Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard

Not impressed with the wine or food. Plus the décor and look just felt cheesy. Maybe just looking for something else, but much better places in the area in my opinion.

Awesome cider and cider donuts. The hard cider and wine are amazing as well. The staff is always friendly and helpful and we enjoy stopping in every time we are in the area.

This place is crowded and filled with cheesy, touristy stuff that your grandma or your kids will dig. They have a huge retail section with food, gifts, and then the animal petting zoo area. We went for a wine tasting. Meh… I wasn’t all that impressed and I didn’t leave with any wines. You could also sample all sorts of cheese spreads and other treats but I’m not a big fan of helping myself to stuff people have sneezed on, made even less appetizing by the fact that they put it all in dig food type dishes. The apple cider donuts were tasty.

This is a great place to visit. Lots of sample to try. Apples to buy. Apple cider and donuts to try. There is a gift store to shop in. If the kids annoy you send them off to the play ground or maybe out to visit the animals.

Apple cider, served warm or cold, is synonymous with the fall season. But do you know how it’s made? At Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard, you can embark on a self-​guided tour of this historic, water-​powered cider mill that has been pressing fresh sweet cider for more than 150 years. You can learn about the entire process — from hand-​picking and washing of the apples to the grinding and pressing of the juice — while relaxing on the Mill pond observation deck where you can feed the ducks.
Another must-​stop at the Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard is the Mill Store Marketplace. Stroll through the store to sample over 40 specialty foods, including apple salsa, aged cheddar cheese, hot sauce and condiments, and Mill-​made fudge. For a satisfying lunch or a mid-​afternoon pick-​me-​up, stop by the snack bar and bakery, where you can enjoy hearty meals like pulled pork BBQ and chili in a bread bowl as well as seasonal sweets like cider doughnuts and apple slush.

My mom and I were in Cooperstown today for a doctor’s appointment, and on the way home we decided to stop here because my mom had never been before. This was my second visit, and I enjoyed it just as much as I had the first time I visited a few years ago! We first stopped to get a bite to eat and a drink at the concession stand before exploring the rest of what this place had to offer. I got nachos and my mom got a salted pretzel. Both were great! Then we went and looked at the ducks and fed them! We finished off our trip in the gift shop. They had approximately 40 different kinds of samples to try through the whole store of different salsas and dips. They were all amazing! The gift shop has two floors of any kind of merchandise you can imagine. They have something for every holiday! Over all, we spent about an hour and a half here and had an awesome time! We would definitely go back again! And I would highly recommend this place to everyone!

This was fantastic… my husband said he could spend all day here… They have LOADS of foods/​spreads for you to try… I highly recommend checking the back labels if you have allergies because its not well marked (as it would be difficult with so many things out for sample). There were so many fun cookbooks and trinkets to see, a very fun and visually stimulating place to be!
The ladies working the floor and the wine tasting area were fantastic, lots of information and very friendly. Went upstairs to watch the cider press at work, that was amazing. We got a few bottles of hard cider to take home. Definitely will come back.

This was a fun stop during our visit to Cooperstown. It’s a beautiful property with a fun shop. I love how they have so many samples so you know if you like it before you buy it. The apple cider, hard ciders, and apple wines are all excellent! I do wish the tour of the cider mill wasn’t a video and you saw apple cider making in progress. Try a strawberry wine slush in the restored barn bakery– it’s delish!

The cider was good as well as the selection, the fudge is fudging good stuff and the gin… hey just try it out yourself they will give you a taste I enjoyed it and I enjoy beefeater when I sip gin. I think overall it is a nice place and a bigger operation than I expected. It is a little too Disney land feeling in my opinion and nothing really stood out to me so nothing bad to say at all but at the same time nothing special either. The staff is very nice and helpful plus you can sample many of the items so that will help you choose for yourself. Bring the family down let the kids check out everything and feed the ducks while you enjoy some ciders. I would say if you are a tourist it is a good destination stop and if you are a local you have tried everything and know what you enjoy so you can be in and out in quickly.

Excellent cider mill and store with tons of free samples (including the ciders). Great place to snag unique gifts, as well as delicious treats (such as candied marble sugar) and off-​the-​wall combinations such as spicy apple BBQ sauce. There are also an overwhelming number of varieties of fudge available for sample and purchase. (When j went they offered .5lbs free for every 1lbs of fudge purchased.)
The café by the exit is also pretty good, although it’s mostly snacks and desserts (lots of apple, pie, and ice cream options) so don’t come expecting a full meal. The apple dumpling is a good, warm choice, as is the cider slushy.

They have the most AMAZING dips and sauces. Love that you’re allowed to try them. Althought I did not purchase anything, it was a great experience. I liked the cider as well as the Snack Barn next door to the store. Would definitely recommend this place for families ’cause who doesn’t like trying free samples? They also sell fudge, there’s a giftshop upstairs, and you can also sample their fresh apples.

i love this place, it’s definitely one of my favorite stops on the Cooperstown beverage trail. i’m not a fan of hard cider, it kinda gives me a stomach ache, but their regular apple cider is great and they have all sorts of great sauces and dips throughout the store with tons of free samples. there’s a few outdoor activities for kids, but also, you gotta watch out for these kids because sometimes their parents don’t! a few years back my friend and i were posing for a picture in one of those things that you put your head through and some little kid (under 5yo i think) came up and punched my friend in the face! and the kids parents didn’t even apologize! aside from that, this place is essential for a fall afternoon in upstate NY

Don’t leave until you try EVERYTHING.
Disclaimer: YOU WILL BUY EVERYTHING.
Great place for families. They have duck feeding and activities for the kids, alcohol for the parents, and food for everyone.

I’m really not sure how anyone can justify a review of Fly Creek Cider Mill at anything less than 3 stars. My family has owned a summer home up in the Maryland area since the early 1900’s, and Fly Creek Cider Mill has been a ‘must-​go-​to’ spot for many, many years. Below is a pretty extensive review of a place that, on the outside, simply looks like a little shop with some miscellaneous items for sale.
I am going to deviate from my traditional rating system a bit to try and encompass everything that Fly Creek Cider Mill has to offer, and so I can try and offer a pretty objective opinion of the destination.
Inside Fly Creek Cider Mill: After you navigate the sometimes frustrating parking situation at Fly Creek, and finally make your way across the bridge and up to the front, you will immediately notice and old-​time /​nostalgic feel to the grounds that really take you away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, and out into a countryside state-​of-​mind. When you enter the Mill, you are typically greeted by a friendly associate who is more than willing to help you navigate the somewhat cramped interior.
Lining the walls all the way around the main room are a gratuitous amount of samples for you to try. You will occasionally come to a sample that is ‘out’, but the workers are typically really good at refilling them expediently — if they are aware of them. I have seen some customers come through and put a whole sample into their purse, or take the cup that the sample was in, a handful of pretzels, and walk around with it in their hand! I have even seen them then replace the sample later. People are unbelievable…
Anyway, I digress. If I were to estimate, I’d say that there are at least 50 samples, plus hard cider and wine (if 21 years old), plus items in the refrigerated section, plus fudge, plus donuts and cider. There is a lot to try. The samples range from very good, to pretty good. I’ve never had anything bad. They have also expanded their offerings over the years to include some dry rubs and seasonings. They now cook chicken, beef, pork, or other items with marinades and samples for you to try. So they are constantly expanding their selection.
People! These are free samples! As in, ‘cost you no money’! I have seen complaints about the samples, etc. They are free! If you don’t like them, do not buy them! This is a hell of a lot better than spending $ 8.00 on a jar of something you don’t like — and it is free. Sigh … people…
There is also an ‘upstairs’ which has some nice little gifts that include seasonal specialties like ornaments and Halloween decorations; but also a pretty substantial number of items that are applicable all year. They have some nice fashion purses and other such items for those who that interests.
Outdoor Restaurant: After checking out (and if you are like me, spending over $ 100), you go back outside where there is a ‘restaurant-​area’ that serves some home-​style classics like: Mac and cheese, chili, broccoli + cheddar soup (in a bread bowl), BBQ beef, hot dogs — as well as some delicious sweet treats such as cider floats, apple pastries, ice cream, etc. Honestly, their food ranges from good to below average (2 – 4 stars). I stick to the sweet stuff, because a lot of it is house made and fresh. A lot of the meals seem to be prepped the day/​night before and reheated the following day in the microwave, or otherwise.
Outdoors: In addition to the restaurant are areas for kids where they can feed the ducks, play on some of the outdoor things, and there is a nice deck/​sitting area overlooking the pond. My daughter loves feeding the ducks, and taking pictures with the various things around Fly Creek (she is 4). We take her picture every year, and it is truly amazing to see how much she has grown every year when we visit.
Concluding Thoughts: Fly Creek Cider Mill is not Disney World, and it is certainly not a place to go to every weekend. Yes, their prices are a little bit steep; yes, sometimes you have to deal with a large crowd (AVOID Columbus Day or Memorial Day WEEKENDS — YES, the WHOLE WEEKEND); and yes, sometimes you have to deal with some stupid people taking advantage of the free samples. Despite that, this is a real wholesome place to bring the family and enjoy a fun day out. When you get to a point where you know what to go in and buy (either at the restaurant or the store), it becomes a lot more enjoyable. I am looking forward to many more years of memories at Fly Creek Cider Mill with my family!

