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|  |  | | |  | | | | Medina Railroad Museum Train Rides |
Featured in the Orleans County section of the November 2011 - February 2012 issue of Explore New York, is information about Medina, Albion, Childs and County-wide Barn Quilt Trail.
Advertisers include: Medina Railroad Museum Polar Express Train Rides, Another Time...Another Place, Cobblestone Society Museum, Schoolhouse Bed & Breakfast, Orleans County Winter Fun, Crooked Door Tavern, and Orleans County Barn Quilt Trail. |
A Holiday Getaway to Orleans County, NY
A holiday getaway in the country is just a short ride away on the banks of the Erie Canal in Orleans County.
On November 26th come to Medina for the Olde Tyme Christmas Celebration. Holiday craft vendors, wagon rides, food and entertainment will warm your soul. And don’t miss the glittering Parade of Lights!
Bring the family for the Polar Express Train Excursions at the Medina Railroad Museum November 26 & 27, and December 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 & 18. The 34-mile, 2-hour trip takes you from the Museum to Lockport over the Erie Canal. The museum is a showplace for New York Central Railroad memorabilia. Reservations are required, so call 585/798-6106 to ensure your place.
Medina’s Shirt Factory Café hosts Dessert Theater in The Gathering Room. Savor multi-course, progressive desserts while viewing a classic film. Call 585-798-2633 for the current film schedule and reservations.
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Celebrate the grape harvest at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery on the Niagara Wine Trail. December 2 - 4 & 9 - 11 savor the season at Holiday Happenings! Collect a different ornament at each winery on the trail to complete your set. Includes 3 tastings at each winery, a commemorative wineglass from your starting winery and a keepsake ornament at each winery. Call 585-318-4418 for reservations.
For hearty fare and a cordial reception stop by The Crooked Door Tavern in Albion, with a view of the Erie Canal. Or try Tillman’s Historic Village Inn, located on Ridge Road in the Cobblestone Historic District. The Inn opened in 1824 as a way station for stagecoaches that once rumbled along "The Ridge" before the railroad era.
End your day in cozy comfort at one of our unique B&Bs. The Erie Canal Schoolhouse B&B in Albion, was a 1907 school and the former classrooms are now guestrooms. The Historic Village B&B in Medina has newly restored bedroom suites with the charm of yesteryear- high ceilings, antique furniture, period lighting, and claw foot tub. Luxury and elegance await you at The Pillars Estate B&B. Appointed in Queen Anne décor, the Victorian mansion is perfect for a romantic getaway and features a home theater.
For a complete list of events and attractions contact the Orleans County Tourism Office at 1-800-724-0314 or visit a href="http://www.OrleansCountyTourism.com" target="_blank">www.OrleansCountyTourism.com.
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The Polar Express comes to Medina, NY
The Medina Railroad Museum will bring The Polar Express train ride event to Medina this holiday season! The Polar Express train rides are based on the holiday feature film from Warner Bros. Pictures and the beloved children’s book, by Chris Van Allsburg, about a doubting young boy who takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole on Christmas Eve.
"Well, are you coming?" asks the Conductor.
"Where?" asks the Boy.
"Why, to the North Pole, of course. This is The Polar Express!"
Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, pajama clad passengers will relive the magic of the story as this nighttime train whisks families away for an unforgettable ride to the North Pole. During the journey, the Conductor will punch tickets and Chefs serve hot chocolate and cookies, followed by a reading of Van Allsburg’s classic. At the North Pole, Santa will board the train and greet the children! And Santa has a gift for those who truly believe - a silver sleigh bell.
Medina Railroad Museum joins over thirty other officially licensed Polar Express Train Ride events nationwide this holiday season. The Polar Express holiday schedule consists of 24 train departures in November and December leading up to Christmas from the Medina Railroad Museum at 530 West Ave., Medina NY on November 26 & 27, and December 3, 4, 10,11, 17 and 18 at 4:30, 5:45 and 7:00 pm.
Tickets are on sale now at $28.00 for everyone over 2 years old. First Class tickets are also available on a limited basis at $45.00 for everyone over 2 years. Along with upgraded seating, First Class passengers will receive their own Polar Express ceramic souvenir cocoa mug! For tickets and event information, call Medina Railroad Museum at 585-798-6106 or visit www.railroadmuseum.net or www.polarexpressride.com.
Be sure to make your reservations early as these trains are expected to sell out quickly. “All Aboard!” - for those who truly believe!
This magical train ride to the North Pole is in partnership with Rail Events Inc. (through Warner Brothers Consumer Products, Inc.) to bring the officially licensed train ride event to Medina this holiday season!
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It’s a Sign… in Orleans County
Much of the work in the tourism industry is concerned with promotion- advertising our tourism attractions to draw you, the visitor, into making a trip to our area. However, once you arrive it’s sometimes difficult to learn more about an area and its history, leaving you a bit unfulfilled because you didn’t discover the “why,” “when,” or “how” about the destination.
Orleans County is chock full of historic markers and interpretive signs telling the story behind many of our attractions and helping to enhance your visit. For example, a Seaway Trail interpretive panel at Orleans County Marine Park reveals the settlement of Point Breeze by ancient Native Americans. Another panel, outside the Cobblestone Museum, deconstructs the art and methods of cobblestone masonry popular in the 1800s.
Our Country Barn Quilt Trail is, in itself, a teller of stories about farm life on the Ontario lakeplain. Listen to the recorded message on your cell phone at each of the 40 quilt blocks on the Trail.
