Mark Twain Country Welcome to Chemung County, New York Mark Twain Country. Proud to be where Twain remains. www.MarkTwainCountry.com The rich and vibrant history of Inside the Chemung River Valley. Explore Wellness Center & Spas 2 Arts & Culture Aviation Where to Stay Hotels & Motels Outdoors & Family Adventures 19 Bed & Breakfasts, Camping Travel Essentials 5 Wineries & Breweries Air Travel 7 The history and legacy 20 Shuttle, Taxi and Limousine of Mark Twain in Elmira. Service, Car Rental Map Discover9 22 Points of Interest in Mark Twain 10 Top 10 Things To Do Country. Dining in Chemung County What's Happening 15 23 Four Seasons of Fun Micro-Breweries, Wineries & Distilleries Cover:17 Mark Twain statue at the Elmira Corning Regional Airport. Cover photo by Lee Speary Photography ® I LOVE18 NEW YORK logo is a registered trademark/service mark of the NYS Dept. of Economic Development,25 used with permission. Printed in the U.S.A. elcome to Chemung County, where you can explore the many facets of a rich and vibrant community steeped in magnificent history and charm. Chemung County is not only the southern gateway to Finger Lakes "While visiting the Finger W Welcome to Wine Country, New York’s largest wine-producing region, lauded for its Lakes, we decided to soak breathtaking vistas and award-winning wines, but it has a fascinating story Mark Twain Country up some amazing views all its own. Proud to be Where Twain Remains while getting our heart rate up a bit. We couldn’t have In the Algonquin language, Chemung means “place of the horn," asked for a better place in homage to a time when the Native Americans would discover large to get outdoors than the mammoth tusks along what is now the Chemung River. "What’s extra special Tanglewood Nature Center Woodlawn National Cemetery stands as a tribute to soldiers who died at about this kayaking tour is “If you love Mark Twain in Elmira, NY. the infamous prison camp that was in Elmira during the Civil War; while the fact that as well as simply and his writing, have I got Lauren Bassart a harrowing chapter of local history, it is deservedly commemorated at the a town for you. Located in enjoying the experience of The Constant Rambler cemetery, which has the distinction of being the northernmost Confederate the picturesque Southern paddling, you also got the monument in the United States. Finger Lakes, Elmira New chance to learn about the land The area is well-noted for its riveting ties to military history. Newtown York is a treasure trove of you pass through, from the Battlefield, a national historic landmark, was the site of a significant glaciers that carved out the all things Mark Twain… offensive clash in the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign of the American steep sides of the river..." There is much more to Revolution. see and do in Elmira. " Katie MacLeod Elmira’s significance also comes from holding the revered title of Penny Zibula Stories My Suitcase Could Tell National Soaring Capital of America. Harris Hill, internationally Six Legs Will Travel known for its spectacular thermals, is home to the National Soaring Museum, which houses the world’s largest sailplane collection. Glider rides on Harris Hill are a thrilling experience not to be missed. Elmira has been home to many heroes and pioneers, including; Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy; astronaut Eileen "Arnot Art Museum Collins, the first woman to pilot a space shuttle; fashion icon Tommy has art that children love! Hilfiger; NBC news anchor Brian Williams; and Hollywood producer Hal For younger kids, the Roach of Laurel & Hardy and The Little Rascals Fame. museum’s scavenger hunt Its most famous resident, however, was American author Mark Twain. for details in the museum also helps to see details Twain married Olivia Langdon, a woman from a prominent local family, you may not notices and they summered here for more than twenty years. He wrote his most during a self-guided tour." "It’s always wonderful to famous works, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures have the perfect Christmas of Huckleberry Finn, in his study at Quarry Farm on East Hill, which Angela Tiffin "If you are in the Finger overlooked the majestic Chemung Valley. The view, with its rolling green Traveling Mom store that you can revisit Lakes region and close to for the holidays each and hills punctuated by the serpentine Chemung River, was said to have served Elmira, making a trip to Harris every year. A local favorite, as a great inspiration to his writings. Hill is a great decision. The The Christmas House is one Twain, who died in 1910, was buried in Elmira alongside his beloved museum is worth a visit on its store that’s simply amazing wife and children, and his memory is honored throughout the year by own —but if you have the chance, and