By MEAGAN ULRICH

For the Express

When in full-on summer mode in the Adirondacks it’s difficult to think of anything but sun, water, and the great outdoors.

The world is green and fresh again and there is much activity to fit in during the warm months, so much exploring to do. Who, you might wonder, did the exploring here first?

The next time you are relaxing on a dock or drinking in the view from atop Bald Mountain, take a moment to consider who might have stood in that very spot a hundred years ago or more. Who was the first to map and document what was once a vast and unexplored wilderness?

Who took to the waterways in the spring thaw, not knowing what waited around the next bend?

Your answers, along with those to questions you’d never thought to ask, await you at The Goodsell Museum.

Situated on the corner of Main Street and Gilbert Street in Old Forge, you can’t miss the red 1900 Victorian house that is the home of the Town of Webb Historical Association.

Entering from the front porch, you sense that you have gone back in time. The museum offers six rooms full of exhibits rich with Adirondack and Town of Webb history, a research library, and an attentive and knowledgeable staff that is eager to answer questions.

Just wandering from room to room gives you a sense of the people and things that came before. There are many photos, maps and displays, many borrowed from local collections or donated by long standing Adirondack families.

Out back there is the Old Goodsell Carriage Barn, often used to display larger historic items such as guide boats, as well as the Goodsell Ice House.

The TOW Historical Association offers many special activities and events throughout the summer season in addition to their regular in-house exhibits.

The museum will have an on-site garage sale on Memorial Day weekend, followed by their Annual Benefit Auction on July 7. These fundraisers offer many items for sale and bid, from household items to furniture to art and beyond.

A walking tour of Moss Lake is offered on both July 11 and Aug. 8, with a guide along to discuss the history and buildings associated with former Moss Lake Girls’ Camp.

August also offers a Civil War Photo Program with a Civil War author and collector as well as the annual Victorian Tea.

So when you next wander, and wonder, around Old Forge and the surrounding area, take a walk over to The Goodsell Museum. Inside you will find an array of information and fun and interesting facts about this area, how it came to be what it is today, and who forged the pathways.