Ithaca & a little beyond

Make more
of here.

Good food. Fresh air. Something happening.
Find your next little adventure in Ithaca and the Finger Lakes.

Made for people who live here.
Ithaca, NY 01
A good place to be.Finger Lakes, New YorkPhoto: LBM1948 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2010
8 nearby towns. One place to explore.Sources linked. Local details checked.
Get out there

Find your next good day.

The plans, places and little discoveries that make local life better.

On this weekend

11All times Eastern
Oct9
Arts & Culture · Ithaca College
7:30 PMClark Theatre, Dillingham Center, Ithaca
$20 adult; $15 seniors/IC community; $10 students
Oct9
Music
8:00 PMState Theatre of Ithaca, Ithaca
Ticketed; see box office
Oct10
Outdoors · Cornell
8:30 AMCornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca
FreeFamily friendly
Oct10
Outdoors · Cornell
10:00 AMCornell Botanic Gardens – Nevin Welcome Center, Ithaca
FreeFamily friendly
Oct10
Arts & Culture
11:00 AMArtist studios across Tompkins County, Ithaca
FreeFamily friendly
Oct10
Music
Time TBACenter for the Arts of Homer, Cortland
Ticketed; see Center for the Arts
Oct10
Sports · Cornell
1:00 PMSchoellkopf Field, Ithaca
Ticketed; see Cornell AthleticsFamily friendly
Oct10
Sports · Ithaca College
1:00 PMButterfield Stadium, Ithaca College, Ithaca
Check IC AthleticsFamily friendly
Oct10
Family
3:30 PMTompkins County Public Library, Ithaca
FreeFamily friendly
Oct11
Music · Ithaca College
4:00 PMFord Hall, Whalen Center for Music, Ithaca
FreeRegistration required
Oct11
Arts & Culture
7:00 PMState Theatre of Ithaca, Ithaca
Ticketed; see box office

Good any-day ideas

62Check opening times before heading out
Cayuga Lake stretching north between green hills under a spring sky.West End
Photo: Acurarri · CC BY-SA 4.0 · display may crop
Outdoors

State marina park on Cayuga Lake's inlet with boat slips, an eight-lane launch, picnic areas and the Black Diamond Trail trailhead.

805 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca, NY 14850607-272-1460
Boat launch $8 (Apr 1–Nov 30)Lakefront
Cornell University
Arts & Culture

Cornell's large concert auditorium on Garden Avenue, home to the Cornell Concert Series and major campus choral and orchestral concerts.

230 Garden Ave, Ithaca, NY 14850
Varies by eventConcerts
Cornell University
Arts & Culture

Cornell building on Ho Plaza whose auditorium hosts many Department of Music recitals and chamber concerts, often free.

129 Ho Plaza, Ithaca, NY 14853
Many recitals freeConcerts
Buttermilk Falls streaming down a broad stepped rock face into a pool at Buttermilk Falls State Park in early spring.South Hill
Photo: Sdetwiler · CC BY-SA 4.0 · display may crop
Outdoors

State park off Route 13 south of Ithaca where Buttermilk Creek drops through a gorge of cascades; gorge and rim trails climb from the main entrance.

106 E Buttermilk Falls Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850607-273-5761
$10 per car (collected Apr 1–Nov 30)Waterfall
West End
Sports & Entertainment

Ithaca Youth Bureau park on the Cayuga Inlet with athletic fields, playgrounds, waterfront trails, a covered ice rink and a summer pool.

701 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca, NY 14850
See venueIce rink
Ithaca
Outdoors

Nature center on 100 acres above Cayuga Lake with trails, live animals and the six-story TreeTops treehouse; trails and treehouse are open dawn to dusk.

1420 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca, NY 14850607-273-6260
See venueTrails
Homer
Arts & Culture

Arts center on Homer's historic Main Street with national touring concerts, film screenings, community theater and a gallery.

72 S Main St, Homer, NY 13077
Ticketed; varies by showConcerts
Downtown
Arts & Culture

Nonprofit independent cinema on the Commons showing first-run art-house films, documentaries and National Theatre Live broadcasts.

