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Cayuga Lake and the Ithaca Area

This very special area of the Fingerlakes region of New York has a lot to offer! With countless gorges, waterfalls, hiking trails and lake activities, you will find it hard to see everything. The area also has excellent artisan shops, great little theaters, science and nature centers, excellent restaurants, a variety of wineries (and tasting tours), farmers markets, museums and more! 

   Treman Gorge

   The area sports a variety of beautiful gorges and waterfalls. Most have excellent hiking trails and many of them have swimming and picnicking opportunities as well.!

 Taughanook Falls

      Visit the various parks and falls and you take the wine trails along the lake! 

 Cayuga Lake

  The large lake, just a mile down the road from the house offers a variety of boating and fishing activities (sailing, kayaking, water skiing, rowing, lake tours, swimming, etc!) Sunset at the lake is beautiful!

Finger Lakes Wine Region Area Attractions

We listed only a few of the many sites available in the 
Finger Lakes Wine Region & Upstate NY Area.
For a more detailed listing, please click here.

The Ithaca and surrounding area is a very special place. The community centers around several wonderful Universities (Cornell, Ithaca College, Wellsley College and TC3) giving it a taste of the international. With museums, science and nature centers, live theater, fantastic restaurants, waterfalls and gorges, hiking and biking trails,  Cayuga Lake (lake activities, swimming and beauty) and artisan shops and markets, this is an ideal place to spend time, have fun and adventure and relax. We have listed some of the area attractions below!

Asia House Gallery & Museum
Ithaca, NY
Website: www.asiahousegallery.com
Season: Year Round
Asia House Gallery is renowned for original works of art in all media and from all periods. The Gallery specializes in sculpture, scrolls, screen & prints from China, Japan, India, Tibet and Russia. Eight intimate, elegant Galleries of Oriental Treasures. Heirloom quality European & American furniture and period pieces.

Bakers Acres of North Lansing 
Lansing, NY
Website: www.bakersacres.net 
One of the largest herb and perennial growers in Central New York, as well as offering annuals, everlastings, trees, shrubs, apples, cider and garden supplies and gifts. 

Barn House Antiques 
308 Peruville Road, Rt. 34B
Lansing, NY 
607-533-8636
Season: Tues.-Sat. 10am-5pm; Sun. Noon-5pm
Come see our array of unique and unusual antiques by 30 quality dealers.

Buttermilk Falls State Park
Ithaca, NY 
Website: www.nysparks.state.ny.us
Buttermilk Creek descends more than 500 feet in a series of cascades and rapids. A natural pool at the base of Buttermilk Falls provides swimming with the feel of an old swimming hole. Upstream, a scenic trail circles Lake Treman. Limited cross-country skiing, summer recreation program.

Cayuga Boat Rentals & Ferry
358 Enfield Main Rd.
Ithaca, NY
607-277-5072
Boat leaves from Cass Park, behind the pool, Ithaca, NY 
Season: Summer
Canoes, kayaks, guided canoe trips, paddle boats, and kid's tether boat rentals. Snack barge with full concession stand. Ferry boat service with day cruises, sightseeing tours, birthday cruises, Farmer's Market cruises and more.

Cayuga Chamber Orchestra
Ithaca, NY 
Website: www.cayugachamberorchestra.org
A 35 member professional ensemble, the CCO is the official Ithaca orchestra and presents a subscription season including six full concerts, three chamber concerts and a holiday special "Caroling by Candlelight." Under the direction of the CCOs Music Director, Lanfranco Marcelletti, Jr., the group's programs are frequently highlighted by guest appearances of nationally known soloists.

Cayuga Lake Cruises
708 West Buffalo Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
607-256-0898
Website: www.cayugalakecruises.com
Season: May-October
An evening aboard the M/V Columbia offers panoramic views of Cayuga Lake and the surrounding countryside. Enjoy a delicious meal during the cruise. Sailing departs from the M/V Columbia Pier. Besides the dinner cruise, we also offer a luncheon cruise, Saturday and Sunday brunch cruises, daily cocktail cruises, and one Friday Happy Hour cruise each summer month. Private charters are always welcome. Please call for schedules and reservations.

Cayuga Nature Center
Ithaca, NY 
Website: www.cayuganaturecenter.org
Season: Year Round
Discover nature by climbing into the forest canopy of Treetops Tower, viewing our summer butterfly house, and by exploring our interactive displays featuring our live animal collection. Our team building ropes course is a popular activity for groups and students. Visit our lodge situated on 120 acres surrounded by more than five miles of scenic hiking trails, natural gorges, and native wildlife. An excursion on snowshoes or skis allows you to enjoy the wonderful Tompkins County Winter. Lodge is open Mon.- Fri. 9am-5pm. Trails open daily dawn-dusk. On the Discovery Trail.

Cayuga Waterfront Trail
Beginning at Cass Park continuing along the waterfront
Ithaca, NY 14850
Website: www.cayugawaterfronttrail.com
Season: Year Round
Currently a two-mile trail beginning in Cass Park, the Cayuga Waterfront Trail, when complete, will be a six-mile linear park linking our community's most valued waterfront areas. The trail is a ten-foot-wide hard surface dotted with benches, scenic views, and interpretive signage. The Cayuga Waterfront Trail is a special place to relax, exercise, and enjoy the beautiful waterfront in Ithaca.

