Discover History, Heritage and Treasures of Art on the Central-Leatherstocking Trail

Location: Beginning in Oneida, travel east to Rome, Oriskany, Utica, Little Falls, and Cooperstown. Then continue on to Canajoharie or Howes Cave.
Length: about 175 miles (one way)
Time To Allow: 2 to 3 days, depending upon number of attractions selected for tours

Description/Highlights/Points of Interest

Located in the heart of New York State, this region offers historic and cultural treasures, surrounded by breathtaking landscapes with rolling hills, sparkling waterfalls and geological wonders. On this tour, you will encounter world-class museums, historic battlefields, fascinating cultural centers, an 1840s canal village, and a brewery with year-round tours. Visit historic sites that recreate the struggle of the American Revolution and present New York's prominent role in the creation of an independent nation. Experience the drama and glory of the past at Fort Stanwix, Oriskany Battlefield, and General Herkimer's Home through living history programs and special events. And discover collections of art that preserve hundreds of years of history and celebrate our shared heritage.

To get a sense of the rich cultural heritage of the area, begin your tour in Oneida, off the New York State Thruway (I-90 West), where the Shako:wi Cultural Center (315/829-8801) is located at 5 Territory Road. At this museum you can explore the Oneida Indian Nation's extensive collections of artifacts and artwork. Located in a beautiful log structure, painstakingly fashioned by Oneida Indian Nation members from the logs of stately white pines, without a single nail, you will discover a marvelous testament to the Oneida's rich culture. Exhibits and programs tell the story of the incredibly tenacious Oneida People, and guided tours are available. Clothing, basketry, books, woodcarvings and musical instruments made by the Oneidas are the backbone of the collection. The gift shop features works by Iroquois artists.

From Oneida, follow Route 46 north to the historic area of Rome. Near the intersection of Route 46 and Route 49, you can explore the charming Erie Canal Village, a reconstructed village of the early 1800s where you can take a mule-drawn packetboat ride. Part of the 524-mile Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor (www.nps.gov/erie), this waterway played a key role in turning New York City into a preeminent center for commerce, industry, and finance. A catalyst for growth in the Mohawk and Hudson valleys, the canals also helped open up western America for settlement.

Nearby, at Fort Stanwix National Monument on East Park Street (www.nps.gov/fost) in Rome, history comes alive every day, as visitors experience the sights, sounds, and ambiance of the 18th century. The reconstructed fort is the site where Revolutionary War patriots withstood a 21-day British siege. Stop at the Visitor Center for an orientation to the American Revolution in the Mohawk Valley. Explore the interactive programs, shop for one-of-a-kind gifts and souvenirs in the visitor center store, and see "Siege-1777," a 20-minute film that tells the history of Fort Stanwix. Explore the fort on your own with a free self-guided walking tour, then sign your enlistment oath with a quill pen and declare your allegiance to the Crown or to Independence.

After lunch at one of the many restaurants in Rome, travel six miles east on Route 69 to Oriskany and tour Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site, where on August 6, 1777, New York militiamen with their Oneida allies faced down the British crown in pursuit of liberty. This battle is regarded as one of the bloodiest conflicts in the American Revolution.

Continue southeast on the NYS Thruway (I-90 East) to Exit 31 and take Genesee Street to the Munson-Wiliams-Proctor Arts Institute (315/797-0000) in Utica. Located at 310 Genesee Street, the renowned art collection has 20,000 works, primarily American 18th-, 19th- and 20th-century paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs and decorative arts. Exhibits are presented in an elegant gallery designed by Philip Johnson, and in Fountain Elms, a superbly restored 1850 Italianate landmark mansion. The Performing Arts Center hosts more than 100 events throughout the year, including internationally known performers and outdoor music festivals.

Next visit the nearby General Nicholas Herkimer Home State Historic Site, on Route 169 in Little Falls, where the Georgian-style mansion was the home of courageous Revolutionary War hero, General Nicholas Herkimer. He began construction of his mansion about 1764 in the Mohawk Valley frontier. Herkimer was en route to help defend Fort Stanwix when he and his men were ambushed by Iroquois and British-allied Loyalists at Oriskany. Although seriously wounded in the leg, Herkimer kept command during the fierce combat. After the battle, Herkimer was carried home and his leg unskillfully amputated. Hours later, when he died reading from his Bible, General Herkimer was immediately regarded a martyr to the cause of American freedom, and his home became a shrine. Visitors to Herkimer Home today will marvel at the grandness of this Georgian-style mansion and the beautiful landscape of the estate.

From Little Falls, head south on Route 167 to Route 20 East. Next, take Route 80 South into Cooperstown, home of many attractions including the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, The Farmers' Museum, Brewery OMMEGANG, the Glimmerglass Opera, and the Fenimore Art Museum.

The Fenimore Art Museum (888/547-1450) built on the site of novelist James Fenimore Cooper's former home, is set in an elegant 1930s mansion overlooking Otsego Lake. The extraordinary collections explore the themes of America's fine art, folk art, and American Indian art, and celebrate our nation's artistic traditions, history and cultural heritage. This showcase museum of the New York State Historical Association displays a wide variety of styles, including landscapes by artists of the Hudson River School and changing exhibitions of exceptional quality.

From Cooperstown, head back to Route 20 and continue east to Sharon Springs, where you can take Route 10 North into Canajoharie. The Canajoharie Library and Art Gallery (518/673-2314) is located at 2 Erie Boulevard, two blocks from the Erie Canal. This outstanding museum is considered one of the finest small art galleries in the United States. The internationally recognized collection includes more than 350 works, mostly American paintings and sculpture. At the heart of the collection are twenty-one oils and watercolors by Winslow Homer. Other works include early portraits and landscapes, and paintings representing American Impressionists, the Hudson River School, the Ash Can School, and regional artists. Bartlet Arkell, the founding President of the Beech Nut Company in Canajoharie, donated the library and gallery to the community and purchased many of the items in the Decorative Arts collection as furnishings for the facility. These include American and European drawings, prints and sculpture, as well as antique furniture, vases, and miscellaneous decorative items.

From Canajoharie you can take the New York State Thruway (I-90) to points east or west.

As an alternate trip from Cooperstown, head back to Route 20 and continue east to the town of Howes Cave, where you can explore the amazing geological wonders of Secret Caverns and Howe Caverns, and visit the Iroquois Indian Museum.

For accommodations information and reservations, and complete information on attractions and travel throughout New York State, visit iloveny.com.