Favorite Haunts around Ithaca
Favorite Food & Drink
Finding this Italian place in a tucked away apartment building is half the fun! Excellent service, and some of the best food you'll find in Ithaca. This is a place to treat yourself for a special occasion.
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Gola Osteria
115 S Quarry StFinding this Italian place in a tucked away apartment building is half the fun! Excellent service, and some of the best food you'll find in Ithaca. This is a place to treat yourself for a special occasion.
This is our go-to local neighborhood joint - rather on the nice side. You can get the usual pub fare, but also "the incredible burger" (vegetarian) and mushroom ravioli. In the summer, the outdoor patio is open.
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Northstar House
202 E Falls StThis is our go-to local neighborhood joint - rather on the nice side. You can get the usual pub fare, but also "the incredible burger" (vegetarian) and mushroom ravioli. In the summer, the outdoor patio is open.
This is where you go when you want seafood and you're in the middle of New York State. Great (for upstate) cajun fare, fun vibe, moderate cost.
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Maxie's Supper Club & Oyster Bar
635 W State StThis is where you go when you want seafood and you're in the middle of New York State. Great (for upstate) cajun fare, fun vibe, moderate cost.
We are Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) members of the cider house. Yes, because it's Ithaca! Stop by if you're visiting Taughannock Falls. Open for brunch on weekends and dinner all week, sometimes with live music. Getting a tasting of ciders and enjoy the view!
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Finger Lakes Cider House
4017 Hickok RdWe are Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) members of the cider house. Yes, because it's Ithaca! Stop by if you're visiting Taughannock Falls. Open for brunch on weekends and dinner all week, sometimes with live music. Getting a tasting of ciders and enjoy the view!
The food is good, the beer is ... weird (we think they try too hard), but the setting is divine. The back of the restaurant is a vast, sloping hill. Order food and eat it on Adirondack chairs while your kids scamper and play, and you can watch the sun set. Pairs well with a visit to Treman or Buttermilk Falls.
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Ithaca Beer Co.
122 Ithaca Beer DrThe food is good, the beer is ... weird (we think they try too hard), but the setting is divine. The back of the restaurant is a vast, sloping hill. Order food and eat it on Adirondack chairs while your kids scamper and play, and you can watch the sun set. Pairs well with a visit to Treman or Buttermilk Falls.
Ithaca is not a super place for pizza, but if you (or your kids) are craving something easy, we'd recommend Franco's. You can watch them make and toss the pizza, there are a great variety of toppings, and it's delicious. Most other places are rather salty, greasy, basic. Be sure to get a coffee at the Gimme's next door.
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Franco's Pizzeria
527 West State StreetIthaca is not a super place for pizza, but if you (or your kids) are craving something easy, we'd recommend Franco's. You can watch them make and toss the pizza, there are a great variety of toppings, and it's delicious. Most other places are rather salty, greasy, basic. Be sure to get a coffee at the Gimme's next door.
This little place is tucked in a basement near the Commons. But don't be fooled - it's got the back tacos and drinks selection around! The twins began this as a food truck catering service, and have come into their own.
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Bickering Twins Restaurant & Tequila Bar
114 N Cayuga StThis little place is tucked in a basement near the Commons. But don't be fooled - it's got the back tacos and drinks selection around! The twins began this as a food truck catering service, and have come into their own.
This is our go-to first stop on a date night. When you step into the Inn, you think you're in a different country. The drinks, the setting, the live music... In the summer, there's often a food truck serving food on the back patio. They've also just opened the Warehouse next door, which has a stunningly designed lounge, as well as great drinks and light food fare.
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Argos Inn - Ithaca's Boutique Hotel
408 E State StThis is our go-to first stop on a date night. When you step into the Inn, you think you're in a different country. The drinks, the setting, the live music... In the summer, there's often a food truck serving food on the back patio. They've also just opened the Warehouse next door, which has a stunningly designed lounge, as well as great drinks and light food fare.
Things to do with Kids
Kids of a range of ages will love this place. There's a small collection of animals and touch tank, water sensory play, science discovery room, rotating exhibits, and in the summer, an outdoor mini-golf and very cool playground. Good option when it's raining or cold. Member of the ASTC network.
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Sciencenter
601 1st StKids of a range of ages will love this place. There's a small collection of animals and touch tank, water sensory play, science discovery room, rotating exhibits, and in the summer, an outdoor mini-golf and very cool playground. Good option when it's raining or cold. Member of the ASTC network.
The playground at Fall Creek is incredible. It's all wood and turrets, and a bit old and rundown in some parts, but very different from most playgrounds. Other playgrounds at Belle Sherman Elementary, Cayuga Heights Elementary are also terrific.
Fall Creek Elementary School
202 King StThe playground at Fall Creek is incredible. It's all wood and turrets, and a bit old and rundown in some parts, but very different from most playgrounds. Other playgrounds at Belle Sherman Elementary, Cayuga Heights Elementary are also terrific.
One of the best places to go with kids, this free roaming garden includes an "anarchy zone" with old tires and ropes and wood for kids build/play with as they wish, to a peace garden remembering children we've lost, to a community garden (with chickens!), to sand pits, willow branch houses, boardwalks... it's incredible. Take a picnic or BBQ!