Community School of Music & Art
Ithaca, NY 
Website: www.csma-ithaca.org
When describing CSMA and its mission, one must look at its philosophy, a deep belief that the arts are an innate part of human nature, and that instruction in music, dance, theater and art should be made available to any community member who desires to learn. John Villani, author of "The 100 Best Small Towns in America," writes that the Community School of Music and Arts is noted for its art courses, and is praised for being "one of the nation's best small-town centers for the arts."

Cornell Cinema
Willard Straight Hall, Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 
607-255-3522
Website: cinema.cornell.edu
Season: Year Round 
Cornell Cinema is considered one of best campus film exhibition programs in the country. They screen over 400 films annually including classic foreign and Hollywood, documentaries, silent films with live music, international cinema, unusual children's films, recent art house hits and more. They also host visiting filmmakers. Seven nights a week in the beautiful Willard Straight Theatre on the Cornell campus during the fall, spring and summer sessions. For current line-up visit our website or call.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology/Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary
Ithaca, NY 
Website: www.birds.cornell.edu
Season: Mon-Thu 8am-5pm, Fri 8am-4pm, Sat 10am-4pm. DA
The Lab of Ornithology is an international center for the study, conservation, and appreciation of birds. It is located on the 220-acre Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary. You can experience the sights and sounds of birds in the observatory's multimedia theater and other interactive exhibits. View paintings by renowned bird and wildlife artists. Enjoy views of Sapsucker Woods pond and bird-feeding garden through an expansive wall of windows. Hike more than four miles of trails through the sanctuary. Donations are accepted, membership appreciated. Hours: Mon-Thurs 8:00-5:00; Fri 8:00-4:00, Sat. 9:30-4:00, Sun. 11:00-4:00. On the Discovery Trail.

Cornell Plantations
Ithaca, NY
Website: www.plantations.cornell.edu 
Season: Peak Season May through mid October
The Arboretum, Botanical Garden and Natural Areas of Cornell University. Schedule of Events

Corning Museum of Glass 
Corning, NY
Website: www.cmog.org 
Season: Year Round
World Renowned Research Facilities. The World's Most Comprehensive Collection of Glass. Master Glassmakers and Live Glassmaking Demonstrations. Hot Opportunities to Get Hands-on with Glass. Some of the State's Best Shopping. Regional Foods, Wines and More.

Harriet Tubman Home
Auburn, NY
Website: www.nyhistory.com/harriettubman  
Season: Open Tuesday through Friday
The Harriet Tubman Home preserves the legacy of "The Moses of Her People" in the place where she lived and died in freedom. The site is located on 26 acres of land in Auburn, New York, and is owned and operated by the AME Zion Church. It includes four buildings, two of which were used by Harriet Tubman.

Ithaca Antique Center 
Ithaca, NY
Website: www.ithacaantiquecenter.com 
Season: Year Round
Ithaca Antique Center has the largest selection of 18th-20th century period furniture and accessories, art deco to mid-century modern, fine art, photography, Architectural Salvage, vintage clothing and many other areas of interest in Central New York. Over 100 dealers with 14,000 sq. ft. 

Ithaca Farmers' Market
Ithaca, NY
Website: www.ithacamarket.com/home.php 
Season: Tuesday markets are at Dewitt Park; Thursday, Saturday, & Sunday markets are at Steamboat Landing. 150 vendors who live within 30 miles of Ithaca, New York. Agricultural vendors grow and offer high quality fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, poultry and dairy products. Food vendors bring a wide variety of freshly baked goods, jellies, honey, and sauces as well as delicious meals to eat at the market. Many talented artists and craftspeople sell their exceptional, locally made items, there is generally live music and boat rides as well at the weekend market.

Johnson Museum of Art (Cornell Campus)
Ithaca, NY
Website: www.museum.cornell.edu 
Season: Open Tuesday through Sunday
The Johnson Museum has one of the finest collections of art in New York State and is recognized as one of the most important university museums in the country. Located on the corner of Central and University Avenues. 

MacKenzie Childs Pottery
Aurora, NY
Website: www.mackenzie-childs.com 
Season: Open Monday through Sunday
Located on a 65-acre former dairy farm. The grounds also house our production studio, a Second-Empire farmhouse, a retail filled with MacKenzie-Childs tableware, home furnishings and gifts from around the world. The picturesque farm is also home to a herd of 25 Scottish Highland cattle, more than 90 birds roosting in the Gothic Revival-style Chicken Palace, a duck pond, a former Cornell horse barn, a 1930's greenhouse, spectacular and ever-changing gardens, and plenty of hay fields.

Meyers Park and marina

Just five minutes from Blue Spruce Retreat is a lovely little park on the lake with boat access, a small marina, picnic pavillions, grassy lawns, kayaking and often live music on summer weekends.

 

NY Waterfalls
Tompkins County & Ithaca, NY
Website: www.NYfalls.com
Buttermilk Falls, Cascadilla Falls, and Ithaca Falls are just a few of the numerous waterfalls in the Upstate NY Finger Lakes Region. Be sure to visit Treman Park where you will see the most amazing gorge, Taughanook Park for a lovely walk along a flat trail that ends with a very tall and majestic water fall and right around the corner, 5 minutes from Blue Spruce Retreat is a lovely waterfall and park (Ludlowville Falls).

Seward House
Auburn, NY
Website: www.sewardhouse.org 
Season: Feb 1 to June 30 and mid-Oct to Dec 31, Tues - Sat 1 pm - 4 pm
Visiting Seward House is like stepping back in time. Seward House was owned and occupied by four generations of family members from 1816 to 1951. The museum's intact collection of furniture, household items, decorative arts, documents and photographs reflects use by four generations of this remarkable family.

 

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