full of charm. visitors to his gravesite in Woodlawn Cemetery. soaring in a glider is an experience Lea Monroe Twain’s study can be found today on the beautiful Elmira College you will never forget. It is one of "If you’re an art Only In Your State campus, which was the first institution in the U.S. to grant women our favorite adventures that lover or literature collegiate degrees equal to those of men. The study has been deemed we’ve had to date." buff visiting the the “#1 Literary Attraction in America” by USA Today and the college, Jenna & Micha Kvidt Finger Lakes, home to the Center for Mark Twain Studies, also features an exhibit of Wander the Map Elmira is a must- Twain artifacts related to his time here. So enjoy your stay in Mark Twain see for you!" Country, where we’re not only Proud To Be Where Twain Remains, but Charlotte Smith Eat Move Make proud of the plethora of arts, culture, accommodations, shopping, cuisine, festivals and outdoor adventures that make Chemung County an incredible place to visit and live. “... arguably the finest small-town art museum in America.” Elmira Street Painting Festival Arnot Art Museum National Soaring Museum ARNOT ART MUSEUM 235 Lake Street Elmira, New York USA 14901 607.734.3697 arnotartmuseum.org @arnotartmuseum #arnotartmuseum Clemens Center Soaring at Harris Hill Arts & Culture Chemung County is also notable for its proximity to other regional attractions, including the Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG) and he arts and culture scene in Chemung County is a trove of The Rockwell. CMOG is the world's largest glass museum, featuring something for everyone, from Broadway shows to art and history ongoing Hot Glass shows, thirty-five centuries of glass artistry, and Texhibits to architectural wonders. Make Your Own Glass experiences. The Rockwell is a Smithsonian The Arnot Art Museum, a world-class museum located in Affiliate Museum of American Art. Frommer's describes it as "one of downtown Elmira, displays a breathtaking permanent array of 17th to the best-designed small museums in the Northeast." Clemens Center – Downtown Elmira, NY 19th century European paintings, 19th and 20th century American art, The Region’s Performing Arts Center and collections of Asian and Egyptian artifacts. A landmark for more Aviation than 100 years and “arguably the best small-town art museum in America” according to Vitality magazine, the museum also features numerous ake a glider ride over the Chemung Valley and discover why exhibitions and programs throughout the year including a juried individuals and associations from across the globe have come here Regional Exhibition, The Scholastic Art Awards, ArtNow, The Palette Tfor decades for soaring contests and events, earning Elmira and its Awards, The Gallery Gala Exhibition and a Holiday Art Market. picturesque Harris Hill the title of Soaring Capital of America. The Chemung Valley History Museum is home to an astounding The National Soaring Museum celebrates the history of motorless 20,000 artifacts, 30,000 manuscripts and 16,000 photographs that tell flight with a wealth of captivating exhibits and an unparalleled collection Chemung Valley’s compelling story. Housed in the former Chemung of sailplanes dating from the late 1890s to the late 20th century. Canal Bank, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The museum is also one of only two places in the world where you the museum shares the fascinating memories of its community through can view a piece of the cloth wing used during the Wright Brothers’ exhibits, educational programming for adults and children, research first powered flight in 1903. The venue hosts educational programs, opportunities, and events such as the annual Ghost Walk in October, a lectures, symposiums and special events year-round. guided evening tour through Woodlawn Cemetery where participants Right next to the Soaring Museum, you’ll find Harris Hill Soaring meet “ghosts” from Elmira’s past portrayed by local actors. Corporation, where you can arrange to experience a graceful glider The region’s premier performing arts center, the Clemens Center, ride of your very own. Scheduled soaring season is from April through Credit: Small Town 360 Town Small Credit: has the Powers Theater, restored to its Vaudevillian-era grandeur and October, with extensive opportunities during the summer and shorter From blockbuster Broadway shows and adorned by intricate murals, gold-leaf details and opera boxes. The hours of operation in the spring and fall, weather permitting. FAA- dazzling dance programs to rousing classical venue is also home to Mandeville Hall, a versatile "black box" space certified commercial glider pilots take visitors aloft in either a high and contemporary concerts to feel-good used for comedy club and Elmira Little Theatre performances.