I am looking for any travel tips on where to stay and what to do near Cooperstown. We want to go to the Baseball Hall of Fame, but will have small children along too. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks
Deb

Deb, We went to Cooperstown when my son played baseball at the Little League Dreams Park last August. Unfortunately, it was during the hall of fame game so accommodations were very limited. We ended up staying in a town several miles down the road and "commuting" to his games daily. At least we had a hotel (near a shopping center so we could go there for restaurants and a movie) with a/c and pool.
Cooperstown doesn't have very many places to stay, unless you want small hotels or b&bs. Most have no air conditioning. (and it was hot in August) The local chamber of commerce provides a list of local hotels. (or try AAA.) There is a nice seafood restaurant on the dock where you can take a boat trip on the lake. (I forget the names of both). Actually, there isn't much to do in town, as far as my kids were concerned. The Baseball Hall of Fame, in their opinion, was kind of boring...it's more for the adults who can appreciate all the batting averages and statistics. Once they had seen a few of the jerseys/bats/shoes, etc. from "the greats", they were ready to move on. The town is touristy, but your kids can see how baseball bats are made in a factory on the edge of town. There are a couple of small museums locally, I recall.

i attended a wedding in cooperstown a few years ago, the reception was at the Otesaga Hotel, an old Grande Dame of a hotel right on a lake. there are many cute inns in town, and there is a lakefront area as well that has motels along it.
i think a long weekend would be more than enough in cooperstown, arrive no later than lunch time friday, and stay through lunch sunday, that should be plenty of time.

Deb:

Try www.cooperstown.net. You should be able to find most of what you need. Also, for information on the Baseball Hall of Fame, go to www.baseballhalloffame.org.

Contact the Coooperstown Chamber of Commerce for a listing of B&Bs and hotels. (toll-free 888-547-5650 or visit its website--www.cooperstownchamber.org). We found the website to be very helpful in finding a place to stay.
Also, NY State Historical Assn.of Cooperstown is another good source (888-547-1450)

I visited Cooperstown at a young age and distinctly recall being quite bored with the Baseball Hall of Fame. We did visit the Farmer's Museum and it was entertaining for children. I believe there is also an unusual small museum in Leonardsville, about 20-25 miles away. It's dedicated to musical instruments with the focus being hands-on participation. Kids love it and it's a very popular destination for school field trips. The Cooperstown C of C can probably give you details.