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Ithaca's sunsets are truly breathtaking. "When the sun fades far away, in the crimson of the west... O'er the dreaming lake and dell" are lines from The Evening Song, an 1877 Cornell hymn that rings out on North America's largest chime every day near sunset. The romantic sounds of the Cornell Chimes reflect the visual beauty of the Ithaca campus. The spectacular view of Cayuga Lake is what inspired Founder Ezra Cornell to build a university so far away from the major settlements of the mid-nineteenth century. Today, you can see this stunning view by climbing 161 steps to the top of McGraw Tower immediately before or during any chimes concert. On a balmy summer day, most Ithacans find the waters of Cayuga Lake irresistible, and few places in the world are more beautiful to a Cornellian.

The spectacular geology of the area made Ithaca a minor Hollywood in the early days of film. On a sunny summer day, take a stroll across the suspension bridge on campus and think about glaciers carving valleys in stone some 10,000 years ago, when the Northeast was buried under a mile-deep river of ice.

Ithaca offers several state parks and other outoor recreation areas, including Stewart Park at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake, which boasts picnic tables, charcoal braziers, a carousel, tennis courts, and canoe, sailboat, and sailboarding rentals, and Taughannock State Park, which has the highest waterfall in the Northeast. Slightly out of town, you'll find the Fingerlakes National Forest, which is ideal for horseback riding and berry picking, and Watkins Glen State Park, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake, which is noted for its trails, gorges, and waterfalls.

Forming the south edge of the campus, Cascadilla Creek flows over several spectacular waterfalls. Most of SCT's participants take advantage of on-campus housing and live in Cascadilla Hall, an attractive facility located alongside Cascadilla Gorge, in close walking distance to both the A.D. White House and Collegetown. For the adventurous, the Cascadilla Gorge trail connects the Cornell campus with downtown Ithaca, and is an alternate route to going shopping on the Ithaca Commons. This trail is part of the Cornell Plantations Path which connects the natural areas on campus. The Plantations also includes an arborteum, a botanical garden, an herb garden, a wildflower garden, and other natural areas.

The Fuertes Observatory (off Pleasant Grove Road) is open to the public on clear Friday nights, offering spectacular views of Ithaca's night sky. Not too far from campus, the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology at Sapsucker Woods has an observatory that overlooks a ten-acre pond. The lab is surrounded by the Sapsucker Woods bird and wildlife sanctuary, which has four miles of peaceful trails. Slightly further from campus, the Cayuga Nature Center and Sciencenter are two local science museums that offer hands-on educational activities.

A waterfall cascades over the dam that separates the lower end of Beebe Lake from Fall Creek and, in the process, generates some of the electric power for the campus. Especially during the summer, trails around the lake are well worn by joggers and lovers alike (legend has it that, if a couple walks the entire perimeter of Beebe Lake holding hands, they are destined to become engaged). Overlooking the lake, and next to the north campus residences, Helen Newman Hall is a place to work out, swim, play basketball, fence, bowl, and learn the tango.

The Collegetown neighborhood is home to restaurants that offer everything from hamburgers and pizza to souvlaki, curry, and sushi. There are also many restaurants in Downtown Ithaca, including the famous Moosewood Restaurant, which offer delicious fare from tapas to enchilladas, from blintzes to seafood. The Downtown area also features bookshops, small film houses, night clubs, and art galleries. Both areas have coffeeshops, bars, and ice cream parlors. Tompkins County has more restaurants per capita than any other county in the country.

Located near Cass Park, Hangar Theatre, one of New York State's finest regional theatres, offers a full summer production schedule. The theatre is built in Ithaca's original airport.

From fresh-baked pies to a new litter of puppies, from fresh herbs to crafts, all kinds of homegrown specialties are available at the Ithaca Farmers' Market. The Farmers' Market is a cooperative outlet that is open on Saturdays and Sundays nearly year-round at the old steamboat landing on the Cayuga Lake Inlet. Agriculture is the biggest industry in New York State, and Ithaca is blessed with many nearby farms, vineyards, and orchards. The fruits of these operations are found at the market and in many local restaurants. The Farmers' Market also offers live music.

By car, Ithaca is about an hour from Syracuse and Binghamton, and roughly four hours from New York City, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia. The city has an airport and a bus terminal, as well as local bus lines.

For more information on Ithaca and the Cornell community, we invite you to take a look at the following links: