CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. — An iconic Finger Lakes destination is enjoying a makeover and a surge of staycationers who are avoiding long getaways this summer.

As educators, Amy Sopcak-Joseph and Pete Joseph love exploring history.

“It’s one thing to read about them in a book, but it’s really different to be wandering around someone’s house and not touching their things, of course,” said Amy.

It has brought them to the Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park in Canandaigua.

“There were a lot of wineries and breweries that we could stop at on our way up and on our way home," said Pete "We’re both really interested in history, and there are a lot of early 19th century sites in the area.”

Every August, the couple celebrates their wedding anniversary with a vacation. But this year, the Pennsylvania natives are keeping it simple.

“Sometimes we would go up to Vermont or something like that," Amy said. "But this year, gas prices are expensive, so we were looking for something that was a little closer to our home in Wilkes-Barre, but still new and further away.”

They’ve chosen to visit the gardens at an exciting time, with a lot of change happening across the 50-acre estate.

“Being able to support a place like this, which is trying to preserve that history, we think that’s really important,” Amy said.

Owned by the influential Thompson family through the 1920s, it became housing for nurses and doctors and a Veterans Affairs hospital, then a not-for-profit and ultimately a state park in 2006.

“There’s no place like this in Upstate New York," said Executive Director David Hutchings. "And that’s what makes us so unique. This is all just an incredible space that people love.”

Hutchings says more than $3.5 million in grants and donations have been used in the last five years on renovations.

“Really makes me excited for its future, and excited for what I’ve been able to give,” Hutchings said.

Gardens and greenhouses are being restored, walking paths have been added, and most recently, a new entrance and parking lot were constructed. A visitor education center is still to come.

“It puts a whole new feel on this older place," Hutchings said. "And we just have a new beginning.”

The Josephs believe you don’t have to travel very far to have a remarkable vacation, as seen here in the Finger Lakes.

“We had a great vacation, even with watching our budget and thinking about what we wanted to do," Amy said. "We were still able to visit some breweries and visit some historic sites, stay at a really great B&B and stay within our budget this summer.”

Hutchings hopes as the gardens continue to transform, more people will come to see it as one of the top destinations of the Finger Lakes.

“That legacy needs to live on long before our lifetime," Hutchings said, "so the legacy of the Thompsons who were so giving to this community can continue.”