After leaving Niagra Falls we will head to Palmyra for the day.
In Palmyra is the Hill Cumorah Visitors Center.
The Hill Cumorah Visitors Center, Welcome Center at the Joseph Smith Farm, Smith Family Homes , Book of Mormon Historic Publication Site and Peter Whitmer Farm are all open daily.
The Sacred Grove is open for self-guided tours all year.
The Hill Cumorah Visitors Center
(603 State Rt. 21, Palmyra, NY 14522)
Built at the foot of the Hill Cumorah, the Visitors Center is an invaluable resource for those who want to know more about the many Church historic sites in the surrounding area. Beautiful displays with interactive audio and video tell much of the historic events that took place at these sites, and powerful feature-length films tell of the love of the Savior for all the people of the world.
Hill Cumorah
(603 State Rt. 21, Palmyra, NY 14522)
Hill Cumorah is the most notable of many hills, or drumlins, in New York State's Finger Lakes region. The hill figures prominently in events that led to the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In A.D. 421, Moroni, the last survivor of a great civilization that had inhabited the Americas since about 600 B.C., buried in this hill a set of gold plates on which was recorded the history of his people. In 1827, Moroni returned as an angel and delivered the plates to Joseph Smith, who translated them and published them as the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
Each summer, the Hill Cumorah is the site of a spectacular outdoor religious pageant. The free production ,America's Witness for Christ, features a cast of over 600 and attracts audiences of up to 100,000 each year.
The Hill Cumorah is located four miles south of the village of Palmyra, on Highway 21.
Open daily.
Joseph Smith Farm
Welcome Center
(843 Stafford Rd., Palmyra, NY 14522)
At the Joseph Smith Farm Welcome Center, visitors become acquainted with the Smith family prior to 1816 when they arrived in the Palmyra area. From inside the Center, large picture windows afford a look back into the past to a time when the Smith family lived on the farm. The view extends from the log home on historic Old Stafford Road to the full expanse of the Sacred Grove. With thriving fruit orchards, meadows, and fields neatly fenced and tended, the farm looks much as it would have appeared by 1830, complete with a fine frame home, large barn and farmyard work areas.
The Log Home of Joseph Smith Sr.
(843 Stafford Rd., Palmyra, NY 14522)
Around 1818 Joseph Smith, Sr., his wife, Lucy Mack smith, and their eight children moved from Palmyra village to Stafford Road, just north of the 100 acres they planned to acquire. They built a log home and outbuildings where they resided for approximately seven years.
In late 1825 they moved a few hundred feet south to their new frame home. Their son, Hyrum, had arranged to purchase the eighty acres of land surrounding the log home. Following his marriage to Jerusha Barden, in November of 1826, Hyrum and his wife resided in the log home.
In the spring of 1829, Father and Mother Smith and their younger children returned to the log home where they lived with Hyrum’s family until the fall of 1830.
Joseph Smith Frame Home
(843 Stafford Rd., Palmyra, NY 14522)
The Smiths ’ oldest son , Alvin, planned the construction of this handsome New England-style farmhouse to provide for his future family and to care for his parents in their elderly years. Having apprenticed as a builder, he managed the initial construction himself. By the fall of 1823 the heavy timber frame had been raised. That November Alvin died suddenly, and construction sat idle for months. The Smiths finally moved into the home in late 1825, even though much of the finishing work remained to be done.
The Sacred Grove
(843 Stafford Rd., Palmyra, NY 14522)
In the spring of 1820, Joseph Smith, Jr. entered this remnant of an ancient forest to kneel in prayer . The vision he beheld of God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ , initiated the restoration to the earth of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Nine years later, in late June of 1829, Joseph Smith Jr. gathered a small group of his family and friends to a secluded spot in these woods and showed them the gold plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated. He allowed each of the eight participants to hold the ancient record, turn its pages and examine its characters. They prepared a written testimony, which was published in the Book of Mormon.
