Traveling to Ithaca to attend a Florae event? Then this is your definitive guide!

We’re proudly located in Ithaca, NY, a hotspot for nature enthusiasts, foodies, and of course carnivorous plants.

Table of Contents

• Getting to Ithaca
• Where to Stay
• Best of Ithaca
  • Nature
  • Museums
  • Shopping
  • Dining Out
  • Wineries & Breweries

Getting to Ithaca

By Car

We’re located less than ten minutes from the Ithaca Commons. Our exact address is provided privately to Open House attendees.

By Bus from NYC

The Campus-to-Campus Bus Service by Cornell provides nonstop service from the Cornell Club in Midtown Manhattan to Cornell’s Ithaca campus.

If you are arriving to NYC by plane, the tricky part is getting to the Cornell Club. It can be done by train but requires ample planning. A rideshare is easier.

By Plane

Ithaca Tompkins International Airport

This is the closest airport to Florae’s location but may have more limited flight options.

Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport

Approximately a 90-minute drive from the venue. This airport offers more flight options but you may need to rent a car to reach Ithaca.

Syracuse Hancock International Airport

Approximately a 90-minute drive from the venue. This airport offers more flight options but you may need to rent a car to reach Ithaca.

Where to Stay

Ithaca has a great selection of nice hotels, as well as unique and cozy Airbnb‘s and Vrbo‘s. Here are some of our recommendations!

Hotels/Bed & Breakfasts

• Ithaca Marriott
• Hilton Garden Inn Ithaca
• The Inn at Gothic Eves
• Inn at Taughannock Falls
• Argos Inn
• Watkins Glen Harbour Hotel
• La Tourelle
• Canopy by Hilton Ithaca Downtown

RV’s/Camping

• Taughannock State Park
• Treman State Park
• Buttermilk State Park
• KOA Watkins Glen

Best of Ithaca

• Experience the best locally sourced food & artistry Ithaca has to offer at the Ithaca Farmers Market.
• Stroll around Ithaca Commons and grab a bite to eat. Live music every Thursday evening in the summer.
• Walk from downtown Ithaca to Cascadilla Gorge & Ithaca Falls. These are easy, short walks.
• Catch the sunset at Stewart Park.

If you aren’t affiliated with Cornell the campus is worth a visit. It has one of the best views of Cayuga Lake and hosts incredible architecture and landscapes.

Nature

• Taughannock State Park – Easy and rewarding hike on the gorge trail or drive to the scenic overlook for easy access. Swimming area on the lake.
• Treman State Park – Stunning but slightly strenuous hike. We recommend starting at the upper park entrance. Natural swimming hole with waterfall.
• Buttermilk Falls State Park – Steep but beautiful hike. Crowded on weekends.
• Watkins Glen State Park – Incredible hike! VERY crowded on weekends due to its international popularity.
• Finger Lakes National Forest – For anyone looking to get a long, peaceful hike without seeing another soul.
• Cornell Botanic Gardens – Sprawling botanic gardens with a variety of unusual plants. 
• Black Diamond Trail to Cayuga Waterfront Trail – Fun and relatively easy bike from Trumansburg to Ithaca.
• U-Pick – Hand pick the fruits and veggies that are in-season from a local farm.
• Additional Waterfalls

Museums

• Corning Museum of Glass – Arguably the world’s best glass museum. Worth the trip for all ages.
• Sciencenter – Great for kids, founded in part by Carl Sagan
• Johnson Art Museum – Rotating collection with a special focus on Asian collections.

Shopping

• Ithaca Farmers Market – Open Saturdays & Sundays.
• Ithaca Commons – Eclectic shopping & eateries in the heart of downtown.

Dining Out

There is a LOT of spectacular food in our region. Below are some of our favorites, but there are many other wonderful restaurants!

• Stonecat Cafe – Our favorite restaurant! Located on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail.
• FLX Table –  Easily the best restaurant in our region. Requires advanced reservations and offers a locally sourced menu that changes with the seasons.
• Gola Osteria – Fantastic Italian restaurant. Our farm supplies some of their pork!
• Viva Taqueria – Cheap, easy and delicious! We recommend the mole sauce.
• Bickering Twins – Super tasty Latin American food!
• Hawi – Delicious and fun restaurant. If you aren’t familiar with Ethiopian food, here’s a great video. All food is eaten with your hands!
• Graft Wine & Cider Bar – One of the nicest restaurants in Watkins Glen.
• Northstar – Farm-to-table bar food. Spectacular burgers.
• Gimme! Coffe – Best coffee shop in Ithaca. Has multiple locations throughout town.

Wineries & Breweries

• Seneca Lake Wine Trail
• Cayuga Lake Wine Trail
• Cideries – We recommend Finger Lakes Cider House or South Hill Cider
• Breweries – Look in Tompkins & Schuyler County. We recommend Ithaca Beer Co., Two Goats, Grist Iron, or Lucky Hare.

Featured Image: Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons