Last week we looked at places to get out of the house, while still keeping warm, and we put the spotlight on our wonderful public libraries. For more great places to get out of the house but in from the cold, try our region’s many museums.
*The huge CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS is rightly world-renowned. If you haven’t been for a while, stop in again. It’s constantly growing, constantly changing. It’s art, industry, science, local history, and pop culture. (Look for your Mom’s Pyrex, Corelle, and CorningWare.) EXTRA SPECIAL: the hot glass show, where glass artists create while you watch.
*Corning’s “other” museum sometimes gets unjustly overshadowed by the Glass Museum. But the ROCKWELL MUSEUM is worth repeat visits all on its own… to be honest, we’re at the Rockwell more than we are at the Glass Museum. It’s a worthy memorial to Mr. and Mrs. Rockwell… I knew him, and he was always a pleasure to visit. The Rockwell has had a history of groping for its own identity, but is now a Smithsonian Affiliate, focusing on art of the American experience. EXTRA SPECIAL: contemporary art by Native American and Latin American artists.
*I used to be director of the GLENN CURTISS MUSEUM, and I’m always amazed at the number of local folks who haven’t been, or who think it’s still in the old 1860 academy building. Curtiss Museum tells a triple-barreled tale… the Curtiss story, the early aviation story, and the story of a typical small town experiencing the flood of change in the early 20th century. EXTRA SPECIAL: the workshop, where volunteers restore of reproduce flying aircraft.
*Curtiss Museum’s sister institution is the NATIONAL SOARING MUSEUM atop Harris Hill, overlooking Big Flats. Snowy windy days are not the best for driving up that hill, but otherwise make a stop if you haven’t done so. Maybe you think you’re not especially interested in “the silent grace of motorless flight” – but soaring, gliders, and sailplanes have been an important part of our region’s economy and heritage. Why not learn something new? EXTRA SPECIAL: a large guest exhibit of dollhouses and miniatures.
*The OLIVER AND UNDERWOOD MUSEUMS in Penn Yan center on life in the Yates County area, from pre-contact Native times onward. EXTRA SPECIAL: Jemima Wilkinson’s coachee (a cut-down carriage) and other memorabilia. To her 18th-century followers Jemima’s word was not law… it was Divine Law. Eccentric she may have been, but she’s one of the founding figures of our region.
*CHEMUNG VALLEY HISTORY MUSEUM focuses on life in and around Elmira, including Mark Twain and the “big horn” (a mammoth tusk) which gives Chemung its name. EXTRA SPECIAL: this is the original home of Chemung Canal Bank, so you can still see the vault.
*Where would we be without our lakes? Check out the still-new (and ever-growing) FINGER LAKES BOATING MUSEUM near Hammondsport. Besides seeing the boats (and getting a whiff of summer), you can often watch restoration work, just as you can at nearby Curtiss. EXTRA SPECIAL: FLBM’s main building is the old Taylor (originally Columbia) winery, with its lovely 19th-century stone vaults and dark woodwork.
*And all that’s just for starters! Watch this space – more to come!