New York's stranger attractions cluster in the middle of the state — the Catskills and Schoharie County, specifically — where rural isolation and tourism history produced some genuinely unusual places. These four are all worth the detour if you're already in the region.
Jump to: Catskills · Central New York · Schoharie County Caves · Planning Notes
Catskills
World's Largest Kaleidoscope (Mountain View Studio) Must-see
Ulster County · Mt. Tremper
A converted 60-foot grain silo at the Emerson Resort and Spa in Mt. Tremper holds the Guinness World Record for the world's largest kaleidoscope. Visitors enter and stand on the floor looking up while a 10-minute synchronized light and music show — called 'The Emerson's Kaleidoscope' — projects off the mirrored interior walls. The effect is disorienting enough that some people need to sit down.
Admission is around $5. The Emerson Resort has a market and lodging; Mt. Tremper is in the Catskill hamlet of Ulster County, 25 miles west of Woodstock. It's a 15-minute detour off Route 28, which is the main road through the central Catskills.
Central New York
Chittenango — Birthplace of L. Frank Baum (Wizard of Oz) Worth the detour
Madison County · Chittenango
L. Frank Baum was born in Chittenango on May 15, 1856. The village has leaned into the connection fully: the main street has yellow-brick-patterned sidewalk inlays, local businesses have Oz-themed names, and the Oz-Stravaganza festival runs annually on the last weekend of May with a parade, celebrity appearances (surviving cast members of the 1939 film have attended), and Oz-themed events.
The Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum (adjacent to the village) documents the Erie Canal history; the small Oz Museum on Genesee Street has memorabilia and exhibits on Baum's life and work. The village is 10 miles east of Syracuse on Route 5.
Schoharie County Caves
Two competing cave attractions sit 2 miles apart in Schoharie County, an hour west of Albany. The pairing is deliberate — the 'serious' Howe Caverns and the 'irreverent' Secret Caverns operate as genuine alternatives.
Howe Caverns Must-see
Schoharie County · Howes Cave
Discovered in 1842 by farmer Lester Howe, who noticed his cattle gathering at a crevice in a warm draft on cold days. The commercial cave operation has been running since 1843, making it one of the oldest tourist attractions in New York. Tours descend 156 feet underground by elevator through 52°F passageways, ending at a boat ride on the Lake of Venus — an underground body of water. The tour route is 1.5 miles.
Howe Caverns also offers adventure tours (lantern tours, wild cave crawling, rappelling) in addition to the standard guided tour. Open year-round; the cave stays at 52°F regardless of outside temperature, so bring a layer. The gift shop sells rock and mineral specimens sourced from the cave region.
Secret Caverns (The 'Irreverent' Alternative to Howe Caverns) Worth the detour
Schoharie County · Cobleskill
Opened in 1928 specifically to compete with Howe Caverns 2 miles away, Secret Caverns has built its entire identity on being the unpretentious, slightly eccentric alternative. Hand-painted roadside signs — "STALAGMITES AND STUFF" — announce it from Route 7. The cave itself has a 100-foot underground waterfall that Howe Caverns lacks, making it genuinely different rather than merely lesser.
The tour is shorter and cheaper than Howe Caverns, and guides deliver the tour with a loose, conversational style that fits the anti-corporate character of the place. It's a legitimate cave with real formations — the 'irreverent' marketing sells the experience, but the geology is the same Devonian-era limestone as the famous neighbor.
Planning Notes
Worth combining: Howe Caverns and Secret Caverns are 2 miles apart — budget half a day for both. The Catskills Kaleidoscope pairs with a Catskills drive on Route 28. Chittenango is a quick stop en route between Syracuse and the Finger Lakes. None of these require advance booking except Howe Caverns adventure tours.
Plan your visit: These destinations don't have dedicated city guides — they're best combined with nearby regional itineraries. The Catskills Kaleidoscope is 2 hours from Manhattan; Chittenango and the Schoharie caves are 1 hour west of Albany. For the Finger Lakes area near Chittenango, see Watkins Glen.
