Cayuga Nature Center
Trails, rehabilitated animals to visit, a treehouse - so much to do!
They have a Stegosaurus. And a Mastodon skeleton found in upstate New York. That right there is worth your entrance fee. Our personal favorite is the Right Whale skeleton dominating the lobby - so much to talk about when confronted with the enormity of this creature. The museum is the public education component of the Paleontological Research Institution, whose mission is primary research. The permanent collections are amazing - climb through a glacier? The "Rock of Ages, Sands of Time" series of paintings representing 550 million years of fossil flora and fauna in chronological order? Every second Saturday you can bring your fossil mysteries to the museum and experts will help you identify them. Then they'll tell you where to go to find more. We love a visit to Portland Point Quarry….coming soon in the Lansing guide! And…don’t miss the beautiful new mural by local artist Mary Beth Ihnken…we could do a guide just based on her work (also seen at Purity Ice Cream Co., Viva Taqueria, Mama Goose and the Piggery – all places in our list – but you can find her work all over Ithaca!)
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