Chautauqua

Village

Location:

Chautauqua County, NY

Javascript is required to view this map.

Chautauqua is a lakefront summer colony founded in 1874 as a Methodist summer camp. The camp evolved into a pedestrian friendly village of boarding houses, single family houses, hotels, cultural venues, parks and a town square. The Chautauqua Institution sponsors and manages a two month summer season of cultural and religous programs including symphony concerts, lectures, summer school programs, plays, opera, and recreation programs. Will Rogers once referred to Chautauqua as "the most American place in America". Several presidents have visited Chautauqua and have spoken in the Amphitheater. Chautauqua served as a precedent for parts of Celebration and other New Urbanist communities. It is a must see for urban designers and architects.

Explore Places

The Athenaeum Hotel

The Athenaeum Hotel was built in the Second Empire style in 1881 and is owned and operated by the institution. It has a two-story porch supported by narrow columns, with a central, mansard-covered tower. Courtesy of Paul Ostergaard.
Chautauqua Institution

One of the pavilions that make up the Chautauqua Institution. Courtesy of Paul Ostergaard.
Chautauqua

This residential street in Chautauqua demonstrates the community’s unique character. Courtesy of Paul Ostergaard.
Bester Plaza

A view of Bester Plaza at the heart of Chautauqua Institution. Courtesy of Paul Ostergaard.