Discover New York's Museums with Don WIldman 1st ed.

finger lakes greater niagara Corning Museum of Glass, in 1848 site of the nation’s first women’s rights convention, where it was shockingly declared that “woman is man’s equal.” Visit the Elizabeth Cady Stanton House here, then follow the Votes for Women History Trail west to Rochester, where The National Susan B. Anthony House takes you into the 4.1 miles from Rochester Stn. private world of this public woman. nps.gov/wori photo: tony delgrosso The Strong | National Museum of Play in Rochester, with exhibitions like Pinball Playfields, American Comic Book Heroes and Toys Hall of Fame, make for a museum that’s full of goofy, childlike fun—but with a scholarly side too for those who take play seriously. Talk about a museum that’s great for kids, but even I had to sidle up to the Sesame Street stoop—and swoon. Ah, youth! museumofplay.org 1.1 miles from Rochester Stn. The Eastman Museum in Rochester is an absolute must for anyone who loves taking (or looking at) photographs and movies. On the grandiose estate of George Eastman, the man who made Kodak a household word, in a restored, Colonial Revival masterpiece of a house with glorious gardens, is a leading museum of the industry, craft and art of photography and cinema. It’s home to the personal collections of Cecil B. DeMille and Martin Scorsese, and the archives of the Technicolor Corporation. Try to schedule your visit around a film screening at 2.0 miles from Rochester Stn. the on-site Dryden Theater! eastman.org NY MUSEUMS BY RAIL photo: david pape via Flickr CC which been around since 1929, has seen a lot of changes over the last five years. As its permanent exhibit spaces have been transformed into highly interactive and immersive science studios, this classic has boosted itself into the 21st century. This is a bountiful museum, with all the prerequisites of a solid science center covered and a large helping of hands-on exhibitions to engage kids for hours. sciencebuff.org Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural legacy looms large over our nation and perhaps nowhere as strongly as in the Greater Niagara region. Darwin D. Martin House in Buffalo’s Parkside East historic district, built between 1904 and 1907, was one of his boldest and largest residential schemes. You now can visit the restored house and view its custom furniture and many remarkable glass panels. See this building; it’s the Wright move to make! darwinmartinhouse.org 3.5 miles from Buffalo-Exchange Stn. 5.3 miles from Buffalo-Exchange Stn. The Buffalo Museum of Science, Old Fort Niagara, in Youngstown, protects the mouth of its namesake river at the point it meets Lake Ontario. One of the oldest forts in the US, it saw combat in the French and Indian War. Today, you can visit original 17th century buildings and see a host of exhibits, frequent battle reenactments and demonstrations. Did I mention the spectacular view? oldfortniagara.org photo: courtesy niagara usa1 collection of art and artifacts— over 3,000 pieces— including 19th-century Native American artifacts, great paintings and bronzes of the American West, illustrations and works on paper. You’ll also find artistic works from post-war America, photography and arms and armor. The original collection, amassed by local business owners Bob and Hertha Rockwell, focused on the American West but, forty years later, the museum has expanded its purview to the entirety of the American experience. rockwellmuseum.org 93.4 miles from Rochester Stn. photo: courtesy darwin d. martin house The Rockwell Museum houses an impressive The Women’s Rights National Historical Park, in Seneca Falls, was the photo: courtesy eastman museum To be honest, when I first visited Buffalo’s Albright-Knox Art Gallery, I wasn’t expecting too much. I was so wrong. Opened in 1905 and sited in Fredrick Olmsted’s Delaware Park, this majestic, neo-classic structure harkens back to Buffalo’s 19th century history as America’s industrial powerhouse. One visit to this proud repository of European and American art, both traditional and avant-garde, demonstrates that great things are, indeed, still happening in Buffalo. Be sure to take in lunch at the AK Café. The food’s delicious—though you’ll have to venture further into town for those famous 6.0 miles from Buffalo-Exchange Station Buffalo wings. albrightknox.org photo: anthony sokolik via Flickr CC photo: courtesy rockwell museum Corning, is one of the most extraordinary institutions in the nation. Architecturally stunning, artistically sophisticated and truly engaging, this museum makes utterly transparent the indispensable role glass has played in our civilization. More than a dozen galleries illuminate the 35-century long history of glassmaking, and the Contempo rary Art + Design Wing, opened in 2015, features breathtaking exhibits by some of the edgiest artists in the medium. But this is also a museum that works, in a practical sense. The several “Hot Shops” on the grounds are dynamic, entertaining studios where glassblowers fashion original pieces for audiences of all ages. Book ahead on the website for a chance to “Make Your Own Glass.” I can hardly wait for next Christmas when I hang my new, fab glass ornament. I blew it!! cmog.org 105.4 miles from Rochester Stn. 12.9 miles from Niagara Falls Station 7

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