Beth Kaiserman

For The Journal News

If you looking for an offbeat destination or two for a summer road trip, New York is home to dozens of museums and Halls of Fame, from Cooperstown, the National Baseball Hall of Fame to boxing's International Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.

There there are some more niche pleasures, such as the Jell-O Gallery in LeRoy, the nation's original hall of fame, the Hall of Fame of Great Americans, and the New Rochelle Walk of Fame right here in Westchester.

Here are a few quirky spots for your next adventure:

Jell-O Gallery

LeRoy, New York

It’s alive!

Jell-O was founded in 1897 in LeRoy, which is near Rochester, but production left town in 1964. The gallery opened in 1997 for Jell-O’s 100th anniversary. Discover how the jiggly favorite became “America’s Most Famous Dessert” through ad campaigns on radio, magazines, billboards and later, television; there’s a whole room devoted to Bill Cosby.

Highlight: Original Jell-O advertising art; learn about retired flavors like celery, coffee and the popular Jell-O One, Two, Three: a now-extinct layered dessert. Admission is $5 adults, $1.50 kids 6-11, and free to those 5 and under.

Details: 23 E. Main St. 585-768-7433. JelloGallery.org. Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 1-4 p.m. Sunday.

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Hall of Fame for Great Americans

The Bronx

A landmark institution at Bronx Community College, this is, reportedly, the very first "Hall of Fame" in the country. Formally dedicated in 1901, it includes the Gould Memorial Library, Hall of Languages and Cornelius Baker Hall of Philosophy, all designed by Stanford White. The Hall of Fame also includes an amazing outdoor sculpture gallery that pays tribute to significant figures in U.S. history, including musicians, authors, scientists, and philanthropists. Alexander Graham Bell, Eli Whitney and George Westinghouse are three of those included.

Highlight: The 630-foot open air Colonnade displays 98 bronze portrait busts and plaques, all original works by prominent American sculptors.

Details: University Ave & W. 181st St. 718-289-5170. bcc.cuny.edu/halloffame. The Hall of Fame is open for self-guided tours 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Sunday. A photo ID is required for entrance to the campus at all times. Free admission but a $2 donation is suggested.

Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame

Goshen, NY

Located in the Tudor-style Good Time Stable, you’ll learn about famous horses and racers here. The museum is “dedicated to the protection of harness racing’s memories and to the support of the Standardbred industry,” with more than 40,000 harness racing artifacts, according to its website.

There are free traveling exhibits like “The Story of Harness Racing by Currier & Ives,” recently on display at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois and the Museé du Trot in Grosbois, France.

Highlight: Wander through exhibitions inside former stalls and showcased in converted hay chutes.

Details: 240 Main St. 845-294-6330. HarnessMuseum.com. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. General admission is free.

Cheetos Museum at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium

Manhattan

It’s been described as both “unbelievable” and “very orange.” Ripley’s Believe It or Not! In Times Square Is home to the first-ever Cheetos Museum, with “endless halls” of 128,900 unique Cheetos, from traditional to Flamin’ Hot and Puffs.

Highlight: The exhibit’s walls are made of Cheetos.

Details: 234 West 42nd St. 212-398-3133. cheetosmuseum.com. Open daily 9 a.m.-1 a.m. Admission is $23.96 in advance online, $29.95 at the box office for adults; $18.36 and $22.95 for kids.

Soaring Hall of Fame and Museum

Elmira, NY

There are two museums in the U.S. focused on airless flight, and this one is where the first national soaring competitions were held from 1930 to 1946. The field where these events were held is still in operation, with the runway in front of the museum, which has been open since 1978. Elmira was also the first site to develop a glider program and train pilots for WWII.

Highlight: See where the nation’s first soaring competitions took flight. You can take a glider ride on Harris Hill for $90.

Details: Harris Hill, 51 Soaring Hill Dr. 607-734-3128. soaringmuseum.org. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through December. Admission to the museum is $7.50 adults, $6 seniors (60+); $4.50 youth (7-18), 6 and under are free.

National Toy Hall of Fame and National Museum of Play

Rochester, NY

Can a museum possibly sound more fun? The Strong houses the world’s most extensive collection of historical materials related to play, including the International Center for the History of Electronic Games, the National Toy Hall of Fame and the World Video Game Hall of Fame. It’s a highly interactive museum, with iconic toys inducted each November. Longevity is a main criteria, as Hall of Fame toys must have existed for multiple generations to play with, Strong spokesman Shane Rhinewald said.

Highlight: Play with a giant Etch-a-Sketch, a motion-capture bubble wall or simple timeless toys like sticks and boxes at the Toy Halls of Fame.

Details: 1 Manhattan Square Dr. 585-263-2700. toyhalloffame.org. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday–Thursday; 10 a.m-8 p.m. Friday, Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday.

Friday & Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is $14.50 for 2 and older; under 2 are free.

National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame

Saratoga Springs, NY

Located in the former Washington Bath House, the National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame officially opened in 1987; 2017 marks its 30th anniversary with an exhibit, National Museum of Dance: Celebrating 30 Years. This is the nation’s only museum dedicated entirely to dance. The Mr. & Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Hall of Fame collection inducts annual honorees from the dance world. The inductees for 2015-2016 were Gregory Hines and Patricia Wilde.

Highlight: The exhibit "The Dancing Athlete" explores athletes’ use of dance as a cross-training technique, featuring memorabilia like former Pittsburgh Steeler Lynn Swann’s signed jersey and tap shoes.

Details: 99 South Broadway, 518-584-2225. dancemuseum.org. Open 10 a.m-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; noon-4 p.m. Sunday. Admission $6.50 adults; $5 seniors and students with valid ID; $3 for children 12 and under. Free to children under 3.

New Rochelle Walk of Fame

New Rochelle

It's like getting a star on suburban Hollywood Boulevard.

The New Rochelle Walk of Fame, installed in 2011 in Ruby Dee Park at Library Green, is a tribute to some of the city's most notable residents from throughout its 325-year history and includes Lou Gehrig, Alan Menken, Irene Castle, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Eddie Foy, Lillian Gish and Monty Hall. Opera star Robert Merrill, Thomas Paine, former N.Y. Giant Fran Tarkenton and "Shaft" actor Richard Roundtree are also among those included on the walk.

Highlights: Visitors learn more about each inductee through a historical interpretive signboard telling his or her story in words and graphics. The signs are located along pathways in a lovely garden.

Details: Ruby Dee Park at Library Green, 1 Library Plaza.

Video Hall of Fame

Rochester

There's no discrimination here: arcade, console, computer, handheld, even mobile video games get their due at this Hall of Fame located in The Strong National Museum of Play. There are 55,000 items and growing.

Inductees, including Donkey Kong, DOOM, Grand Theft Auto III, Halo: Combat Evolved, The Legend of Zelda, The Oregon Trail, Pac-Man, Pokémon Red and Green, Pong, The Sims, Sonic the Hedgehog, Space Invaders, Street Fighter II, Super Mario Bros., Tetris, and World of Warcraft—are on permanent view in the museum’s eGameRevolution exhibit.

Highlights: Hit the eGameRevolution and grab an oversized joystick for a game of Giant Tetris—the only machine of its kind available for play in all of North America.

Details: 1 Manhattan Square Dr. 585-263-2700. toyhalloffame.org. Admission is $14.50 for 2 and older; under 2 are free.