Hanford Mills Museum

Hanford Mills Museum Dynamic museum operating a historic water-powered sawmill, gristmill, and woodworking shop. Open Wednesdays-Sundays, mid-May through mid-October.

Hanford Mills Museum, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is one of only a handful of operating water- and steam-powered mills in the country. The 70-acre historic site, nestled in the northwestern Catskills, features guided tours; waterwheel demonstrations; sawmill and vintage woodworking machines; the John Hanford Farmhouse (which recreates home life in the 1920s), and other hist

oric buildings. Special events and workshops held throughout the season. See events tab or website for schedule. Kids 12 and under receive free admission, as do Museum members. Adults & Teens, $9; Seniors and AAA members $7. Military, $4:50. As a Blue Star Museum, Hanford Mills offers active duty military and their families free admission May 18 -Labor Day.

Our Waterwheel Celebration Day is happening tomorrow, May 23! The event runs 10 a.m.-5 p.m. with ongoing demonstrations ...
05/22/2026

Our Waterwheel Celebration Day is happening tomorrow, May 23! The event runs 10 a.m.-5 p.m. with ongoing demonstrations of our 100 year old waterwheel and woodworking machines.

A ribbon cutting ceremony will be happening at 1 p.m., followed by a free concert by the Small Town Big Band at 2 p.m.

Rain or shine, this will be an event you don't want to miss!

Thank you to Lutz Feed in Oneonta for sponsoring our Waterwheel Celebration Day on Saturday, May 23! We appreciate your ...
05/20/2026

Thank you to Lutz Feed in Oneonta for sponsoring our Waterwheel Celebration Day on Saturday, May 23! We appreciate your support!

05/19/2026

This video shows the waterwheel from above. Come out on Saturday, May 23 for our Waterwheel Celebration Day and see the wheel for yourself!

The event is from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and admission is by donation. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony and free cake at 1 p.m., and a concert by the Small Town Big Band starting at 2 p.m. Helen's Little Kitchen will be on site all day. There will also be historic cooking demonstrations happening in the Hanford farmhouse, as well as children's activities ongoing throughout the day.

This American Robin made her nest outside one of our mill windows. We are treading carefully around her in hopes that he...
05/17/2026

This American Robin made her nest outside one of our mill windows. We are treading carefully around her in hopes that her babies will hatch safely.

Get an early start to our Waterwheel Celebration Day on Saturday, May 23, by coming out for a bird walk at 8 a.m. The wa...
05/16/2026

Get an early start to our Waterwheel Celebration Day on Saturday, May 23, by coming out for a bird walk at 8 a.m. The walk will explore the grounds of Hanford Mills Museum and will be led by experienced birders from the Delaware Otsego Audubon Society. No registration is required for this event.

We are now open for the 2026 season! Come visit us Wednesday-Sunday with tours at 10:30, 12:00, 1:30 and 3:00 daily.
05/15/2026

We are now open for the 2026 season! Come visit us Wednesday-Sunday with tours at 10:30, 12:00, 1:30 and 3:00 daily.

05/13/2026

We are excited to host the Small Town Big Band again this year for another concert! They will be playing at 2 pm on Saturday, May 23 as part of our Waterwheel Celebration Day.

Enjoy this short clip from a recent performance of the song “I’ve Found a New Baby”. This song was written in 1926, the same year that the waterwheel was installed at Hanford Mills.

We had a great time at Earth Fest on Saturday! Thanks to the Otsego County Conservation Association for putting on such ...
05/11/2026

We had a great time at Earth Fest on Saturday! Thanks to the Otsego County Conservation Association for putting on such a great event!

The waterwheel has been sandblasted and recoated, a process that had not been done since the 1980s. This will ensure tha...
05/08/2026

The waterwheel has been sandblasted and recoated, a process that had not been done since the 1980s. This will ensure that the wheel will be rust resistant and functional for decades to come.

Join us on May 23 for our Waterwheel Celebration Day, commemorating 100 years of our waterwheel, and celebrating this recent restoration!

One hundred years ago today, on May 1, 1926, the Fitz overshot waterwheel was shipped from Hanover PA to Hanford Mills. ...
05/01/2026

One hundred years ago today, on May 1, 1926, the Fitz overshot waterwheel was shipped from Hanover PA to Hanford Mills. That same wheel still powers the mill today.

Join us on May 23 for the 100th anniversary of the waterwheel at our Waterwheel Celebration Day!

We are another step closer to opening for the season on May 15! Our new batch of logs was delivered over the weekend.
04/27/2026

We are another step closer to opening for the season on May 15! Our new batch of logs was delivered over the weekend.

Address

51 County Highway 12
East Meredith, NY
13757

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+16072785744

Website

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