A display at the Courthouse Square Historic District in Albion provides a visual description of the historic churches on the square, including one built by George Pullman, inventor of the rail sleeping car. Or learn about Historic Ridge Road, the trail of the Iroquois, from a plaque located along Rt. 104 in the Town of Ridgeway.
Each sign or display is a snippet of Americana and will give you some insight into what makes Orleans a unique and interesting place. Here are some little known facts about Orleans County, its people, landscapes and communities-
• Albion resident, Charlie Howard, was the first nationally televised Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Santa Claus. He brought joy to a national audience for 17 years.
• Medina sandstone has been used worldwide, and includes the steps of the New York State Capitol Building.
• The Culvert Tunnel near Medina is the only place on the entire 363-mile Erie Canal where you can drive or walk under this grand waterway.
• A grove of “shoe trees” is growing in the town of Yates. Footwear of all kinds adorns this bit of roadside kitsch.
Visit our website www.OrleansCountyTourism.com and discover our hidden gems or contact the Orleans County Tourism Office at 1-800-724-0314.
Country Barn Quilt Trail
Enjoy a scenic drive along quaint, rustic country roads through lush farmlands as you follow the Country Barn Quilt Trail of Western New York. Begin your journey at Partyka Farms, 1420 County Line Road (Route 272), Kendall, NY, where you can pick up a map of over 40 barns and buildings that are adorned with wooden block quilts that have their own story. At every stop along the way, you call a special hot line on your cell phone and punch in a code for the particular quilt you are viewing. You will be given the history of each farm and learn why the residents chose their particular quilt pattern.
Come to Orleans County to experience the beauty and abundance of their historic barns, rivers, orchards, farm stands, fine dining, artistic offerings, wineries, and more as you make your way along the trail. For more information call Partyka Farms at 585-659-9131 or check out www.countrybarnquilttrail.com.
The Medina Railroad Museum – A Great Place to Experience
Built in 1905-06 by the New York Central and Hudson River Rail Road Co., the home of the Medina Railroad Museum is the largest wood frame freight house that the New York Central Co. ever owned and measures 34 feet by 301 feet. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is the finest artifact in the enormous collection brought together by Marty Phelps, founder and Director.
With the beautiful office area preserved and serving as the museum lobby, the warehouse area has been converted into a grand exhibit hall housing displays of over 6000 artifacts, models and memorabilia from the great railroads of the Northeastern USA and the Panama Canal. The museum has nearly 600 linear feet of display and exhibit space plus one of the largest single floor HO-Scale train layout and diorama in the US. The layout, 14 feet by 204 feet, is teeming with life like scenes of villages, small cities and rural landscapes. A small portion depicting the 1840 to 1860s era features the famous Dewitt Clinton, the Lafayette and the General Bull train sets. A short section of the original Erie Canal is modeled next to this area. New scenes keep popping up throughout the year as this spectacular layout continues to grow. The immense twin track rail line measures over 400 feet and runs HO-Scale trains with up to 100 rail cars.
Train rides are scheduled throughout the year. May 9-11 and 16-18, enjoy a Day Out with Thomas. The famous storybook engine will chug into Medina where families can enjoy a 25-minute train ride with Thomas, storytelling, meet Sir Topham Hatt, jump around in the Thomas Bounce House or take part in a number of family-friendly activities. Winery Trains will run the last Sunday of the month from May 25 until October 26. Bring Dad to Medina for A Father’s Day Train ride on June 15. Call or check www.railroadmuseum.net for the complete year ‘round train schedule.
Courteous, friendly staff members are on hand to welcome you and show you around the Museum Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm year round. Museum admission is $6.50 for adults, $4.00 for students 13-18, $3.00 for kids age 2 - 12 and $5.00 for seniors. For more information call (585) 798-6106 or check out www.railroadmuseum.net. The Museum is located at 530 West Ave., Medina, NY.
Cobblestone Buildings - Unique History to our Region
People of all ages are fascinated with innumerable cobblestone buildings unique to Central and Western New York. Between 1825 and 1860 over one thousand cobblestone structures were built in North America with 90% to be found within a 75 mile radius of Rochester, NY Early cobblestone buildings employ the use of glaciated stone (field stone) which local farmers gathered from clearing their fields. By 1840 and after, we find the predominate use of lake-washed stone from the beaches of Ontario for exterior veneer. Lake stone became preferred because of its aesthetic appeal in being smaller, smoother and more uniform in shape and color as compared to field stone.
With the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, we find that the area became settled and prosperous almost over night. Wheat became the main cash crop and the Erie Canal made its abundance accessible. Hence, by the mid-1830s this region was known as the breadbasket of the world. Many cobblestone houses were indeed, built by farmers raising wheat. These landmarks which remain with us today, were often status symbols when they were built. But the cobblestone era during the second quarter of the 19th century was a fad that brought about its demise. By the time of the industrial revolution these labor-intensive buildings were not only expensive but became unfashionable.
In 1960 the Cobblestone Society was founded in Childs, Orleans County, NY as a not-for-profit educational institution. A museum complex has been the result, which is located on Routes 104 and 98. Here visitors may see the oldest cobblestone church in North America built in 1834. There were 26 built by various denominations. Also, a cobblestone house museum circa 1840 and a cobblestone school built in 1849. The museum complex also contains 4 historic wooden structures, largely representing an agricultural theme (a Blacksmith Shop, Harness Shop, an exhibit hall of 19th century farm tools and a Print Shop). Museum hours through Labor Day are Tues. through Sat. 11-5 and Sun. 1-5 (Sept. - Oct. Sun. 1-5). Group tours are by appointment. For more details call (716) 589-9013.
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