Mention “New York” and many people immediately picture the Big Apple, that bustling metropolis that just happens to be the largest city in the U.S. But the Empire State is a large, diverse region—one of the largest states in the Northeast—and it’s dotted with cities and towns that are graced with rich cultural treasures in the form of museums and other institutions.
Many of these attractions are decidedly group-friendly, allowing planners to schedule private events and business meetings in truly unique venues. So whether it’s a goal-oriented gathering at a world-class museum in Buffalo or a cocktail party in a strikingly futuristic structure in the state capital, Upstate New York has lots to offer.
Here are a few ideas for culturally infused get-togethers.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING AND HALL OF FAME, SARATOGA SPRINGS
www.racingmuseum.org
Since 1863, the town of Saratoga Springs has been synonymous with horse racing, thanks to the Saratoga Race Course, which is billed as the oldest operating track in the nation.
Planners can tap into the excitement of the city’s legendary racing traditions at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, which hosts groups of up to 400 people for cocktail parties, meetings and other events.
“The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is a very unique place to hold your special event or meeting,” says Jennifer Rickman, operations manager at the venue. “We are located across the street from the historic Saratoga Racetrack, and it’s a wonderful place to give your guests a taste of Saratoga and show them the excitement of horse racing.”
Rickman adds that the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is home to a renowned equine art collection, stunning trophies, beautiful silks and Thoroughbred memorabilia.PageBreak
THE EGG, ALBANY
www.theegg.org
It’s hard not to notice The Egg when driving into Albany. This evocatively named building is a giant ovate structure that sits on the Empire State Plaza, almost like a space ship that’s just landed. Built between 1966 and 1978, it is home to the Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center Corporation, which presents a variety of entertainment and performance art.
The Egg is a memorable site for meetings and events. Group-friendly spaces include the 450-seat Lewis A. Swyer Theatre and the 982-seat Kitty Carlisle Hart Theatre.
NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM, COOPERSTOWN
www.baseballhall.org
One of our nation’s most popular pastimes and passions is the focus of this museum. More than 38,000 artifacts grace the collection here, divided among three floors that address various aspects of baseball’s history.
The most popular section for events is the Hall of Fame Plaque Gallery, where up to 120 people can gather, surrounded by plaques honoring legendary baseball players.
Nearby, one of the area’s standout meetings properties, the Otesaga Resort Hotel, can also arrange private tours of the museum.
WHITEFACE, LAKE PLACID
www.whiteface.com
The stunning Adirondack Mountains drew lots of attention during the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Winter Games, and this scenic region is now even more geared toward groups since the debut in 2011 of the Conference Center at Lake Placid, which has more than 90,000 square feet of meeting space. In addition, the Olympic Center’s Herb Brooks Arena and the Jack Shea Arena each offer another 20,000 square feet of meeting space.
Local hotels make use of the Olympic venues to create additional meetings excitement.
“Many of our groups are made up of top execs who are very competitive by nature,” says Ann Graham, director of sales and marketing at Lake Placid Lodge, a member of Relais & Chateaux. “We incorporate the Olympic venues in many of our corporate off-site meetings. We had an exec who was really into hockey. We surprised him—along with his assistant—with slap-shot time on the 1980s Miracle on Ice arena, with Dream On by Aerosmith playing, an Olympic trainer in the goal blocking his shots and a member of our staff videotaping him.”PageBreak
ALBRIGHT-KNOX ART GALLERY, BUFFALO
www.albrightknox.org
Among the most prominent museums in Upstate New York, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery is operated by the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy. The facility, set in lovely Delaware Park, showcases contemporary and modern art, with especially large collections of post-war American and European art, abstract expressionism, pop art and art from the 1970s through the end of the century.
Group venues include the stylish AK Cafe and adjacent Sculpture Garden, as well as the 348-seat auditorium.
GEORGE EASTMAN HOUSE, ROCHESTER
www.eastmanhouse.org
For decades, Kodak has been one of the world’s most-recognized brands. The legacy of the man who started it all—George Eastman—lives on at his former home, now known as the George Eastman House. A National Historic Landmark, the house is connected to the International Museum of Photography and Film.
Groups meeting here can make use of the long hall of the Potter Peristyle on the museum’s first floor, with its grand windows and view of the adjacent photographic galleries. Another venue is the 500-seat Dryden Theatre, one of only five theaters in the country equipped for the projection of original nitrate film made before 1951. It closed in January to undergo renovations, and at press time was scheduled to reopen in March.
“The Dryden Theatre is more than a movie theater,” says Paolo Cherchi Usai, the organization’s senior curator of motion pictures. “It is the exhibition gallery for the art of cinema as seen, interpreted and explained by George Eastman House. We want the Dryden Theatre to be a state-of-the-art exhibition venue for the museum and a place where cinema, as an event, finds its most perfect manifestation.”
A freelance writer and editor, Mark Chesnut was born in Brockport, a Victorian-era Erie Canal town just outside of Rochester. He went to college in Albany, then moved to New York City. Follow his travels at www.twitter.com/travelcontent.
