faith and continued to fight for human rights and dignity until she died in 1913. There is a National Historical Park dedicated to Harriet Tubman in Auburn that would be worth visiting on a future trip.

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.

A hidden upstate NY gem. High quality, changing visual arts exhibitions featuring local & emerging…read moreartists. Well worth a few hours off the beaten track! Had I the time to sign up for one of plenty of interesting programs, I could stay here all day or 2. Beautifully designed gift shop with trendy unique inventory.

If you love Modern Art and you love art made by New Yorkers and you are contemporary I mean really…read morecontemporary you would love this place. Some of the Art Is Out of My League that I just don't get it. Those who do get it will be in love. The current show I was juried and the 70 or so pieces were selected from over 300 entries. This means that you have the best of art from New Yorkers all contemporary , none before 2013. The staff is a sweet nice and kind as you could possibly imagine and it's ready to show you around come on in and enjoy a local Museum

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.

I absolutely loved Sonnenberg! The conservatory and gardens…read morewere beyond amazing. I really enjoyed walking through and taking in all of the beauty. They even have a section in the greenhouse with plants for sale. The mansion is of course just as great to walk through and take a little escape back in time. So many beautiful things and views. They do have a little cafe and gift shop/winery on the grounds. I highly recommend coming here if you get the chance!

It's a nice peaceful attraction to stroll the gardens and check out the mansion. There were binders…read moreof photos in the mansion to see what different rooms used to look like. Rooms were set up well with interesting garments and objects. You can look at some pretty closely. Some parts of the property remain dilapidated, like the pool. Some of the gardens weren't available for viewing. For example, we didn't see anything in the pansy garden area.

The Syracuse University Art Museum, located on SU's campus it's a small museum, occupying part of a…read morefloor in Shaffer Hall. The collection is well curated, showing a variety of mediums and perspectives. A lot of the exhibits rotate so that the vast art collection at SU can be seen, as having the ability to bring in traveling exhibits. Most of what I saw while I was there would be on display until March 2022. Wandering through the rooms I found myself moved by the visiting exhibit in the first couple of room, which was "Per(Sister) Incarcerated Women of Louisiana". It had a variety of mediums conveying the stories of women in prison. It felt really accessible, art which would reach and communicate clearly to anyone. "Reckonings: American Art and the Slow Violence of Climate Crisis", was a handful of images brought together by SU students from the 1800 through mid-1900s which had a really thought provoking commentary on art as a reflection of climate change and human treatment of the environment. The work on display of Mary Petty made me laugh, and again think deeper about the time and context in which she was creating her illustrations. More traditional and global work can be found in the Collection Highlights. If on campus to visit the museum on the weekend you can use the College Lot for free. It's only a block from the museum so it's quite convenient. For the size the Art Museum delivers a lot and it is well worth a visit.