These Small Towns In The Finger Lakes Region Have The Best Historic Districts
In central New York, eleven long, narrow, north-south oriented lakes cut through the landscape like ancient claw marks, which is appropriate since they were clawed out by glaciers during the last Ice Age. The eleven Finger Lakes—Otisco Lake, Skaneateles Lake, Owasco Lake, Cayuga Lake, Seneca Lake, Keuka Lake, Canandaigua Lake, Honeoye Lake, Canadice Lake, Hemlock Lake, and Conesus Lake—make up one of the most beautiful and popular travel destinations in the region. While you cannot go wrong visiting any of the small towns lining the lakes, we have chosen seven of the most historic towns that should be on your travel list.
Auburn
Located at the northern end of Owasco Lake, Auburn’s population of approximately 27,000 makes it one of the Finger Lakes’ larger communities. While there are 200-plus years of historical significance tied to the state prison in town, the Auburn Correctional Facility, Auburn has more pleasant historical highlights as well. The homes of Auburn’s two most famous residents, Harriet Tubman (escaped slave, abolitionist, and slave liberator) and William Seward (abolitionist and President Lincoln’s Secretary of State) are now operated as museums. Other historic architectural highlights include the Old Post Office and Courthouse (1890). Auburn also has longstanding ties to professional baseball, and is a great place to catch an Auburn Doubledays game during the summertime.
Canandaigua
The name Canandaigua derives from the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) word for “the chosen place,” and the town of that name at the northern end of Canandaigua Lake certainly has a special quality to it. Home to about 10,000 residents, Canandaigua has been a hub for commerce and education in the region for more than 200 years. The town has more than a dozen structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the Main Street Historic District is a great place to do some shopping while admiring the architecture. Another Canandaigua highlight is the Sonnenberg Mansion, a Victorian era masterpiece surrounded by 50 acres of gardens that is now a state park.
Geneva
From its perch at the northern tip of Seneca Lake, the town of Geneva stands as one of the Finger Lakes’ true historical gems. The historic downtown corridor along Exchange Street gets a boost of vitality both from lakefront tourists and students at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. The magnificent 1894 Smith Opera House, one of the oldest in-use performance venues in the nation, stands among several architectural highlights in town. Meanwhile, just outside of town along the lakefront, the 1910 Geneva on the Lake resort hotel and 1884 Belhurst Castle are a pair of must-see estates. Keep driving along the lakefront to explore the heart of the Finger Lakes’ wine country.
Penn Yan
Situated at the northeast tip of the Y-shaped Keuka Lake, Penn Yan got its unique name from a compromise among the town’s early Pennsylvania (“Penn”) and New England “Yankee” (“Yan”) settlers. Penn Yan is known for buckwheat flour thanks to Birkitt Mills, which—amazingly enough—has been in operation since 1797, as well as for the numerous surrounding wineries. The downtown Penn Yan Historic District includes over 200 structures, some of which date from the mid-1800s. It is only a short walk from the historic downtown to the calm waters of Keuka Lake; if you prefer a longer walk, take the picturesque Keuka Lake Outlet Trail, which runs for 6 miles to the town of Dresden.
Seneca Falls
Located ten miles east of Geneva and between Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake, Seneca Falls hosted the Women’s Rights Convention in 1848, earning its fame as the birthplace of the women’s rights movement. The Women’s Rights National Historic Park, established in 1982, includes several historic locations within town, including convention leader Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s family home, built in 1832. In addition to its strong historical association with women’s rights, Seneca Falls is considered by many to be the model for the fictional town of Bedford Falls in the 1946 holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life. The town is home to a museum and an annual celebration dedicated to the beloved film.
Skaneateles
The uniquely-named town of Skaneateles (pronounced “Skanny-atlas” or, often by locals, “Skinny-atlas”), sits at the northern end of the lake of the same name. Like its neighbor 20 miles to the northeast, Syracuse, Skaneateles was known as one of the hotbeds of antislavery and abolitionist sentiments in the decades before the Civil War. Several historical structures from that era, including the 1810 Kelsey-Davey Farm and 1832 Community Place, remain to stand testament to the town’s past. Modern Skaneateles’ 7,000 residents celebrate their beautiful town with community events like the Summer Music Festival, Curbstone Festival, Antique and Classic Boat Show, Dickens Christmas, and Winterfest. They would love for you to join them!
Watkins Glen
Watkins Glen, positioned at the southern tip of Seneca Lake (about 30 miles south of Geneva), has one of the prettiest downtowns in all the Finger Lakes. Yet, despite having numerous nineteenth and early twentieth century structures, Watkins Glen is better known for three other highlights. One such highlight is Watkins Glen State Park, with its stunning gorge trail and 19 scenic waterfalls. The second main tourist attraction is Watkins Glen International Raceway, which hosts numerous auto races, including a NASCAR race each August. Thirdly, the nearby shores of Seneca Lake are home to some of the Finger Lakes region’s best wineries. So there is no shortage of reasons for visiting Watkins Glen!
The Finger Lakes region is a popular tourist hub primarily due to its ideal location and spectacular natural beauty. That said, the Finger Lakes have a deep and fascinating history that stretches back to include the Iroquois Confederacy, the Erie Canal, the women’s rights movement, and more. Several of the region’s lakeside towns have done a fantastic job preserving the past and making it accessible for today’s visitors. If you love walking through historic, charming small towns, put the Finger Lakes at the top of your travel list!
