Mumford, New York, is a small town in Monroe County in the northwest part of the state. Only 30 minutes away from Rochester and Lake Ontario, Mumford is centered around a nature center and museum called Genesee. This quaint town may not offer a lot of options for on-the-go people, but for those who want to relax and take a look at the 19th century in the 21st, Mumford is the spot.
This village on Flint Hill Road in Mumford was founded to preserve a spot where children and adults could learn the history of New York and America in the 19th century. The spot offers interactive programs and exhibits to present visitors with a first-hand look at what life was like back then. The complex consists of 700 acres and 68 preserved houses. The village also houses an art museum that has a number of permanent and temporary works throughout themed rooms. The museum has featured work from environmental artist Robert Bateman as well as an exhibit called "The Sporting Life," which tracked how the sports culture has shaped men's fashion and our view of masculinity.
The nature center part of the village is a place to get outdoors and experience natural plants, wildlife and ecosystems in New York. Although it is operated under the same direction of the Genesee Village staff, it is a separate 175 acres with five miles of hiking trails. The center offers educational programs, historic and nature tours, classes and day camps. The trails travel through fields, woodlands and wetlands, and in the winter you can travel them on snowshoes or cross-country skis, which you can rent at the center. One trail, the Geology Trail, takes visitors past an extinct waterfall, glacial boulders and 375 million-year-old fossils.
Going along with the theme of 19th century living, Mumford offers two options to eat in historic, renovated restaurants: The Depot Restaurant and the Freight House Pub. In 1840, both places housed the Auburn and Rochester Railroad. The railroad operated for more than 100 years but the last ride left the station in 1958. Also located on Flint Hill Road, The Depot offers daily specials in a renovated railroad station. Next door at the Freight House Pub you can get an array of sandwiches and snacks, but it is only open on the weekends. Both places offer customers a pint of home brewed 1803 Fat Ox Ale. You can also purchase growlers of the brew in home-made pottery displaying Genesee Country Village on the front.
If you want to get out of the 19th century and back to reality, a 30-minute drive north on NY-386 takes you to Rochester, New York. The area features a number of parks, including Black Creek Park, Churchville County Park, Devil's Cove Park and Ellison Park. All four have hiking and biking trails. Some parks have tennis courts, Frisbee golf fields and ice skating rinks, while others are more undeveloped with natural wildlife sanctuaries.
