Hyde Hall
Hyde Hall
4.5
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Hyde Hall is a 50-room Regency-style neoclassic stone English manor house that was built between 1817 and 1835. Now a museum, Hyde Hall offers a walk into the past with fabulous views of Otsego Lake and the surrounding countryside. Hourly guided tours are available May through October, with tours departing from the Visitors' Center, beginning at 10 am through to 3 pm. ADMISSION PRICES: $15 Adults; $12 Seniors (62+), Military and Youth (ages 6 – 17); Children (5 & under) free.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.6
198 reviews
Excellent
137
Very good
48
Average
9
Poor
1
Terrible
3
Shermyanne
La Quinta, CA228 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
This museum was created from a large English-style country house which had sat neglected for much of the previous hundred years. Unlike many sites, much of the house and many of its contents survive to the present. While the house is still in the process of being restored, it is possible to see its construction and former use on the tour.
Many of the property’s attributes make it unique. It was among the largest homes in North America when built. The covered bridge that led to it is the oldest one of its type in existence. The property and site are disarmingly lovely. The story of the Hyde family is interesting by virtue of the challenges they encountered.
The tour of the property lasted about an hour and was included in the admission price. The guide was very well informed about the details of the history and the house itself.
Recommended for history lovers.
Hyde Hall shares some of its cultural DNA with Downton Abby. Ideal for those who would like to see a 19th century manor house -
Highly recommended for history buffs.
Many of the property’s attributes make it unique. It was among the largest homes in North America when built. The covered bridge that led to it is the oldest one of its type in existence. The property and site are disarmingly lovely. The story of the Hyde family is interesting by virtue of the challenges they encountered.
The tour of the property lasted about an hour and was included in the admission price. The guide was very well informed about the details of the history and the house itself.
Recommended for history lovers.
Hyde Hall shares some of its cultural DNA with Downton Abby. Ideal for those who would like to see a 19th century manor house -
Highly recommended for history buffs.
Written 29 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gregory K.H.
Los Angeles, CA8 contributions
Aug 2024 • Friends
This is an incredible adventure is early America. Made more special because it's real! This is a real American country house on the scale of an English country house, with original furnishings and treasures. Very few American homes built before the Civil War survive with their original furnishings, and this is an entire mansion. The architecture is incredible, the stuff inside is incredible, and the history is real.
What fun. If high school history classes were this interesting, no one would be able to leave American History alone.
I teach history, and I teach with facts and figures - that's a requirement - they provide the framework on which you hang the life experiences of the people and events we are studying...but I also hand out real antique quilts, coverlets, clothing, photographs, ornamental plaster chunks from the ceilings of demolished buildings, silver, silver plate and Sheffield plate, ceramics, glassware, and I play music of the period, and provide food. It's easy to talk about Paul Revere, but if you hand your students hand made silver from the 1700s (sadly, not by Revere), his world begins to come alive. I have students who have, voluntarily, taken my classes several times. History is exciting and fun -
Well, that is what this historic site was like for me. It is American history electrified. And really beautiful.
The real wonder is that this home was very nearly bulldozed, and the original contents scattered. What a tragedy that could have been.
However, do not visit an antiques store after leaving this great house - because suddenly all the people who've lived with the things you're looking at will be standing around you urging you to take a bit of their lives home with you, a real souvenir of our America, and they'll be very difficult to resist.
What fun. If high school history classes were this interesting, no one would be able to leave American History alone.
I teach history, and I teach with facts and figures - that's a requirement - they provide the framework on which you hang the life experiences of the people and events we are studying...but I also hand out real antique quilts, coverlets, clothing, photographs, ornamental plaster chunks from the ceilings of demolished buildings, silver, silver plate and Sheffield plate, ceramics, glassware, and I play music of the period, and provide food. It's easy to talk about Paul Revere, but if you hand your students hand made silver from the 1700s (sadly, not by Revere), his world begins to come alive. I have students who have, voluntarily, taken my classes several times. History is exciting and fun -
Well, that is what this historic site was like for me. It is American history electrified. And really beautiful.
The real wonder is that this home was very nearly bulldozed, and the original contents scattered. What a tragedy that could have been.
However, do not visit an antiques store after leaving this great house - because suddenly all the people who've lived with the things you're looking at will be standing around you urging you to take a bit of their lives home with you, a real souvenir of our America, and they'll be very difficult to resist.
Written 18 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
scott r
Silver Spring, MD783 contributions
Aug 2024 • Solo
Given the age and some improvements, it would be something of an exaggeration to say this is 'untouched', but by not much. You more or less step into a Greek Revival mansion as it was soon after completion, with many of the original furnishings. Not everything is on view yet, and the process will probably take years, but more than enough is there to give a sense of its original grandeur. Apparently the 'dangerous objects' tour allows access to the second floor, but did not fit my timetable. Nevertheless the standard tour is quite comprehensive with a conversational guide (I may have worn him out, or at least timed him out with questions and comments on what was a solo tour - always nice, that). The history is well presented. Bonus: I came down from Utica, and the drive was absolutely lovely by way of route 80 rather than 28.
