The expanse of Upstate New York is immense. Nestled in the Mohawk Valley along the shores of Lake Otsego lies the cozy village of Cooperstown.

Join us as we explore this idyllic little town, walking the waterfront, exploring baseball history and visiting the legendary Ommegang Brewery.

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Cooperstown is located in Otsego County. It is also off the beaten path a little with no direct highway access. You’ll be taking windy local roads and state routes passing farmland, serene nature and the occasional small settlement. Getting there is definitely part of the adventure.

Cooperstown is the definition of small town America with just a population of 1,800 with 3,600 in the town of Otsego and only 60,000 in Otsego County.

Cooperstown was settled in the late 1700s and features a charming walkable downtown area filled with historic buildings, local hotels and lots of local businesses.

Also, what Cooperstown lacks in size, it makes up for it by being the birthplace of baseball which is on full display.

We found ample street parking and started to explore by walking Main Street. Our first stop was Stagecoach coffee for a pick-me-up. This is also a great spot if you’re looking for a quick breakfast or lunch too.

Baseball History

We dipped into a few shops and were amazed at all the baseball memorabilia and baseball cards on display. If you’re into sports history and sport card collecting, you need to book a trip stat, you’re going to be in heaven. Despite not being the biggest baseball fans ourselves we really enjoyed looking through all the baseball cards looking for the big names and seeing how much their cards go for.

Maybe even more amazing were all the signed baseballs on display from some of the game’s biggest players including a 1947 signed Babe Ruth ball going for a chill $200,000. No big deal.

While the beginnings of baseball remains murky, the creation of the sport is credited to Abner Doubleday in the 1830s. In 1920, to commemorate this, Doubleday Field was built on the site of an old farm where original games took place. Throughout the years, the field has hosted many MLB exhibition matches including to this day with the annual Hall of Fame Classic featuring teams fielded by decorated MLB alums.

When there’s not events, the classic ballpark is opened to the public to explore.

We stopped by Cooperstown Distillery and while it was too early for a tasting we did buy some of their spirits inside decorative baseball vessels.

The most famous building in town is the Baseball Hall of Fame where to this day players are inducted every summer. We were short on time, so we didn’t have the chance to go in, but we were told it can easily take 3-4 hours to go through all the exhibits. If you’re a baseball fanatic, this is a must stop.

After exploring Main Street, we headed out to the waterfront to take in the majestic views of Lake Otsego. If you’re staying for an extended amount of time, look into the Glimmer Glass Queen, a tour boat that will take you around the lake. Tickets are $21 for adults and $15 for children.

Brewery Ommegang

Our final stop was 11 miles outside of downtown. Brewery Ommegang was founded back in 1997 and is famed for their Belgian style brews. Now taking up an expansive campus which includes a massive beer hall with outdoor seating, campgrounds, frisbee golf and they even hosted famed artists like Cake and Lord Huron for concerts.

We sat outdoors and I ordered a flight. They had a great deal where $20 got you a commemorative glass with $5 refills. We filled this with their Caramel Apple Cider which was smooth with malty sweet goodness. Definitely a crowd pleaser.

While there is an extensive menu, we opted for their Graze Crazy Board which featured several meats & cheeses, fruit and a massive soft pretzel. It was the perfect option for a snack to share between two.

First up was the OA Watermelon Kolsch which was fantastic. It was dry, refreshing with the perfect balance of watermelon flavor.

Farm Fresh Ale is your classic saison that’s light and featuring classic spiced notes, but with hints of honey and citrus.

Next up you have the legendary Rare Vos, which honestly I probably have not had in over 10 years, but used to drink often. This amber ale features a delicate maltiness, balanced with orange peel. I instantly remembered why I loved this beer so much and it easily still holds up today.

Last up was the Dream Patch for Dessert. This mixed fermentation sour ale was very cherry forward and sweet, but not too funky like you might get with other mixed fermentation brews. Overall, I enjoyed it very much, but my girlfriend said it reminded her of cherry medicine.

Note, there’s a lot of higher ABV beers on the menu, including some of their best brews, but we were pacing ourselves on this trip.

Visiting Ommegang was like reconnecting with an old friend and I was happy to learn first hand that they’re still producing world class beer.