Destination: Cooperstown

Baseball and history lovers need look no further than Cooperstown, N.Y., for a historic weekend full of fine food, scenic views and national memorabilia.

Cooperstown lies in between Buffalo and New York City, making the trip about four hours from either location, and boasts a variety of attractions, including resorts, museums and other visitor favorites.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located in Cooperstown, offers visitors the chance to take a look into the ghost of baseball past through special films, plaques honoring Hall of Fame members and a timeline of historical events in baseball, according to www.cooperstownchamber.org.

Just down the block from the National Baseball Hall of Fame, visitors can find the Baseball Wax Museum. The museum is home to life-size wax figurines of famous players, which make for great photos and fun for friends and family. For a bite to eat after the visit, travelers can stop by the All-American Caf?(c) located within the Wax Museum, which opens up shop in May.

After touring the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and the Baseball Wax Museum, visitors can round out the trip by stopping at the famous Doubleday Field. The minor league baseball stadium will become a concert venue this June, welcoming Crosby Stills and Nash.

This summer, the Cooperstown Chamber Music Festival will be holding concerts at various venues in Cooperstown. On Aug. 2, there will be a jazz performance at The Farmers' Museum, according to www.farmersmuseum.org.

The Farmers' Museum presents a historic village, where visitors will receive a first-hand look at businesses, farms and houses in a farming community from the 1800s. One site within the village, the Lippitt Farmstead, includes a farmhouse, granary and children's barnyard.

The Fenimore Art Museum is open year round and features unique collections of James Fenimore Cooper memorabilia, American Indian and American folk art. This summer, the museum will be holding an event on Aug. 8 called A Taste of the Sublime that will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will feature artwork from local artists, food and entertainment.

The museum will also have an exhibit called Through the Eyes of Others: African Americans and Identity in American Art, in which African American art and historical pieces will be displayed through December 2010. Other events, including film screenings and exhibits, will also be in place at the Fenimore Art Museum, according to the Web site.

After a full day of touring Cooperstown, hungry visitors can eat at restaurants like the Hoffman Lane Bistro. Chef Michael Smith prepares dishes like the bistro meatloaf, and the chicken Alfredo, as well as a variety of salads, according to www.hoffmanlanebistro.com.

A visit to the historic Hyde Hall, a National Historic Landmark preserved since the 1800s, is located north of Cooperstown in Glimmerglass State Park and sets up its visitors for a beautiful view of Otsego Lake. In July and August, this scenic excursion can be accompanied by an evening of music, as the Glimmerglass Opera house will be hosting plenty of festivals, according to www.cooperstownchamber.org.

Visitors looking to take a boat tour of the Erie Canal can make the 40-minute drive north of Cooperstown to Herkimer, where tours are available for just $18 starting Memorial Day weekend. Tour reservations can be made ahead of time, according to the Web site.

Accommodations in Cooperstown include plenty of bed and breakfasts, hotels, campgrounds and guesthouses. There are more than enough options for even the most frequent travelers, and reservations can be made ahead of time through the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce Web site.

Cooperstown truly is a home run in the world of travel.