One of the few utopian-minded 19th-century communities to survive to the present day, Chautauqua (pop. 4,554) is an idyllic Victorian village of quaint pastel cottages, tidy flower gardens, and pedestrian-friendly streets—a genteel model of middle-class, small-town civilization. Established as a summer training ground for Methodist Sunday school teachers, and now preserved as a nonprofit, nonsectarian cooperative foundation, in the first decades of the 20th century Chautauqua had an immeasurable effect on American culture, sponsoring correspondence courses and cross-country lecture tours that brought liberal arts education to the masses, especially in the rural Midwest.
Chautauqua, which is located along Hwy-394 about 20 miles south of Westfield on US-20 (off I-90 exit 60), has hardly changed since its heyday, and still welcomes all comers to its summer-long series of lectures and concerts, which are held in a delightful old open-air amphitheater. Though the emphasis is on education, Chautauqua is not entirely academic: In between broadening their minds, visitors can relax on the white sand beaches that line the lakeshore. Day visitors to Chautauqua have to pay admission (about $10, free on Sun.) and pass through a set of ancient turnstiles, as if entering a mind-improving amusement park. Others come for a week or two, renting a cottage or staying at the wonderful old Athenaeum Hotel, built in 1881. Along with dozens of quaint Victorian cottages is the Machine Age “Steel Away,” a 3-bed “Lustron” pre-fab (716/357-3851).
For further information, or to request a schedule of Chautauqua classes, lectures, and events, call 716/357-6200 or 800/836-2787.
