Plan Your Visit
From gorge hikes to garden strolls, Cornell Plantations is yours to explore.
What to See and Do
Explore Plantations all year long!
- Plan your visit using the monthly guide, or see what’s blooming now.
- 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 gift shop in the Nevin Welcome Center in the Botanical Garden:
- 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 Brian C. Nevin Welcome Center in the Botanical Gardens. For more information conctact us at (607) 255-2400, or e-mail plantations@cornell.edu.
Food Service
Coffee, tea, dessert and additional light fare is currently available in the welcome center. Additionally, 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.
- Trillum Express is located in Kennedy Hall on the Ag Quad, which 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.
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.
Discounted accommodations at the Ithaca Courtyard Marriott
The Ithaca Courtyard Marriott has extended their discounted Cornell rates to Cornell Plantations visitors. To receive these discounts, use the following link to book your hotel room: http://www.campustravel.com/university/cornell/. From this link, click on "Ithaca Area Accommodations" and then "hotels" to select the Courtyard Marriott.