What's New in Tourism

Key Developments in Ithaca/Tompkins County Tourism

Plans Approved for New Downtown Hotel
Hotel Ithaca, currently in final planning and approval, is expected to open in 2011. The property will be a nine-story, full-service boutique hotel at the intersection of State and Aurora Streets, adjacent to the downtown Ithaca Commons. The hotel will feature 130 luxury rooms and suites and 2,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. The hotel will be built on the same site as the historic Hotel Ithaca, a landmark that operated throughout much of the 20^th Century but was lost to urban renewal in 1963. In addition, the hotel will be the home of the original Zinck's Bar, a cherished icon of the city's past. The $27 million property is developed Rimland & Assoc., and operated by Gemstone Hotels & Resorts. 

Discovery Trail Celebrates 10^th Anniversary
Marking its 10^th anniversary in 2009, Ithaca's Discovery Trail is a collaboration of eight brainy attractions in the Ithaca area. Look for sepcial events all year at:

Sciencenter: The hands-on science museum for all ages with more than 250 touchable exhibits.
Museum of the Earth: Explore 4 billion years of life on earth and one of America's largest fossil collections.
Cayuga Nature Center: Animals and plant life of the Finger Lakes region.
Cornell Johnson Museum of Art: More than 30,000 works in an iconic I.M. Pei-designed building.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology: If the natural world were a national park, the "Lab of O" would be its visitor center.
The History Center in Tompkins County: Regional history, traveling exhibits and a vast photo collection with more than 100,000 images.
The Tompkins County Public Library: Literature and arts events daily.
Cornell Plantations: More than 4,300 acres of landscaped gardens and natural beauty.

Visitor/Ticket Center Opens on Ithaca Commons
In June 2009, the Convention & Visitors Bureau and Community Arts Partnership, opened a combined Visitor & Ticket Center in the heart of the downtown Ithaca Commons. The move allows the Visitor Center and Ticket Center to better serve downtown residents and visitors with increased parking, visibility, handicap access and gallery space. The new address is 171 The Commons, Ithaca. The visitors bureau provides travel, lodging and activities information at the site. Community Arts Partnership offers information on local arts events and sells event tickets. For tickets and arts information, call (607) 273-4497. For downtown travel & tourism information, call (607) 273-7482.