Hyde Hall — Attraction in Town of Springfield

Hyde Hall is an extraordinary British-style country house set in Cooperstown, NY. The house was built between 1817-1834 by architect Phillip Hooker. It was home to five generations of the Clarke family. There are 50 rooms in the house and the house has picturesque views of Otsego Lake. At the time the house was built, it was arguably the best that money could buy. The house has grand rooms, high ceilings, and impressive architectural features. The dining room itself measures twenty-four by thirty-six feet. Perhaps, one of the most unique innovations in the house are chandeliers that were lit by vapor light. Through a demonstration I had the opportunity to see this technology in use and it was amazing. The tour guide stated that this might be the only place in the world where you can see a working vapor light chandelier. There is also a large kitchen here that is much much bigger than kitchens in comparable mansions.. The library is another captivating room. You will also see some of the servants quarters on the tour. The house is still in the process of being renovated, but there is still a lot to see. Seeing the house from the outside is impressive. It is constructed mostly of limestone. You will notice the four Grecian columns in the front of the house. From inside of the house you will notice the open courtyards. The porch is another gem of this house as it has a wonderful view of the lake. The house can also be seen from the lake. On your way to the house you will pass by on what is thought to be America’s oldest covered bridge. It is fairly easy to get a tour here and you can call ahead of time for hours. You can enter through Glimmerglass State Park to get here, but there is also a separate road leading to the mansion. After a mansion tour Glimmerglass State Park offers a lot to do. Cooperstown is famous for its many attractions including the Baseball Hall of Fame and Farmers Museums. Hyde Hall should rank right up there with them....

You need to work on training your employees a bit better. My family and I were visiting glimmer glass lake state park and someone in the trail recommended we look at Hyde Hall. We walked up and the door was open with no signage indicating tours, payment needed, etc. Thinking that it was part of the park we waked through. A few minutes later an older gentleman can running at us, yelling that we had no right to be in the house. We went back into the lobby and he continued to berate us in front of another tour group. We offered to pay but he insisted on yelling at us. My mother in law asked him where the signage was and he said it was common sense and he didn’t see the need to put up signs. This was incredibly humiliating and entirely unnecessary. This was an honest mistake and he treated us completely disrespectfully. Please use this as a training moment. We would have been happy to pay or donate but clearly he would have rather...

August 2013, I hiked the Sleeping Lion Trail in Glimmerglass State Park, around Otsego lake with inspired James Fennimore Cooper. The trail starts and ends near Hyde Hall. Don't be dissuaded by the someone 'ugly' look of the main building... it was designed by a renowned Civic Architect and was quite the rage at the time. The history of the residents is interesting with ties to Hyde Family, Cooper Family and the Singer / Clarke famliy. One wife of the Clarkes was a Titanic Survival, the many George's each had unique personalities on the estate until the State of NY took the building by emminent domain to build the park. Worth the trip. and the park is lovely. This home had it all, hiking in mountains, parties in the ball room, and...