Auburn
East of Montezuma and midway to Skaneateles, the town of Auburn, though larger than Seneca Falls, doesn't have quite the charms of its neighbor, though it does possess a handful of historic sights. Chief among them is the Willard Memorial Chapel, 17 Nelson St. (tel. 315/252-0339), the surviving piece of the once-grand Auburn Theological Seminary, built in 1818. But this Romanesque chapel holds a treasure: an interior designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany, apparently the only existing example of a complete and unaltered Tiffany interior. The series of stained-glass windows, including a nine-paneled Rose Window, and leaded-glass chandeliers are stunning. The chapel is open Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 4pm; admission is $3.
The Seward House, 33 South St. (tel. 315/252-1283; www.sewardhouse.org), is a National Historic Landmark and former home of the 19th-century statesman who served as U.S. secretary of state, U.S. senator, and New York governor. The handsome 19th-century home is very nearly a national library, so extensive is its collection of family artifacts, historical documents, and items collected from the life and travels of William H. Seward. Seward was known principally for negotiating the purchase of Alaska, derided in the press at the time as "Seward's Folly," and as Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of State, attacked and seriously stabbed by a would-be murderer as part of the conspiracy that felled Lincoln. The museum is open mid-October to December 31 and February through June, Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 4pm; from July to mid-October, it's open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm and Sunday from 1 to 4pm. Admission is $6 adults, $5 seniors, and $2 students 12 to 17.
