Never denying the existence of our quirky side, New York is home to quite a few weird locations that surprisingly may fascinate you. While all of these places have their own stories to tell, there’s one attraction in our state that’s particularly intriguing to say the least. One of the most unique pieces of the Empire State’s history, you’ll want to see what’s hiding at The Farmers’ Museum in Otsego County.

Right off of the road on NY-80 in Cooperstown, there’s a delightful museum in New York unlike any other.

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The Farmers’ Museum allows you to step back in time, where visitors can come and experience what village life was like during the 19th century.

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There’s plenty to keep you busy at this museum, but there’s one item here that you won’t want to miss out on seeing.

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Many moons ago a man by the name of George Hull, an Atheist and cigar manufacturer, got into an argument with a Fundamentalist Priest.

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After remembering parts of Genesis 6:4 where references to giants on earth were made, Hull decided to see if he could pull off one of the greatest pranks in American history.

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Testing the gullibility of those around him, Hull bought a block of Iowa gypsum and had it shipped to Chicago in secret to be carved into an over 10-foot tall statue.

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After covering the statue in sulfuric acid and pounding it with darning needles, the petrified giant was buried on a friend’s farm in the town of Cardiff in 1868.

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A year later in October of 1869, unsuspecting workers were told to dig a well on the farm, only to find the large giant instead.

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While many were quick to recognize that the statue was a fake, Christian Fundamentalists and other hopeful onlookers were relentless about defending the validity of the petrified giant.

saphyress/TripAdvisor In total Hull spent $2,600 dollars back in 1868 to have the fake petrified giant made, equivalent to what would be roughly $46,000 dollars in present time. Anyone else shouting woah baby? The trickster justified the expense by expecting curious people to take a great interest in the giant, and he was right! With the mass amount of various speculation, many came to take a peak at the giant and were charged 50 cents to do so. After all was said and done, Hull managed to walk away from his unusual attraction with what would be over $400,000 dollars today.

As people lost interest over time, the Cardiff Giant eventually found itself residing in the recreation room of an Iowa resident. The New York Historical Association was able to buy the giant from the man in Des Moines for $30,000 dollars back in 1947. The giant was then brought to The Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown and has resided here ever since! The Cardiff Giant today is known as being one of America’s most famous hoaxes.

How to get here: 5775 NY-80 Cooperstown, NY 13326

Have you ever seen the Cardiff Giant for yourself? If you’re wondering what other unusual attractions you should check out, take a look at the Little Mount Rushmore In New York That Most People Don’t Know About!

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Martin Lewison/Flickr

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Adam S./Yelp

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saphyress/TripAdvisor

In total Hull spent $2,600 dollars back in 1868 to have the fake petrified giant made, equivalent to what would be roughly $46,000 dollars in present time. Anyone else shouting woah baby? The trickster justified the expense by expecting curious people to take a great interest in the giant, and he was right! With the mass amount of various speculation, many came to take a peak at the giant and were charged 50 cents to do so. After all was said and done, Hull managed to walk away from his unusual attraction with what would be over $400,000 dollars today.

As people lost interest over time, the Cardiff Giant eventually found itself residing in the recreation room of an Iowa resident. The New York Historical Association was able to buy the giant from the man in Des Moines for $30,000 dollars back in 1947. The giant was then brought to The Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown and has resided here ever since! The Cardiff Giant today is known as being one of America’s most famous hoaxes.

How to get here: 5775 NY-80 Cooperstown, NY 13326

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