Walking tours of Oneonta now offered by appointment

Lauren Takores, The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y.
·2 min read

Jun. 9—The Greater Oneonta Historical Society recently introduced Hill City Tours, a walking tour of Oneonta's historic Main Street led by Bob Brzozowski and Don Cook.

Past GOHS walking tours have been standalone events, but this year tours can be booked by appointment for individuals, intimate or large groups.

Brzozowski, a former GOHS executive director who has called Oneonta home since 1996, said Friday that the newly developed tours are likely to draw a more general crowd and therefore will have more context than in past tours.

"These may well be people who have never been to Oneonta before," Brzozowski said, "whereas the tours we do during the summertime on a certain date [draw] people who haven't been in Oneonta that long but know a little history."

Brzozowski said he has led many historical tours of Oneonta, including one of the D&H Roundhouse ruins in May that drew 50 people.

He also authored the Main Street and Walnut Street self-guided walking tour brochures.

Other past tours hosted by GOHS have included Main Street in the late 1960s, the historic Red Caboose, Oneonta's Sixth Ward or the "lower deck," a tour of the Walnut Street historic district and historic preservation in Oneonta's economic development and revitalization.

Cook, a former New York City tour guide for 15 years who was employed by Gray Line Tours and also had his own walking tour business, retired and moved to Oneonta about a year ago.

He said Friday that while the COVID-19 pandemic ended his tour guide career, he never got more satisfaction out of doing anything else.

"The idea being able to do it again was foremost in my mind," Cook said, "and I fortunately met Bob [Brzozowski] and he approached me about the idea, because he knew what I had done for those many years."

Brzozowski had the local history and Cook would be able to deliver it in an entertaining fashion, so they combined their efforts, he said.

A typical tour lasts an hour to an hour and a half. Groups can include up to 20 people. Brzozowski said the walking tour season likely would end in September as the weather cools.

The cost for one to four people is $60 and each additional person is $20. Children under 10 will be admitted free. The money goes to GOHS, which pays a portion to Brzozowski and Cook.

Past GOHS walking tours have been by donation, but "it didn't seem that was the way to go for these tours that are by appointment," Brzozowski said.

"There's a fair amount of work to do, and do it at someone else's convenience," he said.

To plan a Hill City walking tour, contact HillCityTours@OneontaHistory.org. More information can be found at www.oneontahistory.org/events-programs/hill-city-tours.