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Genesee Country Village & Museum in Mumford, 20 miles from Rochester and a little more than an hour from Buffalo, is the largest living history museum in New York State and one of the gems of Western New York. This is the place where families are encouraged to “touch, feel, smell and taste the 19th century.”
It is even possible to live like a pioneer family on select weekends in the summer and fall. The sleepover weekends come with pioneer clothing for all family members. Participants cook their food the pioneer way and join staff in farm chores. No cellphones or any 21st century devices allowed!
“Families have come from as far away as California and New York City to live like 19th century pioneers,” explained Brian Nagel, Senior Director of Interpretation. “It was a most memorable weekend and a time the children will always remember.”
The late John L. Wehle, president of the Genesee Brewing Co. and a passionate collector of sporting art, founded this special place to help preserve the vanishing rural architecture of the Genesee region encompassing the Genesee River and stretching from the Finger Lakes to the Niagara Frontier and Lake Erie. Today, this living history museum includes a 19th century village, an art gallery, a nature center, and 600 acres.
The founder’s granddaughter, Elizabeth A.Wehle, is now the President & CEO of this treasure. The museum extols the 19th century and bills it as “the century that made America.” The museum village consists of the third largest collection of historic buildings in America.
It was late in the 18th century that settlers first began to trickle into the Genesee Valley, a fertile region named Genesee by the Seneca Indians meaning “pleasant valley.” The 19th century saw the real flowering of the valley as pioneers settled the rich land.
This is a museum where visitors can attend a baseball game played by 19th century rules, attend a concert in an opera house, enjoy a Victorian Tea, learn to weave or quilt, meet a tinsmith or even a pair of oxen or spring lambs. Children are welcome to try their hand at old-fashioned games such as hoops and balancing on stilts.
The Historic Village includes 68 structures that were moved here from 11 area counties. Early maps and business directories guided the planning of the village. The buildings depict how an area small town might have changed over time, providing insight into the origins of current customs, traditions, and social values. The village includes a Pioneer Settlement (1785-1830), Center Village (1830-1860) and Gas Light District (1860-1900).
Each area has trade, craft, cooking, and agricultural demonstrations with interpreters in period dress. The village depicts activities of everyday life as well as seasonal programs that allow visitors to see what it might have been like to refine maple sugar, harvest field crops, participate in an agricultural fair, celebrate Christmas or fight a Civil War battle.
The Gallery is a must stop for dog lovers this summer and fall. One of the current special exhibits is “Working Like a Dog” which explores the special relationship between dogs and people. For the last 15,000 years we have valued dogs for their keen senses of smell, sight, and hearing that are superior to our own.
Along with a strong prey instinct and stamina, these characteristics made dogs ideal for hunting, retrieving, herding, racing and guarding — as well as being endearing and faithful friends. Discover how dogs have adapted to live with us in modern times.
There are three interactive galleries filled with art works featuring dogs. Watch how canine movie stars, such as Lassie and Marley worked the camera. Learn how dogs work today as rescue, assistance, therapy and guide dogs. Meet Balto and learn the story of the heroic Siberian Husky who helped deliver diphtheria antitoxin to Alaska’s children in 1925.
Base ball (as it was written in the 19th century) has been brought back to life here in the first replica 19th-century base ball park in the country. Two and sometimes four of the museum’s six ladies’ and men’s teams, dressed in period-style uniforms, face off each Saturday and Sunday in Silver Base Ball Park, playing with period appropriate equipment and by 1866 rules.
The park also includes: bleachers, an outfield fence sporting period-style advertising, a manual scoreboard operated by two young lads on scaffolding, a press box, a tower for the tally keeper and announcer, special seating for unattended young ladies, and a refreshment tent serving peanuts, birch beer, and other period-appropriate food.
Visitors also meet and interact with the players as well as members of the press, the umpire, the hawker selling his snacks, the unattended young ladies there to keep the game respectable, and the rest of the fans.
Two museum buildings were the early homes of Rochester’s leading citizens —Nathaniel Rochester and George Eastman. Colonel Rochester, who gave the city its name, lived in a frame and plank house from 1810-1815 with his wife Sophia and their nine children.
George Eastman, founder of Eastman Kodak Company, spent his early youth in a comfortable one-and-a-half story Greek Revival dwelling in Waterville.
One of the newest village events is called “A Novel Weekend.” Author Lewis Carroll will be featured on August 3 and 4. Visitors of all ages are invited to join in a madcap weekend of fun and games including Queen’s Croquet.
Other weekend events include strolling through wonderland at the Nature Center, Carroll-themed tasting in the Historic Village and tea with Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Door Mouse and the March Hare (all are invited.) Meet the characters, enjoy freshly brewed tea, and baked treats.
Did you know that Lewis Carroll wrote more than 98,000 letters in his lifetime? Learn to appreciate the art of letter writing by learning calligraphy. The class is taught by Rochester calligraphy artist, Elaina DeBoard. Two-hour classes are held both days of the Carroll weekend. Reservations required.
Additional upcoming special events include the National Silver Ball Tournament (Aug. 9-11) with three days of vintage base ball teams; Fiddler’s Fair (Aug. 17-18) featuring hundreds of musicians on six stages; Hop Harvest Festival (Sept. 2) celebrating a traditional harvest of hops; Fall Festival & Agricultural Fair (Oct. 5-6), an authentic 19th century country fair.
Other events include the Spirit of the Past Theatrical Tours & Buffet (Oct. 17-Oct. 20). These guided tours look into the dark recesses of the village and explore hair-raising tales of the past. Guided only by lanterns, you will see the village in a whole new light. Children are invited to dress in costume and trick or treat throughout the historic village on Oct. 25-26.
Breakfast with St. Nick will be Nov. 30. Yuletide in the Country Tours & Buffet will take place Dec. 6-21. The Holiday Open House is scheduled for Dec. 21.
The Genesee Country Nature Center is open year round and features five miles of trails winding through 175 acres of meadows, fields, woodlands and wetlands. Every Sunday at 2pm the Nature Center hosts a walk-and-talk program on a nature-related topic.
A motorized trolley offers free transportation throughout the village.
Travel Tip of the Month: For more information visit www.gcv.org or call 585-38-6822.
Deborah Williams is a veteran travel writer whose work has appeared in national and international publications. She lives in Holland, NY and has written a monthly column in WNY Family for more than two decades. She is the author of a book on the Erie Canal and the recipient of the Society of American Travel Writers Lowell Thomas Gold Travel Writing Award.