During the long winters in upstate New York, we have a number of different activities to choose from to stay active in the ice and snow. Wintertime recreation in Otsego county, including skating, sledding, and ice fishing, has been popular since the 1800s. The Otsego on Ice exhibit will display historical objects of these pastimes from the Fenimore Art Museum and The Farmers’ Museums’ extensive collections. In addition to our own regional history of winter sports, the exhibit also sheds light on the more ancient origins of these activities that were originally necessary for human survival in winter climates. Objects from the Thaw Collection of American Indian Art lead us back to understand the more utilitarian need for these tools that we have since adopted for recreation.