Cooperstown - Getting There

So, you want to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame and don't know where to begin? I was in the same boat and had a hard time locating any information online! I hope you'll find this upcoming four part series helpful if you're planning a visit to Cooperstown for the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Weekend!

• Cooperstown - Getting There
• The Baseball Hall of Fame
• Awards Ceremony/The Parade of Legends
• Induction Ceremony

Cooperstown is not an easy place to get to but don't let that discourage you. If you love baseball, I promise it's all worth it in the end!

 
If I could give you just one tip that would help you out the entire weekend, it would be to book a hotel/bed and breakfast asap! Cooperstown is a sleepy little town without any big name corporations. It's like one of those towns you see in the movies - Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls for example. There are many bed and breakfast options available as well as a few hotels, but occupancy inside Cooperstown is super limited. The Hall of Fame Induction is in July - I began my hotel search in February and still came up short. So, my advice to you is to book a hotel the second you know you are going to Cooperstown. Even if you think you might want to attend and aren't 100% sure, book a place to stay (but make sure it's refundable)! If you end up in the same position we were in, the Best Western of Cobelskill is about a 40 minute drive from Cooperstown and that's where we stayed.

The nearest airports to Cooperstown are Albany and Syracuse, Albany being the most popular of the two. You'll need to rent a car as well and there are plenty of options available in the airport - we used Alamo as I've also used them in the past but many others are available. There are a few toll roads on the drive to and from the airport, so bring along a little extra change just in case.

I also recommend arriving on Friday (or Thursday) and visiting the Hall of Fame sometime that day. Once the weekend begins, so do the crowds and it gets CRAZY.  We also purchased membership to the Hall of Fame ahead of time so we could come and go all weekend as we pleased. There are many perks to being a member including a special line for entrance into the Hall of Fame once it gets crazy on the weekend.

 
Parking in Cooperstown can also be a nightmare. One of the first things you'll see when you enter the outskirts of town is "No Parking" signs. However, Cooperstown does have three main parking lots that include Trolley Service and that's where we parked most of the time. Trolley service costs $2 per person and tickets last all day. I do advice to arrive as early as possible on Induction Day. The Induction Ceremony began at 1:30 p.m. and we arrived in Cooperstown at 8:30 a.m. and were able to secure a parking spot, but the lots were already beginning to fill up!

Now that you've arrived, what is there to do? If you love baseball, this place is like a slice of baseball heaven. Quaint little shops and restaurants line the streets of Cooperstown and make for a fun way to fill an afternoon! You'll find baseball memorabilia shops filled with souvenirs, autographs, and baseball cards (of course).

Follow the Baseball Hall of Fame's website for information on events throughout the weekend. For example, I didn't know that the new inductees plaques would be hung in the Hall around 7 p.m. on Induction Day. We weren't able to make it for that and left early the following morning so I'll just have to see it next time I visit! 

Up next: The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum