Hyde Hall

This enormous neoclassic mansion museum is quite the anomaly here in the land of small towns. Built by George Clarke, the 50-room home was built between 1817 and 1834 to be a showplace at the center of his agricultural empire. It's considered one of the nation's major private architectural undertakings from the years between the Revolutionary and the Civil wars, and it provides a distinct contrast to the Farmers' Museum in showing how the other half lived. Today, you'll explore great rooms, a chapel, servants' quarters, and even one of the first interior flush toilets in upstate New York. With four structures on the property, and a lovely view of Lake Otsego, you'll want to spend some time beyond the hour-long tour. Bring a picnic lunch!

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