Hidden gems of Tompkins County

By Jamie Swinnerton
Tompkins Weekly

 

As students return to the area lists will be spread of all the great things to do and see right here in Tompkins County. But while the gorges and waterfalls of the area are always worth seeing, and talking about, there are gems within Tompkins County that may very well be overlooked. Tompkins Weekly has compiled for your reading pleasure a list of the “hidden” gems of Tompkins County that add so much culture and texture to the area but may not always make the annual lists of things to see, do, explore, and celebrate.

 

Family-Friendly
Sciencenter: This hands-on science museum just outside of downtown Ithaca aims to inspire a love of science and curiosity in all of its visitors. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Beyond the day-to-day activities of being a great museum, the Sciencenter is also an events space that can accommodate up to 300 guests for corporate functions, or 25 kids for a birthday party. Outside, the museum has its own 18-hole mini-golf course that is open during regular hours, and completely wheelchair accessible with ADA approved clubs. Inside, visitors can learn about astronomy in the Mars and Stars exhibit by driving a Mars rover, or embarking on an interactive flight over the moon. In the Tidepool Touch Tank the brave, or curious, will be introduced to some of the friendlier ocean animals. Embrace your inner scientist with a discovery box, build a gravity dam using metal blocks, or explore hydraulics and civil engineering using rubber ducks. Find all of this, and more, at the Sciencenter!

 

Newfield Covered Bridge: Take a trip outside of Ithaca and head south to Newfield to find the only remaining covered bridge in Tompkins County. Originally built in the 1850s for $800, the bridge is 115 feet long and 16 feet wide. In 1969 the bridge was saved from being torn down and has since been reconstructed twice, once in 1972 in time for Newfield’s sesquicentennial celebration, and once in 1998.

 

Festivals: Ithaca is an area blesses with fests. Possibly the most well-known, the Apple Harvest Festival (Sept. 28 through 30 this year) brings thousands of visitors to the Commons to taste and sample all that the area has to offer, both apple products and more. But before Apple Fest, don’t miss Porch Fest, an Ithaca original (Sept. 23 this year), with dozens of local musicians

performing on porches across the Fall Creek and Northside neighborhoods. In the summer Ithaca takes several days to celebrate music and the arts during the annual Ithaca Fest with a number of concerts and local events on the Commons. As the holiday season approaches the Ithaca Ice Festival (Dec. 6 through 8, this year) will bring the art of ice sculpting to the Commons,

to be enjoyed with a chilled beer from the ice bar, or chowder from the Chowder Cook-Off. In the early weeks of the new year look for the annual Chili Cook-Off where dozens of organizations and businesses will fight for the trophy of People’s Choice Chili during the chilly month of February.

 

Fuertes Observatory: Looking for a little star gazing? The Fuertes Observatory on the Cornell University campus is generally open every Friday night throughout the year, regardless of weather. On clear nights the Cornell Astronomical Society and volunteers set up telescopes on the roof for visitors to use. But cloudy nights aren’t a loss at the Fuertes Observatory. While you may not be able to see the stars, CAS often gives tours of the building and the historic astronomical equipment. Check the cornellastrosociety.org website for the latest schedule of lectures and special events at the observatory. Follow the observatory on twitter (@FuertesObs) to get Friday updates!

 

Peculiar

Wilder Brain Collection: The collection, started by Dr. Burt Green Wilder, the founder of the university’s anatomy department, was launched in 1889 and once boasted a collection of 600 brains. Wilder, a former Civil War surgeon, started the collection in an attempt to study any possible correlation between brain size and intelligence, but found no such correlation. The collection has now been whittled down considerably but is still open to the public for viewing in Uris Hall. Among the collection is the brain of Edward Rulloff, a linguist and local murderer.

 

International Rutabaga Curl: The International Rutabaga Curl is held annually on the last day of the outdoor Ithaca Farmer’s Market in December. The unique tradition started in 1996 by a group of market vendors discussing unusual winter sports. Before the day was done, vendors who admitted to knowing little to nothing about the sport of curling were hurling their wares down the market floor. By 1998 a set of rules were drawn up and it was decided that rutabagas would be the official vegetable of the curl from then on. Contestants are encouraged to dress up as they roll their ‘bagas down the chilly floor of the market hoping for victory.

 

Nature

Ithaca Children’s Garden: This 3-acre public children’s garden is designed specifically for children to learn and enjoy nature in a space built just for them, but can be enjoyed by all. The wheelchair accessible garden is open from dawn to dusk every day, all year long, and can be found at 121 Turtle Lane at the south end of Cass Park. Let your child, or your own inner-child, guide you through all that the garden has to offer. In the Kitchen Garden sampling is highly encouraged so come enjoy sun-kissed cherry tomatoes or fresh basil. Find out what 1,296 old soda bottles look like when turned into a recycled green house where visiting children can pot up their own seedlings in spring to take home. Climb aboard Gaia the turtle, a larger-than-life land sculpture always ready to greet visitors at the south entrance to the garden. Rain or shine, slush or snow, the Ithaca Children’s Garden wants to connect all residents with nature.

 

Cornell Botanic Gardens: Formerly known as the Cornell Plantations, the gardens are open from sunrise to sunset all year long, but the Nevin Welcome Center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. While the grounds are free, the parking is not. The grounds are a collection of the botanic garden, an arboretum, and a network of nature preserves across the Ithaca area. Visit the cornellbotanicgardens.org website to plan your visit. Whether you are looking for inspiration for your own garden, want to learn more about native plants, or are looking to do a little birding the Cornell Botanic Gardens has something for everyone.

 

Lake
School’s Out Charters Wine Cruise: First started in 2009, the School’s Out boat tours soon flourished after making connections with local wineries on the lake. Now, according to the business’ website, School’s Out runs over 130 tours each year. The six-hour wine cruise that visits three different wineries runs daily starting May 13, the two-hour sunset cruise runs daily during the summer through Labor Day. Interested parties can rent private charters for parties of anywhere between six to 12 people. Find more information fingerlakeswinecruises.com.

 

Finger Lakes International Dragon Boat Festival: Sponsored and hosted by the Ithaca Asian American Association, the mission of the festival is to “paddle for social change through community building.” The IAAA purchased two dragon boats from Dalian, China in 2004 to establish the Ithaca Dragon Boat Club, promoting not only the sport of dragon boating but also the culture and heritage of Asians and Asian Americans. Traditionally, the festival is held on the fifth day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar.