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

Sketching and Painting Trees: A Study Afield, June 24-28

The landscapes of the Plantations abound with hundreds of species of trees and shrubs. In this week-long immersion in outdoor sketching and watercolor painting, the variety of specimens, settings and natural light available will offer continual inspiration. To encourage movement and health we will gently hike to discover different species to draw every day. Bring a hat, drinking water, sunscreen and a foldable chair along with a basic watercolor kit and sketchbook. In case of rain, we will paint indoors. Open to adults and youth ages 12 and older. A complete materials list is available upon request. Instructor: Camille Doucet, local artist. Fee: $180 ($150 for members and Cornell students). Pre-registration required; deadline June 21. Location: First session meets at the Nevin Welcome Center. Subsequent locations will be determined each day. More

Fossil Hunters

Join us for a trip through time with one of our exciting Fossil Collecting Trips! Explore the ancient seas of central New York with the help of our expert staff. Search for trilobites, brachiopods, and a myriad of other ocean creatures up to 400 million years old! Dates: June 15, July 20, August 17 and September 20. Visit website for registration details. More

Summer Camp

Cayuga Nature Center and the Sciencenter have excellent summer programs. Please visit their websites for details. More

Yoga and Art Summer Session

Take a midday break to learn about artworks from the Museum's collection and then practice yoga with instructor Rachel VerValin on the Museum's sixth floor overlooking beautiful Cayuga Lake. All skill levels welcome! Sessions offered Tuesdays and Thursdays from June 4 to August 1 except on June 18, June 20, and July 4. Drop-ins: $12 per session for the general public / $10 per session for Johnson Museum Members, students, and Cornell staff. Call 607 255-6464 to preregister for multiple sessions and save! More

Exhibits at the Johnson Museum

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. More

Decay to DJ: Exploring the Roots of Hip Hop

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. More

More News

Upcoming Trail Events

Senior Theatre Troup

An annual Library favorite, the Senior Theatre Troup of Lifelong performance will feature humorous and serious stories from troupe members' lives. This year's stories will relate to the theme memory. The Troupe performs simply, with no lights, props or sets. The theatre being performed is developed from themes the actors pick, and the stories they tell are based on their own experiences. The Troupe is directed and coordinated by Sue Perlgut and features Connie Currier, Carolyn David, Natasha Tall, Carol Santucci, Deirdre Silverman, Mark Silverman and Vi Street. The plays and theatre exercises performed are developed using improvisational theatre techniques, some of which will be demonstrated during the Library performance. More