Welcome to the Discovery Trail
Atoms to artifacts, foxes to fossils, robins to rhododendrons, sculpture to storytellers – Ithaca's Discovery Trail has something for everyone!
From peaceful walks to famous talks, from hands-on fun to genealogical research, there's so much to see and do along the Discovery Trail. These eight fascinating sites are an easy drive from downtown Ithaca, Cornell University, Ithaca College, Cayuga Lake and other Finger Lakes attractions.
The Discovery Trail Partnership is a group of educational organizations based in Ithaca, NY. The only organization of its kind, the Discovery Trail promotes awareness and understanding of the connections among art, history, literature, science, and the natural world.
Discovery Trail News
Summer Breeze: Paintings & Drawings by Alice Dalton Brown from May 18 to August 18; JAMuse: The Johnson Museum Turns 40 from May 18 to September 1; Materiality of Motion: The Vibrant Lives of Southeast Asian Textiles on exhibit May 11 to August 11; Post More Bills! Sixty Years of Exhibition Posters from April 20 to July 14; Hair: Untangling Roots of Identity from April 20 to July 14; Beauties and Beasties in Children's Book Illustrations from February 2 to June 30 and ongoing Leo Villareal's Cosmos.
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The Museum of the Earth celebrates its 10th Anniversary this year and is starting off the party this May with a new, permanent exhibit on glaciers! Visitors will feel as if they are immersed in an ice cave as they learn all about glaciers: their characteristics, locations around the world, connections with climate, and impacts on animals and humans. Kids crawl through small spaces and explore the science of glaciers by touching glacial ice, investigating ice cores, and learning about the inside and outside of glaciers!
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Explore the science of motion at the Sciencenter's summer exhibition, which features twelve colorful, interactive exhibits designed to engage young scientists and their families in the fun side of physics. This active learning laboratory offers rolling wheels, dropping objects, bouncing balls, and things on-the-move. In a hands-on way, guests will explore kinetic energy, momentum, Newton's Law of Motion and other physics principles.
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Plant Medicine and Myths of the Ancient Western World on display at Cornell Plantations' Nevin Welcome Center during May and June is prepared by Pam Shade, curator of the Robison Herb Garden. This exhibition displays a series of prints of ancient deities from Egyptian and Greek mythology who were thought to have healing powers.
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Curated by Jason Otero of Art and Anthropology, this exhibit features the acclaimed work of Hip-Hop photographers Joe Conzo and Ernie Paniccioli - made possible by Cornell University Library's Rare and Manuscript Collections; a new body of work by Ithacan Jay Stooks; a showcase of early Hip-Hop memorabilia, including house party flyers, boom-boxes, mix-tapes, fashion and graffiti; materials from the collection of Cap Matches Color; and artwork created by Ithaca's youth at a special graffiti workshop. This unique exhibit will be on display throughout the Library from March 29 through June 14.
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March 1 to June, The History Center presents an exhibition featuring several large-format photographs from South Bronx native, Joe Conzo, Jr. Depicted in the images will be scenes of the South Bronx in the 1970s, a place of urban decline that would ultimately give birth to hip hop music. Through Conzo's images, the exhibition will explore the social and economic conditions of 1970s South Bronx and serve as a backdrop for the foundation of what would become a uniquely American art form.
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Upcoming Trail Events
Area middle and high school students are invited the 3rd Wednesday of each month to join our YA Book Club! We read and discuss the books that YOU choose. Titles are chosen TWO months in advance during our meeting so be sure to bring suggestions each month. This month, the group will be reading, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. Copies of the book are available at the Youth Services Reference Desk.
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Date: Wednesday, May 15
Time: 4:45 - 5:45 pm
Place: Tompkins County Public Library, Thaler/Howell Programming Room
Don't miss your chance to learn about Tim Gallagher's quest to track down the rarest bird in the world, the Imperial Woodpecker, as he reads from his much-acclaimed book Imperial Dreams: Tracking the Imperial Woodpecker Through the Wild Sierra Madre. Copies of Imperial Dreams will be available for purchase and signing at the event courtesy of Buffalo Street Books.
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Date: Wednesday, May 15
Time: 6:00 pm
Place: Tompkins County Public Library, BorgWarner Community Room
Take a guided walk through the lovely grounds at Cornell Plantations to look for birds. Meet at the entrance to the Mundy Wildflower Garden off Caldwell Road. The walk takes place rain or shine. No registration required. Free.
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Date: Friday, May 17
Time: 8:00 - 9:00 am
Place: Cornell Plantations
In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of One Day in Ithaca, a community write-in, which encouraged people who lived and worked in Ithaca and Tompkins County to write about anything they were experiencing, Irene 'Zee' Zahava will host a special 'One Day' writing workshop. Participants will create original works to be included in the One Day in Ithaca 2013 project. This program is free and open to the public; however advance registration is required. To register, contact Zahava at (607) 273-4675 or zee@twcny.rr.com. Community members interested in participating in 'One Day' but unable to attend the workshop are encouraged to drop their story in the 'One Day' box in the Library's Avenue of the Friends on May 17.
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Date: Friday, May 17
Time: 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Place: Tompkins County Public Library, BorgWarner Community Room West
Cayuga Nature Center
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Cornell Plantations
The History Center
Johnson Museum of Art
Museum of the Earth
Sciencenter
Tompkins County Public Library
