Much has changed on the shores of Chautauqua Lake over the past 150 years.

The steamship era has come and gone. Horses and buggies have given way to cars. A ferry ride across the lake has given way to a bridge from Stow to Bemus Point. Largely undeveloped land gave way to grand lakeside hotels, many of which are no longer here in place of newer land uses.

But for 150 seasons spanning 151 years, Chautauqua Institution has been a constant. The institution, too, has undergone changes over the years. It’s grown from a largely outdoor assembly into a quaint community. But the idea of Chautauqua has remained constant. Lewis Miller and Bishop John Heyl Vincent, Chautauqua’s founders, wanted to create a movement that emphasized the importance of education across a lifetime. They saw an America in which leisure time was spent learning, stretching one’s mind with new ideas and the arts. For 150 summers that has been Chautauqua’s creed.

A summer inside Chautauqua Institution brings nine weeks of themed speakers who will open you to new perspectives, wonderful music and acting, popular entertainment and exposure to classic and current literature. For 150 seasons, Chautauqua Institution has acted as a convener, providing the framework for the types of conversation that too often fall by the wayside these days.

As is the case with any venerable institution, there are many opinions of Chautauqua Institution. But there is one fact that few can disagree with – summer doesn’t feel like summer in southern Chautauqua County without Chautauqua Institution. You can set a watch to the influx of visitors to Chautauqua and what that influx means to dozens of south county towns and villages and the small businesses that ring the lake. We spend a lot of time talking about the value of Chautauqua Lake to our region’s economy, and it should go without saying Chautauqua Institution plays a vital role in the lake’s economic benefit.

Chautauqua Institution has provided a unique benefit to both mind and economy for 150 years. We hope it retains its unique presence for another 150 years.