120 E Green St, Ithaca, NY 14850607-277-6115
Ticketed; see showtimesMovies
Cornell University
Outdoors

Cornell's gardens, arboretum and natural areas, free and open year-round dawn to dusk, with the Nevin Welcome Center as the starting point.

124 Comstock Knoll Dr, Ithaca, NY 14850
FreeGardens
Cornell University
Arts & Culture

Campus film program presenting more than 75 films a semester in the historic Willard Straight Theatre, open to the public.

104 Willard Straight Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853607-255-3522
Ticketed; see showtimesMovies
Still water of Sapsucker Woods Pond reflecting trees at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.Ithaca
Photo: Deodandem · CC BY-SA 4.0 · display may crop
Outdoors

Visitor center and observatory overlooking Sapsucker Woods pond, with more than 5 miles of trails; no dogs or bicycles on the trails.

159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850607-254-2473
FreeBirding
Cortland
Arts & Culture

Professional theater company's downtown Cortland stage, used for its October–April season; summers move to Little York Lake.

24–26 Port Watson St, Cortland, NY 13045607-756-2627
Ticketed; varies by showTheater
Dryden
Outdoors

Town-run park on a 0.75-mile lake south of Dryden village with pavilions, a playground and parking for the flat 4.2-mile Jim Schug Trail.

Lake Rd, Dryden, NY 13053
Free; pavilion rentals extraLake
Groton
Community

Village of Groton public library, serving the community since 1896, with walk-in and call-in services.

112 E Cortland St, Groton, NY 13073607-898-5055
FreeLibrary
West End
Arts & Culture

Professional theater beside Cass Park that runs a summer mainstage season plus fall concerts, cabaret and family shows.

801 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca, NY 14850607-273-2787
Ticketed; varies by showTheater
Downtown
Arts & Culture

County history museum on the Commons; its 2026 exhibit, The Power of Water, looks at how water shaped local land, industry and culture.

110 N Tioga St, Ithaca, NY 14850607-273-8284
See venueHistory
West End
Family

Three-acre public garden for hands-on outdoor play near Cass Park, free to explore every day of the year.

121 Turtle Ln, Ithaca, NY 14850
FreeKids
South Hill
Arts & Culture

Ithaca College's theater and dance building with the 535-seat Hoerner Theatre, the flexible Clark Theatre and the box office in its lobby.

953 Danby Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850607-274-3224
$20 adult; $15 seniors/IC community; $10 students/childrenTheater
South Hill
Arts & Culture

Ithaca College's music building on South Hill; its 644-seat Ford Hall and 251-seat Hockett Family Recital Hall host frequent free concerts.

953 Danby Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850
Many concerts free with reserved ticketConcerts
Ithaca Falls on Fall Creek cascading over wide, layered shale ledges.Fall Creek
Photo: LBM1948 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · display may crop
Outdoors

City-maintained park and natural area on Fall Creek near Lake Street with a short walk to the base of Ithaca Falls.

Lake St at Fall Creek, Ithaca, NY 14850
FreeWaterfall
Northside
Community

Cooperative market at a waterfront pavilion on the inlet with produce, prepared food and crafts from regional vendors.

545 3rd St, Ithaca, NY 14850607-273-7109
Free entryMarket
The concrete I.M. Pei-designed Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University under a blue sky.Cornell University
Photo: P. Hughes · CC BY 4.0 · display may crop
Arts & Culture

Cornell's art museum in an I. M. Pei building above Cayuga Lake, with a broad collection, rotating exhibitions and free admission for everyone.

114 Central Ave, Ithaca, NY 14853607-255-6464
FreeArt museum
West End
Arts & Culture

Intimate professional theater on West State Street that produces new and contemporary plays, with discounted and pay-what-you-can ticket options.

417 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850607-272-0570
Regular tickets $45–$55; $20 students/artistsTheater
Lansing
Community

Lansing's public library on Auburn Road with a games collection, a library of things including park passes, and family programs.

27 Auburn Rd, Lansing, NY 14882607-533-4939
FreeLibrary
Cornell University
Sports & Entertainment

Cornell's hockey arena since 1957, seating about 4,267 for Big Red men's and women's ice hockey.

Lynah Rink, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
Ticketed; varies by gameHockey
Myers
Outdoors

Town park on 31 acres of Cayuga Lake shoreline in Myers with a swimming area, playground, courts, pavilions and a marina.

Myers Park, Lansing, NY 14882
Free for Town of Lansing residents; $8 per car for nonresidentsLakefront
Newfield
Community

Small-town public library on Main Street in Newfield with programs for children and adults.

198 Main St, Newfield, NY 14867607-564-3594
FreeLibrary
Downtown
Bars & cocktails

Late-night 21+ lounge next door to the Argos Inn, open weekend nights and select Thursdays for special events; Adelina's pizza truck operates alongside.

416 E State St, Ithaca, NY 14850607-319-4437
See venueLounge
Trumansburg
Games & arcade

Trumansburg bowling alley with ten-pin and candlepin lanes, a cocktail bar and a comfort-food kitchen on West Main Street.

61 W Main St, Trumansburg, NY 14886607-387-3191
See venueBowling
Downtown
Bars & cocktails

Cocktail bar in the first-floor parlor of the Argos Inn on East State Street, with a seasonal outdoor patio and first-come seating.

408 E State St, Ithaca, NY 14850607-319-4437
See venueCocktails
Downtown
Bars & cocktails

East State Street bar with a weekday happy hour and frequent evening events that start at 7pm.

314 E State St, Ste 100, Ithaca, NY 14850
See venueBar
Downtown
Bars & cocktails

Upstairs sports bar and lounge on East State Street showing game-day broadcasts, with a Monday industry night and nightly drink specials.

119 E State St, Ithaca, NY 14850607-349-9871
See venueSports bar
Homer
Live music venue

Community arts center in Homer's former First Baptist Church hosting national touring concerts, film screenings, community theater and open mic nights.

72 S Main St, Homer, NY 13077
See event calendarConcerts
Downtown
Bars & cocktails

Long-running West State Street dive bar, described as downtown Ithaca's oldest surviving tavern, with pool tables and a jukebox.

101 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850607-272-9678
See venueDive bar
Inlet Island
Live music venue

Nonprofit arts organization with a performance space, gallery and music series on Cherry Street in the West End, presenting concerts, circus cabaret and new performance work.

130 Cherry St, Ithaca, NY 14850
Ticketed; see event listingsPerformance space
Cortland
Dance

Nonprofit music park and campground north of Cortland on Route 13, home of the NYS Country Music Hall of Fame, with a weekly line-dancing night and concerts in its Opry Barn.

1824 NY-13, Cortland, NY 13045607-753-0377
Line dancing $5 per personLine dancing
West End
Live music venue

Bar and performance space on Old Taughannock Boulevard by the inlet hosting live music, comedy, open mics and dance parties.

415 Old Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca, NY 14850
See event calendarLive music
Freeville
Breweries

Farm brewery on Route 13 between Ithaca and Dryden with a taproom, a pizza kitchen on event nights, Wednesday trivia and Friday evening music.

1771 Dryden Rd, Freeville, NY 13068607-279-1243
See venueBrewery
Downtown
Bars & cocktails

Karaoke bar and lounge in the Exchange Building downtown, sharing space with a daytime café and a bookable live-events room.

121 W Martin Luther King Jr St, Ithaca, NY 14850607-339-8981
See venueKaraoke
Downtown
Dance

Commons nightclub and tavern with a dance floor added in 2010, DJ nights, darts, pool and a fiber-optic-lit concrete bar top; popular with the college crowd.

114 The Commons, Ithaca, NY 14850607-319-0342
See venueNightclub
Downtown
Bars & cocktails

Downtown spirits bar on West State Street with separate whiskey, mezcal and tequila, and rum menus; parties over six need a reservation.

114 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850
See menuCocktails
West End
Breweries

West State Street brewery taproom with free shuffleboard on Mondays and a Tuesday trivia night; family friendly until 8pm, 21+ after.

321 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850607-339-0324
See venueBrewery
Downtown
Bars & cocktails

Neighborhood bar on South Cayuga Street, open since 1975, with pool tables in the back and a relaxed local crowd.

116 S Cayuga St, Ithaca, NY 14850607-272-9697
See venueNeighborhood bar
Lansing
Breweries

Lansing brewery and kitchen near Myers Point with a Wednesday evening local-music series and a Saturday magic show on posted dates.

6 Louise Bement Ln, Lansing, NY 14882607-533-0124
See menuBrewery
Downtown
Live music venue

Restored historic theatre on West State Street booking touring concerts, stand-up comedy and dance performances.

107 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850607-277-8283
Ticketed; see event listingsConcerts
Collegetown
Wine bar

Collegetown wine and cocktail lounge, part of a small New York group of VINIFERA bars, pouring a changing list of global wines and cocktails; walk-in only.

304 College Ave, Suite 100, Ithaca, NY 14850917-992-4721
See venueWine bar
The Lower Falls of Enfield Glen in Robert H. Treman State Park spilling into a green swimming hole below wooded cliffs.Enfield
Photo: P. Hughes · CC BY 4.0 · display may crop
Outdoors

State park around Enfield Glen, a gorge with 12 waterfalls including 115-foot Lucifer Falls, linked by gorge and rim trails.

105 Enfield Falls Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850607-273-3440
$10 per car (collected April to mid-November)Waterfall
Cornell University
Sports & Entertainment

Cornell's football stadium, opened in 1915, home of Big Red football and sprint football.

513 Campus Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853
Ticketed; varies by gameFootball
Collegetown
Arts & Culture

Cornell's Department of Performing and Media Arts building at the edge of Collegetown, with the Kiplinger Theatre and other stages for student productions.

430 College Ave, Ithaca, NY 14853607-254-2700
Varies; many productions freeTheater
Northside
Family

Hands-on science museum with more than 250 interactive exhibits, live animals and a Curiosity Corner for children 4 and under; free on-site parking.

601 1st St, Ithaca, NY 14850
$12.50 general admission; members and under 2 freeScience
Weeping willows and open lawn at Stewart Park on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake on a summer day.Ithaca
Photo: stan stewart · CC BY 2.0 · display may crop
Outdoors

Lakefront city park at the south end of Cayuga Lake with a carousel, playground, pavilions, a duck pond and the Fuertes Bird Sanctuary.

Stewart Park, Ithaca, NY 14850
FreeLakefront
SUNY Cortland
Sports & Entertainment

Red Dragons athletics complex on lower campus; the Park Center holds Alumni Arena for ice hockey and Lusk Field House has a six-lane indoor track.

1 Folmer Dr, Cortland, NY 13045
Varies by eventAthletics
SUNY Cortland
Sports & Entertainment

Lighted two-field stadium complex opened in 2002; Grady Field seats 6,500 for Red Dragons football and lacrosse.

1 Folmer Dr, Cortland, NY 13045
Ticketed; varies by gameFootball
Taughannock Falls plunging into its gorge amid autumn foliage, viewed from the overlook.Taughannock
Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · display may crop
Outdoors

State park on Cayuga Lake whose 215-foot waterfall is reached by an easy gorge trail; also offers rim trails, an overlook and a marina.

1740 Taughannock Blvd, Trumansburg, NY 14886607-539-4078
$10 per vehicleWaterfall
Dryden
Community

SUNY community college campus in Dryden serving Tompkins and Cortland counties; hosts open houses and community programs.

170 North St, Dryden, NY 13053607-844-6580
See venueCollege
Downtown
Community

The county's central public library on East Green Street, with a makerspace, children's programs, author talks and free events.

101 E Green St, Ithaca, NY 14850607-272-4557
FreeLibrary
Trumansburg
Community

Trumansburg's public library on East Main Street serving the Town of Ulysses with books, programs and community space.

74 E Main St, Trumansburg, NY 14886607-387-5623
FreeLibrary

A good day, already put together.

Local stops that go well together. Pick a guide and make a plan.

Elmira, Horseheads, Big Flats & the good places a little beyond.
An independent local guide. Details can change; check with the venue.