The Tepee: Cherry Valley, NY

The TePee, Cherry Valley, NY’s famous roadside attraction has been around since 1950. It’s made up of a pinch of giftshop, a dash of Americana, and a whole heap of awesomeness.

I’d stopped there once before years prior, but I was hot and miserable. The experience wasn’t especially pleasant. Thankfully, my latest visit was the opposite of that.

This time I bought a Tepee shot glass to commemorate my excellent trip.

The TePee looks out across the Mohawk Valley. The valley spills out to the edge of the Earth. And in between the Tepee and eternity, there are lovely roads to ride.

During my visit, I had a little tête-à-tête with the sleepy-eyed buffalo. He didn’t have a lot to say, he just kinda grazes in the parking lot; keeps an eye on things.

It’s hard to tell from this photo, but Buff is smiling, too.

I’ll be honest. The first thing I thought when I saw the buffalo was that I wanted to sit on it. They must get that a lot.

During a quick search, I was able to find vintage postcards that feature The Tepee.

This particular image was taken before the attached building was built.

It’s fun to imagine what the woman would be saying to the brave on the bucking bronco if they were real. Maybe she was part of something like a carhop service, but for horse riders. “What can I getcha, hon?”

How much do you love that bucking bronco out front? Unfortunately, it is no longer there. And can we talk about the totem pole? So good. Sadly it too is no longer around.

When the Tepee was built, it was clad in silver like a disco space tepee. Everybody knows that disco space tepee parties are the best parties.

The Tepee
7632 Hwy 20
Cherry Valley, NY 13320