6 Best Sights in Oneida, Albany and Central New York

The 1849 Gothic Revival cottage, headquarters of the Madison County Historical Society, was designed by noted architect Alexander Jackson Davis. The group runs tours of the cottage, which contains seven rooms decked in period furnishings. Glassware from Canastota Glass and portraits of City of Oneida founder Sands Higinbotham and prominent abolitionist Garrett Smith are among the displays here. The building, which once belonged to Higinbotham's son Niles, includes a research library. Out back is the Hops Barn, where exhibits explain that the region was once the center of hops production for England. The annual summer Hops Festival celebrates this heritage.

In 1982, residents of Canastota and boxing enthusiasts wanted to honor two hometown boxers, late 1950s welterweight and middleweight champion Carmen Basilio and his nephew Billy Backus, the 1970 winner of the world welterweight title. Their efforts resulted in the 1989 opening of boxing's first hall of fame and museum, where you may see memorabilia from such notable boxers as Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, and Billy Graham. The hall of fame is 6 mi southwest of Oneida.

The three-story brick house and its 34 acres were the home of the 19th-century utopian Oneida Community, founded in 1848 by John Humphrey Noyes. The sect believed that the second coming of Christ had already occurred and that a new Eden could be achieved on Earth. Followers considered themselves sinless and believed in the sharing of property and spouses. The group, which supported itself by making silk thread, animal traps, canned foods, and silverware, eventually led to the formation of tableware manufacturer Oneida Ltd. The mansion, a 93,000-square-foot National Historic Landmark with beautiful mansard roofs, was constructed in stages between 1861 and 1914 and contains 35 apartments (some occupied by descendants of the original community members), a large hall, a dining room, and a museum. Guided tours are the only way to see the interior.

The center, in a log building on the grounds of the Oneida Indian Nation, has exhibits highlighting baskets, beadwork, dolls, and wampum. You may also learn about the role of the Oneida Nation during the American Revolution, when it sided with the rebels rather than with the British.

The amusement park, on the eastern shore of Oneida Lake, is loaded with old-fashioned fun. Attractions include an old-time carousel, bumper cars and boats, roller coaster, food vendors, and arcades.

The Oneida Indian Nation has transformed what began as a tiny bingo hall into a sprawling resort. The casino, one of the largest in the region, has more than 100 table games, including baccarat, blackjack, craps, and roulette; a poker room; and more than 2,400 slot machines. The spa and fitness facility has saunas, steam rooms, and an indoor pool. Available treatments include massages (hot-stone, couples, foot, full-body, etc.), facials, manicures and pedicures, exfoliation, body wraps, and waxing.