Local activities and attractions sure to brighten even the grayest winter day 

Though the cold winter months of the new year can feel endlessly long, they are also an ideal time to discover some cozy escapes. Fight the post-holiday slump with these educational and uniquely Tompkins County pastimes that will fill your days with thrills, spills, beauty and delight.

Atlas Bowl

This Trumansburg bowling alley has 10-pin bowling in a lounge setting with seven vintage lanes, as well as a recently installed candlepin lane. It has been completely restored to 1960s-era lanes and offers a nostalgic experience with old-fashioned hand scoring. Bumpers and ramps are available free of charge for little rollers.

“Atlas is a great family activity that’s family-friendly,” Trumansburg Village Mayor Rordan Hart said.

Atlas offers elevated comfort food with a menu that includes eclectic shareable plates, griddle-cooked burgers, entrees and a kids’ menu. The full-service bar serves classic and modern cocktails alongside wines, hard ciders and craft and domestic beers. The signature cocktail menu changes seasonally.

Atlas hosts QuizBowl Trivia Night Wednesdays at 7:30 with a first-place team prize of a $25 gift card. Every Thursday from 7 to 10 p.m. is Vinyl Night, when local DJs and vinyl collectors spin a variety of tunes.

Bowling hours start at 4 p.m., with the kitchen open from 4 to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. The bar is open 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Atlas Bowl is located at 61 W. Main St., Trumansburg. Bowling and dining reservations can be made on Atlas’ website, atlasbowl.com.

Art Seek Pass

Visit Ithaca’s Art Seek Pass offers a tour experience that takes users to 20 sites across the county, guided by a free mobile website where participants can check in and earn prizes, including an Ithaca Murals coloring book and travel sketchbook.

“It’s a way for people to explore public art, and a lot of it is in Ithaca,” said Rob Montana, communications manager at Visit Ithaca. “There are murals, sculptures and different things like that. It’s just a way for people to be guided to some of the more notable public art in Tompkins County.”

Many of the stops on the Art Seek Pass highlight the work of Ithaca Murals, a nonprofit network of people transforming gray walls into beautiful, meaningful works of art that tell the stories of the diverse people who live here. Some of the most notable murals include a tribute to the local connections to the Underground Railroad, acknowledgment of the native land that Ithaca was built upon and countless utility boxes that have been decorated with unique creations.

Though many of the Art Seek destinations are in Ithaca, the tour takes visitors all around Tompkins County.

“It’s really cool,” Montana said. “Something people have been asking about is, ‘How can we see public art?’ That’s something we’re hearing from visitors that is of interest, and it highlights some of the stuff that is off the beaten path.”

For more information and to download the pass, visit visitithaca.com/things-to-do/arts-culture/outdoor-art.

“It’s a way to get people exploring different parts of the community,” Montana said.

Namgyal Monastery and Dalai Lama Library and Learning Center

One of the destinations on the Art Seek Pass is the large Dalai Lama statue that stands in the courtyard of the Dalai Lama Library and Learning Center.

“The learning center is a great place to visit,” Montana said. “There are artifacts on display, and it’s a really peaceful place for people to go. They really want people to come in and do some reflection on their own.”

Located at 201 Tibet Dr. in Ithaca’s South Hill neighborhood, the monastery and its Library and Learning Center form an educational and cultural institution that aims to preserve the teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhist culture.

Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies is the North American Seat of the Personal Monastery of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The founding of Namgyal-Ithaca in 1992 marked an important new phase in the history of Buddhism and Tibetan culture in America.

The Library and Learning Center is a recent addition to the campus. It had its grand opening in 2023.

The 9,250 square-foot building was designed by local firm HOLT Architects, and visitors are free to wander the large, open spaces that are ornately decorated in rich colors from the carpeted floors to the vaulted high ceilings.

The Dalai Lama Library and Learning Center is open to the public Wednesday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Rice Hill and Taughannock State Park

Located on the north side of Taughannock State Park in Trumansburg, Rice Hill sledding area has two ice skating ponds and a warming hut with a wood stove.

“Rice Hill, which is part of the state park property on Rice Road, is a very long, steep hill that runs down to Route 89 and has glorious sledding,” said Trumansburg Village Mayor Rordan Hart. He added that there is a large parking area available to the public, making Rice Hill a convenient, family-friendly winter destination.

There are also several multi-use trails that allow for snowshoeing, hiking or cross-country skiing. 

“It’s one of those places that I’ve gone to ever since I was a kid,” Hart said.

You can get to Rice Hill either by way of Route 89 or Route 96. Follow the signs for Taughannock Falls State Park.

