A week at Cooperstown Dreams Park is a milestone for a lot of young players, and for their families it’s a big trip to plan. Field of Dreams, our home about five miles from the park, was set up with baseball families in mind. Here’s what helps the week go smoothly.
Getting to Cooperstown
Cooperstown is in central New York, and there’s no airport in the village, so most families fly in and drive. Albany International is usually the most convenient airport, about an hour and a half away, and Syracuse is a little farther. Driving from New York City takes roughly four hours. Either way you’ll want a car for the week, since the park, the village and the house are spread out.
How the week works
Players and coaches stay in the on-site bunkhouses at Dreams Park, while parents, siblings and grandparents stay nearby. That’s why a big house close to the park makes so much sense. The whole family stays together, you’re about ten minutes from the fields, and there’s a bed waiting for your player when the tournament wraps up. Check your team’s schedule for arrival times and opening ceremonies, because they set the rhythm for the week.
Where to stay
Field of Dreams sleeps up to 13, so two or three families from the same team can share it and split the cost. It’s about a ten-minute drive to Dreams Park, around seven minutes to the Hall of Fame and Main Street, and a little over half an hour to All Star Fields if your team plays there too. After a long, hot day at the fields, the private heated pool is where everyone ends up.
What to pack
- Folding chairs and a pop-up canopy or umbrella for long days in the stands
- Sunscreen, a cooler and refillable water bottles
- A rain jacket, because upstate summer storms can roll in fast
- Trading pins, and more than you think you’ll need. Pin trading is a big part of the Dreams Park tradition
- Team gear for the whole family. There’s a washer and dryer at the house, so you can pack light and wash as you go
Off-day ideas
Between games, visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame, catch a game at historic Doubleday Field, order a personalized bat from Cooperstown Bat Company or Where It All Began, or cool off by Otsego Lake. Siblings who aren’t playing tend to love The Farmers’ Museum and its carousel.
Book early
Large homes near Dreams Park are often the first to go once tournament schedules come out, sometimes a year or more ahead. If you know your week, check availability at Field of Dreams or call Sandra on (877) 373-2602. She can help you work out how to share the house between families.