Parks
- Take a spin on the vintage carousel at Midway State Park in Bemus Point. The park is home to one of the United States' oldest continually operating amusement parks, featuring carnival-style midway games, bumper boats, a miniature golf course and kiddie rides. If you're looking for hiking trails and cool caves to explore, Panama Rocks Scenic Park is the place to go. The park, which is located in Panama, also has a self-guided, 1-mile hiking trail surrounded by rock formations and the gnarly tree roots of trees that are more than 300 years old. Keep an eye out for wildlife creatures such as bobcats, coyotes, spotted salamanders, gray foxes and porcupines.
Museums
- Chautauqua County is home to a variety of museums, ranging from traditional historical museums to more off-beat options like the Lucy Desi Center for Comedy, located in Jamestown. In addition to housing props and memorabilia, the center also has recreations of sets such as Lucy and Desi's apartment and an interactive "Vitameatavegamin" exhibit. If you're more of a traditional history buff, consider a visit to Dunkirk Lighthouse and Veterans Park Museum in Dunkirk, located on the shores of Lake Erie. You can catch a glimpse of the lighthouse’s eerie history on one of its ghost tours, or take in the sweeping views of Lake Erie from the observation deck of the lighthouse, which was built in 1875.
Wineries
- If you're a wine enthusiast, Chautauqua County is an ideal spot to tour wineries -- with more than 30,000 acres of vineyards. Growers in the county are responsible for roughly 65 percent of the grape harvest every year in New York State. Check out Lake Erie Wine Country's wine trail, which spans more than 40 miles and includes over 23 wineries, including 21 Brix in Portland and Merritt Estate in Forestville, both of which offer wine tastings and tours.
Boat Rides
- Chautauqua County's largest lake is Chautauqua Lake, with various boat rides available. Sail on the Summer Wine, a luxurious yacht, or on Chautauqua Belle, a historic open-air steamship offering narrated sightseeing excursions, and cocktail and dinner cruises. Lunch and bar service are also available. For a more upscale boating experience, the Summer Wind offers narrated sightseeing tours every day, as well as specialty cruises such as sunset dinner cruises, weekend breakfast cruises and sailings with live entertainment.
Nature Centers
- Learn more about nature at one of Chautauqua County's nature centers, such as the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History located in Jamestown, where you can view various art and natural history exhibits or attend a workshop or lecture. The Audobon Center and Sanctuary is also in Jamestown. It features miles of trails that wind through 600 acres of preserved wetlands, educational gardens and exhibits with live animals.