And for those interested in winter hiking, Hart said that the colder months are ideal for exploring Taughannock Falls without the typical crowds.

“People can take advantage of the trails in the off season,” Hart said.

Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art

The Johnson Museum of Art on the Cornell University campus offers three floors devoted to a permanent collection, with Asian art on the fifth floor and two other floors highlighting ancient Greek and Roman art, medieval and Renaissance art, European art from the 17th-19th centuries and modern and contemporary art from around the world. 

In addition to the permanent displays, the museum has rotating exhibitions, the next of which will be the works of Suzi Ferrer (1940–2006). Ferrer was a member of Cornell’s Class of 1962 and became a pioneering visual artist during a decade-long stay in Puerto Rico in the 1970s. This solo exhibition opens on Jan. 25 in five of the museum’s galleries and includes rarely seen and recently discovered works.

Now through Jan. 19, the Johnson Museum is open with winter hours on Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed on Monday and Tuesday). Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 21, the museum will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Monday). 

Admission for everyone is always free.

The museum offers free tours to the general public, led by museum student educators. These experiences can focus on highlights of the permanent collection or special exhibitions. They also can be tailored to a group’s interests.

Tours last 45 to 60 minutes and combine close looking and conversation. The museum requests a minimum of five participants and two weeks’ notice for scheduling. Email Saraphina Masters to learn more or schedule a tour: scm265@cornell.edu. 

For more information about the museum, visit museum.cornell.edu.

Press Bay Alley

Located on West Green Street in Downtown Ithaca, Press Bay Alley offers a variety of unique destinations in one compact space. Just a short walk south of The Commons and conveniently located near the Green Street and Cayuga Street parking garages, Press Bay has coffee, ethnic cuisines and multiple retail spaces.

Press Bay Café offers coffee and lattes in a sun-drenched setting that is perfect for starting off a relaxing winter morning.

The savory pastries at Mama Said Hand Pies feature flaky, golden crusts and fillings that celebrate comforting flavors from around the world.

Tacos CDMX serves homemade corn tortilla tacos with a variety of fillings, including asada, pollo, al pastor, chorizo, lengua (beef tongue), ribeye and vegan options.

And new West African restaurant Asempe Kitchen opened last summer, where chef and owner Kuukua Yomekpe gives foodies a taste of authentic African recipes with a vegetarian twist.

At SewGreen, the nonprofit turned self-sustaining business carries out its mission to mainstream and model sustainable practices, provide affordable communication education to all, and empower youth to develop lifelong skills through classes and teen apprentice programs. SewGreen has a resale fabric store and has partnered with Eileen Fisher corporation to be an official outlet for previously purchased and returned Eileen Fisher clothing.

A new addition to Press Bay Alley, Poured Candle Bar offers a wide selection of candles for sale. Those who would like to make their own candle can book a custom fragrance experience on the Poured website, pouredcandlebar.com.

These are just a few of the unique places to dine and shop in Press Bay; for a full list of the area’s storefronts, visit pressbayalley.com/businesses.

Cornell University Lab of Ornithology

For those who crave being in nature but are less excited about braving below-freezing temperatures, the Lab of Ornithology’s visitor center has new, interactive indoor exhibits where bird lovers can view world-class art and exhibits.

“The Cornell Lab of Ornithology offers year-round bird hikes, and the new visitor center is really amazing,” Montana said. “It’s great for kids to go to, has great accessibility … with nice, groomed trails. But the visitor center is really cool. There are videos on a loop, places to look out on the pond, and the hands-on activity place is really fantastic. You can listen to bird sounds, touch bird skulls and things like that.”

The observatory allows visitors to watch the Cornell Feeder Cam in person from the comfort of a viewing space, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Sapsucker Woods Pond.

At the Adelson Family Bird Discovery Lab, discover what it takes to be a bird. Listen to their songs, see through their superpowered eyes, learn how they take flight and more.

The lab’s conservation team collects stories from around the globe from researchers and the public. Visitors can watch the latest videos and learn more about what the lab is doing to protect birds and nature, and what the public can do, too.

The Wall of Birds mural, the work of Jane Kim of Ink Dwell Studio, captures the 350-million-year evolution of birds and highlights one member of each of 243 extant bird families. The Wall of Silhouettes, a mural by James Prosek, nods to the classic silhouettes in the endpapers of the first Peterson guides but expands the range to include habitats and birds from across the world. Maya Lin’s Sound Ring sculpture emanates sounds that represent migration flyways.

Those who are up for a winter hike can venture out to explore five miles of trails in Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary.

For more information, visit birds.cornell.edu.