Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Elmira (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Chemung County Historical Society, Park Church, and Clemens Square. Also, be sure to include Arnot Art Museum in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Elmira (New York).
Table of Contents
Chemung County Historical Society
Bank. The Chemung County Historical Society is headquartered in the historic Chemung Canal Bank Building in Elmira, New York. It is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and presentation of the history of the Chemung River Valley region. The society was founded in 1923 and first chartered by New York State in 1947. It is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, and currently operates two cultural repositories, the Chemung Valley History Museum and the Booth Library, both as non-profit educational institutions.[1]
Address: 415 E Water St, 14901-3410 Elmira
Park Church
Church in Elmira, New York. Park Church runs the length of an entire city block in Elmira, New York. The church was constructed from 1874 through 1876, replacing its much smaller, wooden predecessor. It was designed by Horatio Nelson White. The design of the limestone and brick church is highly eclectic. Besides its architecture, the church is significant for its congregation of abolitionists and humanitarians. From 1854 until his death in 1900, Thomas Kennicott Beecher was the pastor of Park Church. Beecher, together with his twelve siblings including author Harriet Beecher Stowe, was brought up by liberal reformist clergyman Lyman Beecher.[2]
Address: 208 W Gray St, 14901-2974 Elmira
Clemens Square
Performing arts theater in Elmira, New York. The Clemens Center is a concert and theater center in Elmira, New York. It is named after Samuel Clemens, whose pen name was Mark Twain and was often resident in Elmira when writing his books. The Clemens Center partners with local educators through the Mary Tripp Marks School-Time Series to allow students to experience live theater.[3]
Address: Elmira, 207 Clemens Center Parkway
Arnot Art Museum
Museum in Elmira, New York. Arnot Art Museum, opened 1913, is a municipal art museum located at 235 Lake Street in Elmira, New York. Its permanent collection includes 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century European paintings; and 19th- and 20th-century American art. Its 21st-century collection focuses on contemporary representational art. The building is a contributing property in the Elmira Civic Historic District.[4]
Address: 235 Lake St, 14901-3191 Elmira
Erste Deutsche Evangelische Kirche
United church of christ in Elmira, New York. The Erste Deutsche Evangelische Kirche, also known as First United Church of Christ, is located at 160 Madison Avenue, Elmira, New York. Construction of the church started in 1898, and finished the following year. The church served the large German American population of Elmira. It is significant for its Rhenish Romanesque architecture. The church and its parsonage were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.[5]
Address: 160 Madison Ave, 14901-3203 Elmira
Eldridge Park
Amusement park in Elmira, New York. Eldridge Park, located in Elmira, New York, was a famous amusement park around the turn of the 20th century. Covering roughly 15 acres, it was dedicated to the memory of a local physician and was in common usage late into the 20th century.
The park includes an 1890s Looff Carousel, an outdoor stage, an extensive network of picnic areas, a wooden roller coaster, haunted house, shooting gallery, bumper cars, a boat ride along the park's lake, eateries, a miniature golf course, and a small-gauge train ride through the park, in addition to several other rides and attractions.
Eldridge Lake was believed to be bottomless in local folklore and, that there was an underground water tunnel that leads at least 20 miles (32 km) to the north, to Seneca Lake, one of the nearby Finger Lakes in Upstate New York. However, the depth of the lake is 39 feet (12 m) and there are no known tunnels that connect Eldridge Lake with Seneca Lake.
Eldridge Park also has several soccer fields, used by the local travel soccer club, Soaring Capital Soccer Club, a skate park, and a baseball field.[6]
Address: Eldridge Park Road, 14901 Elmira
Trinity Church
Episcopal church in Elmira, New York. The parish of Trinity Church, Elmira, New York was founded in 1833. Trinity Church is a parish of the Chemung District of the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York, centered in Syracuse, New York. The present structure of Trinity Church is located at 304 North Main Street, Elmira, New York. Designed by architect Henry Dudley, the church was built from 1855 through 1858. It is significant for its Gothic Revival architecture. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.[7]
Address: 304 N Main St, 14901-2778 Elmira
Woodlawn National Cemetery
Cemetery. Woodlawn National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery within Woodlawn Cemetery, which is in the city of Elmira, in Chemung County, New York. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it encompasses 10.5 acres, and as of 2021, had over 11,000 interred remains.[8]
Address: 1825 Davis St, 14901-1061 Elmira
Woodlawn Cemetery
Cemetery in Elmira, New York. Woodlawn Cemetery is the name of a cemetery in Elmira, New York, United States. Its most famous burials are Mark Twain and his wife Olivia Langdon Clemens. Many members of the United States Congress, including Jacob Sloat Fassett are also interred there.
Within Woodlawn Cemetery is the distinct Woodlawn National Cemetery, begun with the interment of Confederate prisoners from the nearby Elmira Prison (dubbed "Hellmira" by its inmates) during the American Civil War. It is run by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
Both cemeteries are still active and together were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.[9]
Harris Hill Amusement Park
Theme park, Amusement park
Address: 557 County Road 55, 14903 Elmira
Emmanuel Episcopal Church
Building in Elmira, New York. Emmanuel Episcopal Church is located at 380 Pennsylvania Avenue in Elmira, New York. It is significant for its High Victorian Gothic style of architecture. The surface of the cast concrete building was cast to resemble rough cut stone. This church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in November, 1998.[10]
Address: 380 Pennsylvania Ave, 14904-1759 Elmira