Where-To-Go Wednesday - Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum

What: Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum

Where: Lakeside Blvd 

             Landing, NJ 

Who: All ages

The Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum pays tribute to the history of the Lake Hopatcong area with a particular emphasis on the area's former history as a popular resort area. There is a whole exhibit on Joe Cook, a popular vaudeville and Broadway performer who made his home in the area. Cook also starred in a couple of movies including Frank Capra's Rain or Shine and you can see  clips from one of his movies at the museum. Another highlight of the Joe Cook collection is a piano signed by many of the celebrities who visited his home including the aforementioned Frank Capra as well as  Babe Ruth and many more.

Another major exhibit focuses on the Bertrand Island Amusement Park. There were actually two amusement parks in the Lake Hopatcong area neither of which exists anymore. Bertrand Island was open from 1925 to 1983. The museum's Bertrand Island collection includes a carousel horse, an arcade game spinner, maps, pennants, and more. 

Other exhibits in the museum include one on other celebrities who spent time in Lake Hopatcong, one on the former resorts in the area, and one on the history of the Native Americans who inhabited the area. 

Currently, visits to the Lake Hopatcong Historical Society are by appointment only. To make an appointment,  e-mail LHHISTORY@att.net or call 973-398-2616. Social distancing and mask-wearing are required. For more information, go to lakehopatconghistory.com.

And that's our view.

Tune in tomorrow for Theater Thursday.