Chautauqua-Allegheny’s tranquil landscapes include “enchanted” mountains, picturesque waterways, and truly unique attractions.
You can fish in the Genesee River, bike along country roads, and sail on the lakes. Walk among amazing rock formations at Rock City Park. Enjoy good old-fashioned fun at Midway State Park on Chautauqua Lake. It features one of the nation’s oldest amusement parks, along with scenic picnic grounds, fishing, and free docking for day visitors. Allegany State Park, New York’s largest, offers 65,000 acres for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and camping. Pitch your tent on the high bluffs overlooking the water at Lake Erie State Park. Nature meets art at Griffis Sculpture Park, a 400-acre preserve with hundreds of artworks.
The Chautauqua Institution presents world-class performing arts in a graceful Victorian setting. Every summer, 150,000 visitors gather for lectures, workshops and concerts, as well as golf and other recreation. Nearby Jamestown, Lucille Ball’s hometown, welcomes visitors from around the world to the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center that highlights classic TV’s First Couple of Comedy.
This region is full of homegrown flavor. Roadside stands and farm markets offer sweet corn, apples, berries, cheeses, maple products and tons of grapes. The Chautauqua/Lake Erie Wine Trail features 23 wineries. Follow New York’s Amish Trail to more than 100 shops with hand-crafted items like quilts, furniture and baked goods.
Visit in July to catch the annual Ellicottville Rodeo or in August for the Gerry Rodeo, billed as the Oldest Consecutive Rodeo East of the Mississippi.
CHAUTAUQUA-ALLEGHENY MUST-SEES
Outdoors
• Allegany State Park | Salamanca
• Lake Erie State Park | Brocton
• Panama Rocks Scenic Park | Panama
• Rock City Park | Olean
• Summer Wind Cruises | Celoron
• Zoar Valley State Nature & Historical Preserve | Gowanda
Art+Culture
• Chautauqua Institution | Chautauqua
• Fisher’s Amish Country Store & Guided Tours | Randolph
• Griffis Sculpture Park | East Otto
• Lily Dale Assembly | Lily Dale
• Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center | Jamestown
• New York’s Amish Trail | Randolph
History
• Dunkirk Historical Lighthouse | Dunkirk
• Seneca-Iroquois National Museum | Salamanca
Food+Drink
• Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail | Various locations
Shopping
• Towns of Angelica, Ellicottville, Fredonia, Jamestown & Wellsville