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Ithaca Children's Garden
121 Turtle LnOne of the best places to go with kids, this free roaming garden includes an "anarchy zone" with old tires and ropes and wood for kids build/play with as they wish, to a peace garden remembering children we've lost, to a community garden (with chickens!), to sand pits, willow branch houses, boardwalks... it's incredible. Take a picnic or BBQ!
Places to Go
This is one of the most amazing swimming holes near Ithaca. It's one of two lifeguarded swimming holes underneath a waterfall. It's deep enough you can jump off a diving board. Park and walk through the forest (briefly) before arriving at a small clearing surrounded by mountains and trees.
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TREMAN RÍKISLÖG
105 Enfield Falls RdThis is one of the most amazing swimming holes near Ithaca. It's one of two lifeguarded swimming holes underneath a waterfall. It's deep enough you can jump off a diving board. Park and walk through the forest (briefly) before arriving at a small clearing surrounded by mountains and trees.
This is the other swimming hole under a waterfall, also with lifeguards. It's great with little kids since there's an extended shallow section. The hike up the waterfall is pretty manageable - we've done it with 3-4 year olds.
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Buttermilk Falls State Park
This is the other swimming hole under a waterfall, also with lifeguards. It's great with little kids since there's an extended shallow section. The hike up the waterfall is pretty manageable - we've done it with 3-4 year olds.
By far our favorite waterfall hike in the state, and voted in USA Today as the country's 2nd best state park. It's an unbelievable hike through softly curving stones, dripping vegetation, stunning waterfalls, romantic stone bridges, etc. You will not regret it. There are many many steps, so kids and elderly knees beware. You can park at the top and hike down, then take a $5 bus back up on the weekends during the summer.
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Watkins Glen
By far our favorite waterfall hike in the state, and voted in USA Today as the country's 2nd best state park. It's an unbelievable hike through softly curving stones, dripping vegetation, stunning waterfalls, romantic stone bridges, etc. You will not regret it. There are many many steps, so kids and elderly knees beware. You can park at the top and hike down, then take a $5 bus back up on the weekends during the summer.
The hike to Taughannock is one of the more accessible for little kids because it's a flat 1/2 mile in and another 1/2 mile out. The massive playground on the lake will make any kid happy, and in the summers it has the only sandy public beach on the lake (with lifeguard). When we go, we pair this with a visit to the Finger Lakes Cider House and Cayuga Lake Creamery.
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Taughannock Falls ríkisparkur
1740 Taughannock BlvdThe hike to Taughannock is one of the more accessible for little kids because it's a flat 1/2 mile in and another 1/2 mile out. The massive playground on the lake will make any kid happy, and in the summers it has the only sandy public beach on the lake (with lifeguard). When we go, we pair this with a visit to the Finger Lakes Cider House and Cayuga Lake Creamery.
Grab lunch at the Ithaca Bakery in Collegetown, then head down the Cascadilla Gorge Trail and eat you lunch under a waterfall. It's hard to believe you can leave Cornell and step into a completely different world so quickly. If you hike down you can treat yourself to the Argos Inn for a drink or meal downtown then hike back up Cascadilla Park Road - one of the curviest roads in the country, and packed with adorable homes like it's hobbit hill.
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Cascadilla Gorge Trail
Cascadilla Gorge TrailGrab lunch at the Ithaca Bakery in Collegetown, then head down the Cascadilla Gorge Trail and eat you lunch under a waterfall. It's hard to believe you can leave Cornell and step into a completely different world so quickly. If you hike down you can treat yourself to the Argos Inn for a drink or meal downtown then hike back up Cascadilla Park Road - one of the curviest roads in the country, and packed with adorable homes like it's hobbit hill.
The Botanical Gardens are so well laid out and planted it makes you want to take a shovel to your garden. You can walk there from our home by walking around Beebe Lake, and then walk back around the other side of the lake. Any time of year, there will be interesting colors, plants, and walks to be had.
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Cornell Grasagarður
124 Comstock Knoll DrThe Botanical Gardens are so well laid out and planted it makes you want to take a shovel to your garden. You can walk there from our home by walking around Beebe Lake, and then walk back around the other side of the lake. Any time of year, there will be interesting colors, plants, and walks to be had.
Thursdays and weekends in the summer & fall, head down to the waterfront for the Ithaca Farmers Market. There are great food options, fresh produce and handmade goods, and plenty of outdoor seating. Kids like to walk down the pier to feed the ducks. You can also take a cruise around the lake departing from the pier.
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Ithaca bændamarkaður
545 3rd StThursdays and weekends in the summer & fall, head down to the waterfront for the Ithaca Farmers Market. There are great food options, fresh produce and handmade goods, and plenty of outdoor seating. Kids like to walk down the pier to feed the ducks. You can also take a cruise around the lake departing from the pier.
This building alone is worth seeing - designed by architect I.M. Pei, who passed away in 2019. There are beautiful rotating collections, but our favorite part is taking guests to the 5th floor, where windows along the entire floor offer unparalleled views of Ithaca.
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Johnson Museum of Art
114 Central AveThis building alone is worth seeing - designed by architect I.M. Pei, who passed away in 2019. There are beautiful rotating collections, but our favorite part is taking guests to the 5th floor, where windows along the entire floor offer unparalleled views of Ithaca.