Discover Utica: Parks, Art and Experiences

Utica: Parks, Culture and Hands-On Activities

Utica brings together a range of ideas for a stay: nature and recreation take center stage at Roscoe Conkling Park, while art, interactive exhibits and stage performances add other highlights. A ride on a themed excursion is another of the city’s special offerings. If you’re looking for a vacation rental in Utica, you can start by considering which of these sides you’d like to shape your stay.

Park Offerings and Activities

The Utica Zoo is located on the grounds of Roscoe Conkling Park. The zoo also offers behind-the-scenes animal encounters. In the same park, you’ll find the Valley View Municipal Golf Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones, the South Woods Multi-use Trail System and the Val Bialas Ski Area. This offers a variety of activities: animal encounters, golf, park trails and a ski area. This selection can help you plan your vacation days around the activities that appeal to you most.

Families traveling with children who are looking for creative, hands-on art activities can consider Art Odyssey at Munson. Children can create an exhibition, draw, build and read art books there. The Utica Children's Museum has a different focus: its more than 60 exhibits and experiences explore the diverse cultures of the Mohawk Valley. This comparison is useful for planning your trip, since a creative activity and a museum visit focused on a broad cultural theme can fit into the day in different ways.

Art, Technology and Stage Performances

Sculpture Space in Utica engages the local community through open studios, pop-up exhibitions and artist talks. Those interested in contemporary art and meeting people involved in the creative process will find a different experience here than at Art Odyssey or the Children's Museum. The NY Energy Zone adds a 3D film and interactive exhibits to this selection: visitors can build power supply systems or take on the role of a control room operator. This makes a visit an opportunity not just to look at technology, but to explore how it works through the exhibits.

Utica also has a dedicated venue for live performances: The Stanley hosts Broadway shows. Together with the exhibits and hands-on activities, these offer different cultural highlights for your trip, so you don’t have to limit your stay to a single theme.

Excursions and Local Discoveries

The Adirondack Railroad departs from historic Union Station in Utica for themed excursions. The station and railroad offer another way to shape your trip. When choosing a vacation rental in Utica, you can use these different interests as a guide: would you prefer to focus on park activities, art and interactive exhibits, a Broadway show or a themed railroad excursion? That way, you can choose your location based on the kind of stay you want, rather than trying to fit every activity into a single day’s itinerary.

Another special experience is the Saranac Brewery VIP tour, which ends with a tasting of four different beers. Along with the zoo, museum, art and railroad, this offering reveals another side of the city.

More places to explore: Whitesboro, Oriskany, Sherrill, Clinton, Verona, Rome, Sylvan Beach and New Hartford.

For the broader travel overview: Oneida.