Bio Dome is a must visit if you're in the Jamestown area for the first time. They feature art,…read moreplants, artisan crafts, and other items all locally made or manufactured in the Jamestown area. You can get a magnet or t-shirt from some area attraction gift shops but if you want something unique to Jamestown or Chautauqua County and want to support local artists and business owners, Bio Dome is the place to go. I highly recommend the Chautauqua Soap Co. products as well as the hand-turned wood pens.

This is the best gift shop in Bemus Point! The service is excellent. They will show you what's new…read moreand if there are similar items elsewhere in the shop to check out. I found jewelry, candles, and funny magnets and coasters as gifts for my friends (and myself). There is a large selection of seasonal jewelry, greeting cards, scented soaps and kitchen textiles for gifting. The jewelry is made by local artisans. This was my one-stop shop while on vacation at Chautauqua Lake.

If you are looking for unique candles, you have to stop here! So many choices! Other cute items too…read morelike jewelry, etc.

Beautiful little shop. Great place to go for local books and other options. Owner is very nice…read moreand talkative. We talked about our love of Mr. Rogers. He has a cool little collection. Stop by and get a coffee at ryders coffee and pick up a book!

The official bookstore and gift shop of Lily Dale is a great place to pick up a souvenir of your…read moretrip or a gift for someone else. Take some time to wander the large selection of books; there's a few rooms of them, and they deserve a good browsing! As for gifts, there's apparel and accessories, some emblazoned with the official logo of the Lily Dale Assembly. This place has less jewelry and knickknacks compared to the Crystal Cove, but look at both during your visit to find something nice!

Neat, nice and beautiful things to buy for yourself or whoever your thinking of ! Love Lily Dale &…read moreall its shops, this one included.

Wow! You have to stop in to the Mayville Depot Museum if you're in the area. It's managed by the…read moreChautauqua Township historical society and hosts a large variety of different antiques. When we entered, we were greeted by a volunteer who gave us an overview of what's in the museum. Then we saw the wall of photos- of what the train station and port once looked like. The next room is a replica of the train station ticket office and managers desk. Lots of old antique communication instruments including a telegraph. Great view of the water from this room. In the next room there's a ton! Century old voting booth, lantern collection, schoolhouse items, rail wagon, farm items, collection of Kodak cameras, and so much more! There's also a display of items made in Chautauqua county from many of the businesses that were once here! Great way to spend an hour (or less), and kid friendly too!! $2 donation.

Wow! What a hidden treasure! If you're visiting Mayville, stop by and learn a bit about the…read morehistory of this community!!

If this is the place I think it is, then it is located in the front of what was once a house on the…read moremain street. It is run by a very friendly old lady during the warmer months and offers a variety of antiques and books. During the warmer months I was informed that the shop is closed as she migrates to warmer climates until the spring. On my visit to the store I purchased a top quality book for a fraction of what it is worth.

Stunning building surrounded by nature and a must see for any nature enthusiast. I visited during…read moreDoors Open Jamestown and was really impressed with the friendly staff and how beautifully the collections were displayed. RTPI is a museum, and also has a gift shop and looks like it could be used for special events too. The museum is home to the largest collection of Roger Tory Peterson's work. Roger Tory Peterson illustrated field guides on identifying birds. He was also a talented photographer. The majority of the museum featured nature photography by Thomas D. Mangelsen which were very interesting to look at as well. The upstairs is accessible by stairs and elevator, and there was an interesting video playing about spiny soft shell turtles living in the Chadakoin River in Jamestown. Overall I really enjoyed the 40 minutes we spent here, and I would love to come back again one day!

If you have a thirst for knowledge of the outdoors, nature, wildlife, the flora, fauna or…read moreparticularly of birds, the Roger Tory Peterson Institute is the place. Not only does it store a wealth of information, it's one of the most drop dead gorgeous of structures both in design as well as in décor. Named after world famed ornithologist, author and naturalist, Roger Tory Peterson, a native of Jamestown, New York, it is this institute that personifies his life's work in which he not only won every major award in his field but also furthered it with such striking innovations as the Peterson Identification System, known for its clarity with specific delineations of bird markings. In my mind, Roger Tory Peterson was the greatest, most gifted ornithologist and naturalist ever and, just one heck of a nice guy; a perfect gentlemen in the most classical sense of the term who I was fortunate enough to have personally known and spoken with on numerous occasions as we both resided not that far from each other and shared similar heritages as well as interests. The displays and art work layouts of this institute couldn't have been better done, many of which are in fact breath taking and others mentally impacting such as a display of the once thriving passenger pigeon that were so numerous in numbers their flights blackened the skies but now, as a result of what was actually commercial hunting and conservational ignorance, now totally extinct. So, if you have any naturalist or ornithological interests, the Roger Tory Peterson Institute is a must.

The Erie Maritime Museum was a fun activity and am glad we checked it out. We were lucky to catch…read morethe last tour of the day for the US Brig Niagara which was definitely the highlight for me. It's impressive to see such a historic ship up close and learn about the sails and pulley system . Inside the main museum, be sure to set aside time for the theater video, which provides great context, and don't miss the upstairs exhibits--they're well worth exploring. The museum does a great job showcasing maritime history, and I would recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

The Flagship Niagara League is a nonprofit that operates the Erie Maritime Museum and the U.S. Brig…read moreNiagara ship. The Erie Maritime Museum opened in 1998, and it is currently located inside the former generator station of the Pennsylvania Electric Company (PENELEC). The museum has exhibits for the War of 1812 and the Battle of Lake Erie as well as for the USS Michigan/Wolverine. The U.S. Brig Niagara warship is a replica of the one that Oliver Hazard Perry sailed during the Battle of Lake Erie against the British in 1813. In advance of my visit, I purchased tickets for my husband and me through the website. The cost was $85 per person to sail on the U.S. Brig Niagara and to tour the museum. (Customers may choose to tour only the museum for $10 or less, depending on age.) We had to sign online waivers. On the day of our sailing, we arrived early to tour the museum. We saw items such as maps of Lake Erie, diving helmets, swords, tools for shipbuilding, a cannon, ropes with different types of knots, etcetera. We also watched a short movie about the Battle of Lake Erie. The employees in the gift shop did not talk to us much, but other employees elsewhere in the museum helped us to find the meeting spot for the sailing. On the ship, we sailed for two hours from the bay and into the lake, and then we turned around to return to shore. The employees were training students to pull ropes to reposition the sails. The customers were allowed to help a little if we wanted, such as pulling ropes when told to do so, but we obviously were not allowed to climb up high to the sails. Employees inserted gunpowder into a cannon and shot it loudly into the lake. Tip: The temperature on the water is colder than the temperature on the land, so be sure to dress warmly enough. During my sailing, the temperature on land was in the 50s and on water was in the 40s. My husband and I felt cold in our hoodies and jackets, and so did the other customers.