What a fun place! Yummy samples to snack on everywhere! Antique tractors, ducks and geese to feed, snack bar has the best sandwich I’ve ever had. the pot roast sandwich. omg it’s a giant pile of melt in your mouth pot roast goodness on homebaked ciabatta roll with their horseradish sauce. I’d drive here just for that sandwich! (No pics of sammie, we took it to go and ate it on the road). The store is packed with all kinds of cooking sauces, hot sauces, salsas, dipping sauces, fruit butters and jams, cheeses, apple wines, and ciders. and knick knacks, cute souvineers abound. Spent $ 80 on all kinds of yummy things. So far the Mean Jean’s and 4 Amigas hot sauces are a thumbs up, and that smokey pig on a pig bbq sauce is outta control! The pecan honey butter is just so darn delish. Visit this place, you’ll have fun ;)

This is a great place to kill an afternoon if you have children. There is a playground and ducks to feed, and lots of tasty treats.
We don’t have children, so we watched the ducks for a while, sampled some dips and purchased some treats (wine, cider, hot sauce and dip mix). The prices were steep, and many of the products we later saw at a big-​box store.
Overall a nice place, and the cider is very good, but it could be an expensive afternoon.

Love this place. Another surprise just driving around. Well worth the visit. You name it — they have it here. Feed the ducks and geese. Lots of great foods, sauces, snacks, wines, gifts and more. Yummy foods all made on site. Bring the kids. Plenty to do.

Mmmmm… cider samples. Cider donuts. Cider everything. Tons of dips and sauces to sample throughout the place. I ate my way through this place!
I love stumbling onto kitschy shopping attractions like Fly Creek when driving around aimlessly while on vacation. The place itself is huge with many rooms and winding paths inside selling all kinds of apple cider made products, eats, drinks, dips, spreads, snacks, kitchenware, cookware, and even apple wine and booze products. Clean bathooms too! Even a cool tractor and machinery display. It’s like a throwback to simpler times. Sure, they have a ton of retail merchandise that is on the pricey side but the quality is worth it.
I don’t understand what some other negative reviewers wrote about here with their bad tips and bad experiences as ours was quite the opposite. We had a ton of samples to choose from including apple cider and cider donuts. As much as we wanted to sample when we dropped by. We also had a very friendly staff member take us through some apple wine and hard cider tasting and explained each one to us. Yum.
There is even an animal farm on site with quarter machines that dispense feed for the ducks, geese, roosters, and assorted little creatures there. Great for the kids. Who am I kidding — I used up a bunch of quarters myself!
One of the local flyers in our hotel had a coupon for free apple slushies which were pretty awesome on a warm sunny day. Plenty of picture taking spots all around the outside too. Definitely worth a stop to check out if in the Cooperstown area.

I wish we had an orchard like this in my area. It is more than an orchard, but more like a destination. Bring quarters to feed the geese and ducks. Personally, I could feed the birds for hours. There is a snack bar that offers fresh pastries, filling meals (I recommend the chicken and dumplings in a sour dough bowl), ice cream, cider slushies, and The Blooming Apple.
Inside the shop, there are MANY dips, spreads, and preserves to sample. My personal favorites from the shop are the molasses cookies, cider donuts, and the maple nut fudge. This would be a five star review, but had to take off a star for the flies in the store area. With the samples out in the open as well as the fudge stand, I was bothered by the amount of flies crawling over the left out samples and the fudge. When ordering fudge, I asked for fresh pieces as the ones behind the glass had flies all over it.

5 star wines, 4 star cider (This shouldn’t count really cause I was way off season), 4 star samples all over the place (yum yum yum) 1 star for being over priced as hell, everything except for the wine. and maybe the wine a little is rediculously expensive. It is however, the perfect little gift shop with lots of novelty toys and trinkets, tons of different tipping sauces, bbqs, hot sauces, pasta sauces to sample. You could spend hours just looking around and nibbling on things.
Sampling the wine was nice too, you can try any of their wines. I tried a few and HAD to buy their Black Current Wine, but every one I tried was great. They even have a mead.
The outdoors is adorable with all the little ducks and chickens you can feed. Lovely farm feel. Great for children!