Written 10 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alfred V
6 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
We have visited this magnificent estate several times over the years. We enjoy touring the house and seeing new additions each time to its restoration. You really get a sense of how affluent people lived in another era. The tour teaches the listeners about the families and successive generations who inhabited the place. It’s perch on a hill on the north end of Otsego Lake enjoys an expansive view worthy of capturing in art. The home itself has many of the original furnishings and other, period appropriate, pieces. We have begun the tradition of picnicking on the lawn between the house and the lake after the tour. It feels like being at “Downton Abbey.” Unfortunately, Maggie Smith has yet to make an appearance!
Written 10 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cheri D
Yardville, NJ507 contributions
Sept 2022
Wonderful, informative tour of the home. It is located within Glimmerglass State Park, but there is an additional fee to tour the home seasonally. Well worth the extra fees, which are reasonably priced. The tour is just the ground level as the mansion is being renovated. We were completely satisfied. Beautiful views of the lake and surrounding areas as the home is situated atop a hill.
Written 28 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susan P
Putnam, CT958 contributions
Jul 2020
I love touring historic homes and this one is among the tops of my favorites list. Our 50 minute tour lasted considerably longer. We and the other couple on the tour were very interested and asked many questions. Our guide took time to answer and tailored the tour to best suit us. Some of the rooms are completely furnished while others are still very much in the restoration phase. You will be able to see what has been done and is being done to bring this glorious home back to it's former state. At this time reservations are required to tour but it is well worth a phone call. We were arriving in the area earlier than expected and were able to change our time easily. There is parking near the entry with restrooms, a small gift shop and museum. There is also access via hiking trails from the park. As I am mobility impaired I was offered a ride to the mansion from the parking lot in a golf cart. It was much appreciated. The price to enter is reasonable. You'll be glad visited.
Written 10 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
731cw
Pine Bush, NY36 contributions
Jun 2021
Our tour was perfect, just the 2 of us ~ felt like we booked a private tour. David our guide was extremely knowledgeable on the Clarke Family, the Mansion, grounds & area history. The Mansion & Lake Views were absolutely Beautiful & Amazing! Larry in the gift shop helped me find wonderful new treasures. The whole experience was worth the visit. They also offer haunted excursions and other private events, check them out on line and do take the time to visit. So easy to get to, hike up the hill from Glimmerglass State Park right to the Mansion or take Mills Road into the parking lot. When done hit the beach to relax & enjoy! Other places we loved in Cooperstown The Otesaga Hawkeye Grill, check out the lake view from the opposite end while dining on the patio. Stagecoach Coffee for a bite & of course delicious coffee! And don't forget the famous Ommegang Brewery, they have live music on selected nights. All are worth the visit ~ Enjoy!
Written 18 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LuAnn O
Milton, PA152 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
We enjoyed the interesting and informative tour of the British style home of the five generations of the Clarke family, once the largest US residence and still containing many original pieces. The ongoing restoration and setting warrant repeated visits.
The family kept all their papers so the multiple phases of the building and the family history is well documented and shared by knowledgeable and enthusiastic guides. You can even rent the huge dining room for events. Wish I lived nearer to attend the concerts or the October candlelight Ghost tour.
The family kept all their papers so the multiple phases of the building and the family history is well documented and shared by knowledgeable and enthusiastic guides. You can even rent the huge dining room for events. Wish I lived nearer to attend the concerts or the October candlelight Ghost tour.
Written 17 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carrie W
Rome, NY77 contributions
Oct 2020
What a wonderful discovery! On our past trips to Cooperstown, we didn't know about Hyde Hall. Because of COVID, we were the only people in our tour which made it extra special -- a private tour! The last day too (October 31) The guide was extremely personable, knowledgeable and shared his knowledge without it being a monologue or "preachy." Hyde Hall is not yet fully restored, and to us, that made it seem more "real." It's not picture-perfect. It was interesting to learn about the Clarke family and to see their home; the location is very beautiful. Also, we met George, the beautiful cat. The little gift shop was interesting to look through, and I was ecstatic to find a big pile of Country Life magazines for sale. A great way to spend an afternoon. We hope that the renovation to this beautiful home continues in the years to come. Be sure to dress warmly if you go in the fall because the house was a bit chilly.
Written 6 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tabhauser
Boulder, CO802 contributions
Oct 2020
Hyde Hall is a national historic landmarked mansion completed in 1834 located nine miles north of Cooperstown.
This is a stone Palladian-style structure with 50 rooms having 60% of its original furniture. It is said to be the largest home built in the United States between the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Before leaving the park, take a walk across America’s oldest documented covered bridge.
This is a stone Palladian-style structure with 50 rooms having 60% of its original furniture. It is said to be the largest home built in the United States between the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Before leaving the park, take a walk across America’s oldest documented covered bridge.
Written 3 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is it bus tour friendly? Approximately 45 people
Written 9 February 2018
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