Plan Your Visit

From gorge hikes to garden strolls, Cornell Plantations offers something for everyone.

• What to See and Do
• Trip Planner
• Visitor Services
• Area Information

What to See and Do

Explore Plantations all year long!

• Find out what’s happening when you’re planning to visit, or call ahead to schedule a tour for your group.
• Please observe garden etiquette while at Plantations.
• To help you explore Plantations, purchase guidebooks at the Garden Gift Shop:          
• • Cornell Plantations Path Guide  
  • Cornell Plantations Guide to Natural Areas On or Near Campus.
  • Cornell Plantations Guide to Off-Campus Natural Areas.
  • Birds of Cornell Plantations
• What do our plant labels tell you?

Trip Planner

No matter what your particular interest or time frame is, here are our recommendations for things to see and do during your visit.

• Want inspiration for your home garden or landscape?
• Interested in upstate New York’s native plants?
• Only have an hour or two?
• Visiting with family?
• Enjoy birdwatching?  
• Looking for a scenic spot to sit and reflect?
• Want to take a nature hike?

Visitor Services

Visitor information is available at the Garden Gift Shop.

Food Service

Currently there is no food service available on-site, but our gardens and natural areas are delightful places to bring a picnic lunch. Please remember to carry out all trash and leave your picnic area as you found it.

• The Cornell Dairy Bar is a short walk from the Botanical Gardens.
• Collegetown Bagels serves bagels, soups, sandwiches, and coffee; it’s a short walk from Cornell’s central campus.
• On Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from April through October, the Ithaca Farmer’s Market on Cayuga Lake includes a wide variety of food vendors.

Search for places to eat in the Ithaca area.

Accessibility

A wheelchair is available by request at the Garden Gift Shop. The following areas are wheelchair-accessible: 

Within the Botanical Garden:
Robison Herb Garden
Young Flower Garden
Mullestein Winter Garden
Heasley Rock Garden

Within the F.R. Newman Arboretum:

Paved paths wind throughout the arboretum; some sections have a steep grade.

Area Information

• About Cornell
• About Ithaca
• Cornell Plantations is part of the Discovery Trail, a partnership of local educational organizations that promotes awareness and understanding of the connections among art, history, literature, science, and the natural world.