The History Center in Tompkins County
No admission feeA local history museum and archive in downtown Ithaca that preserves records and artifacts from Tompkins County.

Photo: NP824, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Climb the stone steps of the Gorge Trail past a string of waterfalls, then loop back down the Rim Trail just outside Ithaca.
106 E. Buttermilk Falls Rd. (off Rt. 13 S), Ithaca, NY 14850 · Ithaca, NY
Buttermilk Creek drops about 600 feet through this 811-acre park on the south edge of Ithaca, and the park counts 10 waterfalls in all. The Gorge Trail climbs beside the cascades and passes the 42-foot Pinnacle Rock, and the Rim Trail on the other side makes a loop of about 1.5 miles. The trail has many stone steps, so wear good shoes. In summer there is a swimming area below the main falls, plus a campground and cabins.
The closest stops to Buttermilk Falls State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
A local history museum and archive in downtown Ithaca that preserves records and artifacts from Tompkins County.
2.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
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Cornell University's art museum in Ithaca, open to visitors at no charge and known for its I. M. Pei building.
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A lakeside municipal park in Ithaca with pavilions, athletic fields, a playground carousel, a duck pond, and a bird sanctuary.
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A natural history museum in Ithaca focused on Earth science, fossils, and science-inspired art.
3.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums