The Bear Hug- Update 2025 Construction

Vision: The vision for the Friends of the Three Bears is to fully utilize the Seneca County Courthouse Complex buildings and become the heart of the community for fine arts and education, and as a hub of tourism for the Finger Lakes Region.

Mission: The mission of the Friends of the Three Bears is to preserve the buildings known as the (historic Seneca County) Courthouse Complex, implement art, music and other educational programs/events and provide historical building tours and area information to visitors. The Friends will accomplish this through fundraising and community outreach.

Hello Three Bears Friends,

We hope you are all doing well! The Three Bears have some exciting projects underway, so we would like to take a minute to update you all.

There are multiple exciting construction projects taking place in Papa Bear this year. Starting this month, Papa Bear will be closed, as our bathroom undergoes renovation. This renovation will ensure that our restroom is fully ADA accessible, allowing improved access to facilities at the Three Bears. Additionally, the cupola will be renovated. This project will secure the structure, and ensure that it remains in good condition for years to come. This is vital to the preservation of our historic courthouse complex, and will be an exciting change. We are not sure yet what the scaffolding will look like for this project, so there is a chance that the Mama Bear Tourism site may be closed as well, due to safety.

Because of this construction, we will not be able to hold events in Papa Bear until late August or early September. That being said, we are still planning on hosting our annual Mother’s Day Plant Sale on Saturday May 11th. Please keep an eye on our social media and website for more information as May approaches! We are also planning on hosting our annual summer concert series on the lawn in front of the Three Bears. Information on the concerts will be posted around Ovid, on our social media, and our website as we get closer to summer and know more about the construction. Finally, we will be holding a dedication ceremony for our new Pomeroy Historic Markers for Mama and Papa Bear. These markers will be installed in Late August or Early September depending on the construction timeline. The ceremony will coincide with the reopening of Papa Bear and will include a dedication for the markers, a musical performance, and more. Details will be provided as we know more about the construction schedule.

Additionally, we are working on putting merchandise, including t-shirts, magnets, and stickers on our website and Facebook. This serves as a fundraising effort, while providing people with a means of supporting the Three Bears while it is unvisitable this year.

For any clarifying questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out.