The Sacred Grove is open for self-guided tours all year. Visitors are requested to stay on marked paths and leave all the grove's resources in the grove, such as leaves, twigs , rocks, etc. We appreciate your efforts in helping maintain its delicate environmental balance, and maintaining its natural and pristine state.
Book of Mormon Historic Publication Site
Grandin Printing Shop
(217 E. Main St., Palmyra, NY 14522)
In the early 1800's Palmyra, New York was bursting with the promise of growth and prosperity. In 1828 it added a new three story building to its bustling business district. That structure was known as Thayer and Grandin's Row. It was not the excellence of its construction or its striking facade that would give it a place in history but rather, it was the fact that two young men , Joseph Smith Jr., the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Egbert B. Grandin, an aspiring young publisher, signed a contractto publish a book , entitled the Book of Mormon. The year of their agreement was 1829. Through the ensuing years many alterations were made to the building. Now, that part of the building owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been restored to the way it was in the late 1820's.
On March 26, 1998, the anniversary of the first printing of the Book of Mormon in 1830, the restored part of the building was dedicated. Visitors are invited to come to this Historic Site, see the building, the printing presses and observe the printing sequence in the room where the printing of the Book of Mormon actually took place. The visitor will also be able to walk through the bindery and into the store where the Book of Mormon was first sold. Of course, there is much more.
Peter Whitmer Farm
and Fayette Chapel
(1451 Aunkst Rd., Waterloo, NY 13165)
On April 6, 1830, in a small log home belonging to Peter Whitmer Sr., the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr. and five other men formally organized The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The first and second general conferences of the Church were also held here. It was in this home that Joseph Smith Jr. and Oliver Cowdery completed the translation of the Book of Mormon.
In the nearby woods an angel showed the gold plates to Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris and David Whitmer, in the company of the Prophet Joseph Smith. These were the same plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated.
The Log Home was reconstructed in 1980 and is an example of the type of log homes built when the Whitmers moved to Fayette, New York between 1807 and 1809. The Log Home is furnished with household artifacts of that same period.
Martin Harris Farm
(2095 Maple Ave., Palmyra, NY 14522)
In 1813, at the age of 30, Martin Harris acquired 320 acres of his father's farm just north of Palmyra, where he prospered and was active in community affairs. When Joseph Smith, Jr. translated the record that became the Book of Mormon, Harris was one of his first scribes and helped pay expenses. He also mortgaged part of his farm to pay for the book's publication, and he was one of the witnesses who bore testimony of the divinity of the book.
An 1850 Erie Canal lake-stone home is now located on the site of the original Martin Harris home.
HISTORIC PALMYRA is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to preserving the history and architectural heritage of Palmyra, New York. Once known as the "Queen of Erie Canal towns," Palmyra boasts an astonishing array of architecture, ranging from the early 1800's to Victorian era grandeur.
Historic Palmyra's mission is to save the history of Palmyra and vicinity through preservation of architecture, artifacts, and archives; teaching and educating all in that history using its museums and collections.” This mission is served primarily through the operation of four unique museums, welcoming thousands of visitors each year...
Hill Cumorah Pageant
Come feel the Savior's love
Experience
one of the world's great outdoor theatrical productions. Each July,
seven evening performances are presented on the beautiful Cumorah
hillside next to the Visitors' Center. A beautiful story on an enormous
10 level stage, twelve-tower lighting, state-of-the-art sound system,
Hollywood special effects, and a costumed cast of over 650 provide a truly spectacular show.
The
Hill Cumorah is located on Highway 21 between the villages of Palmyra
and Manchester, NY, two miles north of Interstate 90, Exit 43. Seating
for 9,000. Spanish translation and ASL interpretation provided. Starts at 9:15pm.
Food Service
Food is provided on the Hill Cumorah Pageant grounds by the local Lions and Rotaryorganizations with all proceeds going to support their charities. Food offerings include burgers, hot dogs , sausage & onions , pizza, salt potatoes, salads, fresh fruit. lemonade and non-caffeinated soft drinks. Special catering is also available for large groups. Serving hours are from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
