Sights and landmarks in Palmyra

17 sights worth seeing in Palmyra: landmarks, galleries, monuments and viewpoints.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

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Grandin Printing Shop
Book of Mormon Historic Publication Site
Even though Smith had moved away to Pennsylvania in 1827, it was at Egbert B. Grandin's print shop that the first edition of the Book of Mormon was printed in 1830. Today, the restored print shop houses a press, bindery, and even the shop where the first Book was sold. Free guided tours daily.
Mon-Sat 9AM-7PM, Sun 12:30PM-9PM; close 2 hr earlier Nov-Mar
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Joseph Smith Farm
The farm property has been restored to resemble what it would have looked like in 1830. You can start at the welcome center, with an introduction to the history of Joseph Smith's family and views of the whole farm complex. The Smith Frame Home (1825) still stands, and a replica of the 1818 Smith Log Home is nearby. Free guided tours daily.
Mon-Sat 9AM-7PM, Sun 12:30PM-9PM; close 2 hr earlier Nov-Mar
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Palmyra Temple
Despite being the location of the church's founding, no temple was built in the area until the year 2000. Even then, it was the first such Temple built in the entire state. Keep in mind that only members of the Church of Jesus Christ who are in good standing with the Church are permitted inside the Temple itself. The beautifully maintained grounds and gardens, however, are open to all.
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Sacred Grove
The exact spot where Smith received his first vision is not known, but it was somewhere within the woods west of the farm. What is left of the grove is maintained by the church, open and free to anyone who wants to walk its trails. No guided tours.
Daily dawn-dusk
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Alling Coverlet Museum
The hand-woven coverlet collection of Mrs. Merle Alling constitutes the core of this museum's assets, which also includes exhibits on quilting and weaving. A small gift shop features woven goods and books.
Jun 1 - mid-Sep (except Jul 4): daily 1PM-4PM, Sat-Mon call first; mid-Sep - Jun 1: Tue-Thu, call first
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Aqueduct Park
So named due to the still-standing aqueduct that carried the original Erie Canal—Clinton's Ditch—over "Mud Creek" (part of Ganargua Creek), Aqueduct Park is a treasure trove for Canal buffs. For starters, the aqueduct itself is quite a sight. Modern Lock 29 is also here, for those who like to watch boats lock up and down. There's a man-made waterfall where the modern canal spills over into the creek. Also here is the historic Aldrich Change Bridge; though it no longer crosses the canal, it was built when the original canal was widened in 1840 (the widened canal allowed no room for the south-bank towpath through the village of Palmyra, so the bridge was needed for the mules to change sides).
9AM-9PM
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Erie Canal Depot
Before 2011, the building between the Historical Museum and the General Store was known as the Tenant House and used for museum storage. But when they went to finish the interior, the museum staff discovered that the building had a story of its own to tell. Mule stables in the basement pointed the way: the building would become a museum documenting the village's canal history, with artifacts and exhibits explaining what life was like when Palmyra was the third-busiest port on the Erie Canal.
Tue-Sat 10:30AM-4:30PM
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Four corners, four steeples
Hey, when you're in a small town, sometimes the most trivial things can become tourist attractions. There's one church on each corner of this intersection, and the village claims that no place else in the country can boast the same. The 1832 Western Presbyterian Church, 1867 First United Methodist Church, 1870 Canal Town Community Church, and 1873 Zion Episcopal Church aren't connected in any other way, and there's no tour or admission fee that lets you explore them all. But the sight is a popular one for photographers, if nothing else.
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Hill Cumorah Visitors Center
Hill Cumorah, one of thousands of glacial drumlins found throughout the region, is said to be the location where Joseph Smith found the gold plates that he translated into the Book of Mormon. The elegant but modern visitors center is at the foot of the hill, and it contains a number of exhibits and displays related to the church and its history. Free guided tours daily.
Mon-Sat 10AM-5PM, Sun 1PM-5PM; close 2 hr earlier Nov-Mar
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Hill Cumorah and Historic Sites
The Smith family farm was over a mile south of the village, straddling the border between the Towns of Palmyra and Manchester; Hill Cumorah is another couple of miles south. Today, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints maintains a small visitors center at Hill Cumorah, along with an assortment of historical sites around the area. There is no admission fee for any of the sites, and staff members are always on hand to provide (free) guided tours.
Mon-Sat 9AM-close; Sun 12:30PM-close; closing time varies seasonally
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Historic Palmyra Museum Complex
The complex encompasses five separate museums, each presenting a different aspect of life in old Palmyra.
Single museum: Adults $3, ages 12-17 and seniors $2; Trail Ticket (all five museums): $7 and $5; Family Trail Ticket (2 adults, 4 teens): $14. Children under 12 free with adult
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Palmyra Historical Museum
The flagship museum of the complex houses a number of permanent exhibits on local history and artifacts. Topics include the Erie Canal, the Underground Railroad, women's suffrage, and the Book of Mormon. Another exhibit details the unique connection Sir Winston Churchill had to Palmyra.
Late Spring - Fall: Tue-Sat 11AM-4PM; Fall - Spring: Tue-Thu 10AM-5PM; or by appointment
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Print Shop Museum
John M. Jones sold printing equipment from this location for 63 years; today, examples of those items are on display at the museum.
Late Spring - Fall: Tue-Sat 11AM-4PM; Fall - Spring: Tue-Thu 10AM-5PM; or by appointment
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Sexton Park
Prospect Hill
Much larger than Village Park, Sexton Park sits on Prospect Hill, a glacial drumlin much like Hill Cumorah to the south. It's a large wooded park popular with picnickers.
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Swift's Landing
Swift's Landing on Ganargua Creek is where John Swift started settlement of the town; today it's a quiet 17-acre park that sits between the Creek and the Canal.
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Village Park
The Village Park is in many ways the center of community activity in the village. Nearly every weekend it seems like there's something going on there, from outdoor movies to Farmers' Markets to bandstand concerts to community garage sales. Playground and picnic facilities available.
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William Phelps General Store and Home Museum
A former boarding house and tavern, the Phelps General Store was locked up in 1940 and left untouched for decades, leaving the contents almost exactly as they would have looked in decades past. The apartment upstairs appears much as it did when the Phelps family first occupied it, without any of the common modern conveniences like indoor plumbing.
Late Spring - Fall: Tue-Sat 11AM-4PM; Fall - Spring: Tue-Thu 10AM-5PM; or by appointment

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Palmyra (CC BY-SA 4.0).