Frog’s Way is a great place for families! Not only do we have wide-open spaces, playgrounds and natural areas a short walk from our front door, we are located within 2 to 10 miles of so many family-friendly activities!

Ithaca and the surrounding area have many opportunities for children and their families. We’ve listed here a just a few activities, from Museums to Gorge Hikes, to get you started. For more information and a handy calendar of events, visit Ithaca’s Discovery Trail. We are sure you will find tons of fun during your stay!

Museums

Museum of the Earth

Explore Earth and its prehistoric past—from the tiniest trilobite to the mighty mastodon— through engaging displays, hands-on features, stunning fossils, and science-inspired art. Unearth and take home your own fossils from Fossil Lab. Marvel at the Hyde Park Mastodon, one of the most complete mastodon skeletons ever found, and the 44-foot Right Whale #2030. Watch paleontologists uncover dinosaur bones and other exciting fossils in Prep Lab. Journey 540 million years back in time with the 500-foot mural Rock of Ages, Sands of Time. Continue your journey from the past into the future with temporary exhibitions, lectures, family-friendly programs, and more!

Sciencecenter

The Sciencenter inspires excitement for science through interactive exhibits and programs that engage, educate and empower. The non-profit, hands-on museum offers guests of all ages more than 250 exhibits, educational programs, a gift shop, and seasonal outdoor science playground and mini-golf course. Look, touch, listen & discover at the Sciencenter.

Outdoor & Natural Play Areas

Ithaca Children’s Garden

Ithaca Children’s Garden is both a place and a program, located on the Cayuga Waterfront Trail, minutes from downtown Ithaca. Everything done at ICG is done with one goal in mind: to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards. The best way to do that is to get more children outside, with hands-on experiences, having fun in the natural world. ICG and the Hands-on-Nature Anarchy Zone are free and open to the public, from sunrise to sunset, year round.

Cascadilla Gorge

Recently re-opened with repaired trails, the Cascadilla Gorge is a great place for a family-friendly hike through nature but in the middle of downtown Ithaca. The lower section of Cascadilla Gorge is truly a “gorges” display of rock, water and trees. Cascadilla Creek drops 400 feet from Cornell’s campus to downtown Ithaca, carving through bedrock – shales, siltstone and sandstone – exposing sedimentary rocks that were deposited 400 million years ago. Look for ripple marks on the rock surface, which once was the muddy floor of an ancient ocean.

Indoor Play

Eastlake Recreation Club

If you are visiting during one of the area’s school vacations, the playground will be open for open play. The playground features a glass-enclosed tube-slide with a ball-pit at the bottoms, climbing ropes, and three-stories of fun! Call 607.277.2151 for open play times.

Ithaca Family Fun

For more places to play indoors, be sure to visit the listings at Ithaca Family Fun!