Spotlight: New York State - Palmyra

Spotlight: From New York City, we travel upstate to the city of Palmyra in the Finger Lakes region. Palmyra appears to be your typical little country town along the Erie Canal - until thousands of tourists descend upon the city every July. The reason? Palmyra is where the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith grew up. Not only are there many historical sites here depicting the origins of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; there is also a major pageant held here every year at the Hill Cumorah.

Location: Palmyra is located about 15 miles east of Rochester: google map
The Hill Cumorah Visitor's Center is located at 603 State Rt. 21, Palmyra, NY.
The Joseph Smith Farm Welcome Center is located at 843 Stafford Rd., Palmyra, NY.

Time: You can spend a couple of hours, a day, or a couple of days here; depending on your interest in the historical sites.

Cost: The historical sites and pageant are free.

Description: Palmyra is a typical small New York town, with an atypical history. Joseph Smith, the first prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was raised here. As a result, many historical sites surrounding the establishment of the Mormon church are here. Most are currently owned and operated by the LDS Church and are free to the public. Most of these sites give free tours that explain the history of the site and its importance to members of the Mormon faith. These sites include:
- The Smith family homestead. The Smith family plot includes the frame house and the log cabin, as well as auxiliary buildings. All the buildings are displayed as they would have been during the early 1800's when the Smith family lived here.

- The Sacred Grove. The copse of trees near the homestead is where Joseph went to pray about which church to join. In his personal history, he describes how during his prayer he was visited by God the father and his son, Jesus Christ. He was told not to join any church, but rather was called to restore the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth once again.

- The Palmyra temple was constructed on the grounds. It was dedicated in April, 2000 - the 100th temple built by the LDS Church.

- The Hill Cumorah is the site of the annual Hill Cumorah Pageant. The pageant recreates scenes from the Book of Mormon - a book of scripture that works as a companion to the Bible for members of the Mormon faith. According to Joseph Smith's history, he received a set of gold plates here from the Angel Moroni (the angel placed on the top of most LDS temples). The plates contained a history of the inhabitants of the American continent, and Joseph was given the charge to translate them into English.

- The Grandin Building. This is the location of the printing press that was used to publish the Book of Mormon. It has been restored to appear as it did when the Book of Mormon was published. Volunteers show visitors the process that was used to publish books at this time, and have facsimiles of the manuscript and the final copy of the book.

- The Martin Harris Farm. Martin Harris was one of the 3 witnesses of the Book of Mormon. In addition to handling the gold plates, Martin originally worked as a scribe for the translation. He also mortgaged his farm to pay for its publication.
- The Peter Whitmer Farm in nearby Fayette, New York. David Whitmer was another of the 3 witnesses of the Book of Mormon. His father, Peter, allowed Joseph and Oliver Cowdery (the third witness and primary scribe) to stay here while they transcribed the majority of the Book of Mormon. Later, the home was the location of the first official meeting of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was here that the LDS Church was organized on April 6, 1830.

Rating: 5 stars (particularly if you are able to see the pageant)

Things You Should Know: There are Visitor's Centers located at the Smith Farm and the Hill Cumorah with guides who offer free tours and can answer any questions you may have.
- The Hill Cumorah Pageant is presented for seven nights every July. The pageant and parking are both free. A cast of more than 650 performs the pageant on the giant 10-level stage with state-of-the-art sound system, lighting and special effects. For information and dates, go to http://hillcumorah.org/index.php
- Several of the original structures at these sites no longer exist, but the buildings on display have been recreated to appear as they would have in the early 1800's.
- The Martin Harris Farm is privately owned. No tours are given at this site.
- The Museums of Historic Palmyra is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history and architecture of Historic Palmyra "The Queen of Erie Canal Towns." They primarily care for four museums that preserve these Victorian Era homes.
- You can take a cruise on the Erie Canal at Canal Lock 29 near Palmyra. For more info, call 1-800-4CANAL4 ext. 300.

Nearby: Erie Canal, the Finger Lakes, Lake Ontario, Niagara Falls