Town
Where to Stay in Ithaca
Ithaca is a college town with gorges at its edges. Cascadilla Gorge's trail runs between downtown and the Cornell campus, Taughannock Falls State Park, about 10 miles north, has a 215-foot waterfall taller than Niagara Falls, and Buttermilk Falls and Robert H. Treman State Parks are both within 5 miles of downtown. Downtown Ithaca is walkable, and the Commons, a pedestrian mall, has more restaurants than most cities of 30,000. The Ithaca Farmers Market runs on Saturdays at Steamboat Landing on Cayuga Lake from April through December, and Cornell and Ithaca College keep a full calendar of arts and lectures. Wineries line both shores of Cayuga Lake north of town, and Seneca Lake is about 30 miles west. Inns in town include Argos Inn and The William Henry Miller Inn, and Firelight Camps has safari tents near Buttermilk Falls.
The William Henry Miller Inn
Featured StayIthaca · B&B
An 1880 Chateauesque mansion in Ithaca designed by William Henry Miller, the first architecture student to graduate from Cornell, who went on to design several of the university's buildings. The B&B has 9 rooms with carved chestnut woodwork, stained glass and fireplaces. Breakfast is made daily with local ingredients. It sits at the edge of downtown, a short walk from the Commons.
Designed in 1880 by William Henry Miller, Cornell's first architecture graduate. Nine rooms with carved chestnut and stained glass. A short walk to Ithaca Commons.
Argos Inn
Ithaca · Inn
A 10-room inn in Ithaca's former Mayor's Mansion, which later served as the headquarters of Duncan Hines before standing vacant. Avi Smith spent four years restoring it and opened the Argos Inn in 2013, with LEED certification, geothermal heating and heated stone floors. Original works by Dalí and Miró hang alongside locally commissioned art. Bar Argos has a zinc bar and a patio hung with Moroccan lanterns.
Firelight Camps
Ithaca · Glamping
Canvas safari tents at the foot of South Hill in Ithaca, on the grounds of La Tourelle Inn and within walking distance of Buttermilk Falls State Park. Tents have king beds or two queens and private balconies. Standard tents have no electricity; light comes from kerosene lanterns, and guests gather at a communal fire pit.
The Statler Hotel
Ithaca · Hotel
A 153-room teaching hotel on the Cornell campus in Ithaca, run with Cornell's School of Hotel Administration since the 1950s. More than 300 students work alongside the professional staff each year. TavernaBanfi is the main restaurant, with The Regent Lounge, in-room dining and a student-run restaurant as well. Renovated in 2010. Ithaca's gorges are close by.
John Joseph Inn
Ithaca · Inn
The former Rose Inn in Groton, rebuilt as the John Joseph Inn and Elizabeth Restaurant after a 2004 fire destroyed the original 1851 Italianate mansion. Chef-owner John Hamilton reopened in 2006 with 6 guest rooms and a restaurant that draws from local farms and changes its menu with the seasons. The mahogany spiral staircase, built by carpenter William Houser in 1922–24, partly survived the fire and was restored. The property sits on 10 acres, 20 miles from Ithaca.
Why Stay in Ithaca
- •The gorges and waterfalls are within 5–8 miles of downtown — Cascadilla Gorge through campus, Taughannock Falls, Buttermilk Falls, and Robert Treman State Park.
- •Ithaca has more restaurants than most small cities, many sourcing from the farms around Cornell.
- •The Cayuga Lake wineries start just north of Ithaca and run up both shores.
What Makes This Area Interesting
- •Taughannock Falls State Park: about 10 miles north; a 215-foot waterfall reached by a 0.75-mile trail from the lower parking lot.
- •Buttermilk Falls State Park: 2 miles south; a series of cascading falls on a moderate 1.5-mile gorge trail.
- •Ithaca Farmers Market: Steamboat Landing on Cayuga Lake, Saturdays from April through December.
- •Cornell Botanic Gardens: gardens, an arboretum and natural areas around the campus; free and open year-round.
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