Near the eastern end of Market Street presides the Rockwell Museum (111 Cedar St., 607/937-5386, www.rockwellmuseum.org [1], 9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily, with extended hours in summer, adults $6.50, seniors and students $5.50, children under 20 free, families $20, discounted combo tickets with the Corning Museum of Glass [2]), which has nothing to do with Norman Rockwell and everything to do with Western art.
Collected by Corning [3] denizen Robert F. Rockwell, this is said to be the most comprehensive assemblage of Western art in the East.
The museum occupies the restored Old City Hall and is nicely arranged around three themes—the Indian, the Landscape, and the Cowboy. Works by Frederic Remington, Charles M. Russell, and Albert Bierstadt hang from the walls, and Navajo rugs drape the stairwell. Exhibit cases contain Native American art and artifacts.
After the crowds of the Corning Glass Center [2], the Rockwell Museum comes as a quiet relief. Rockwell was a passionate collector who once used the walls of his father’s department store to exhibit his artwork, and the museum has an engaging, personal feel. The front desk provides families with scavenger hunts for particular items found within the artworks.
Enjoying the ‘Music, Margaritas & Sunsets on the Terrace’ evenings on the terrace is a popular way to top off a tour, catch a live band, and soak in the fun atmosphere, on the rocks with salt. The museum also features The Cantina Restaurant (607/974-8226), a great place to grab a bite while in a southwestern sort of mood.
Links:
[1] http://www.rockwellmuseum.org
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/new-york-state/the-finger-lakes/corning/corning-museum-glass
[3] http://www.moon.com/destinations/new-york-state/the-finger-lakes/corning