Tompkins County Public Library, Ithaca NY

Nevin_Welcome_Center_at_the_Cornell_Botanic_Gardens

The Ithaca Discovery Trail is a collaboration among hands-on museums and the public library in

Tompkins County, New York Tompkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 105,740. The county seat is Ithaca. The name is in honor of Daniel D. Tompkins, who served as Governor of New York and Vice President ...

. Its member institutions are:

Cayuga Nature Center The Cayuga Nature Center (CNC) is an educational institution addressing nature and environmental issues. It is located on the west side of Cayuga Lake in Tompkins County, New York. History CNC traces its history back to the Cayuga Preventorium, ...

Cornell Lab of Ornithology The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a member-supported unit of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, which studies birds and other wildlife. It is housed in the Imogene Powers Johnson Center for Birds and Biodiversity in Sapsucker Woods Sanctuar ...

Cornell Botanic Gardens The Cornell Botanic Gardens is a botanical garden located adjacent to the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, New York. The Botanic Gardens proper consist of of botanical gardens and of the F. R. Newman Arboretum. The greater Botanic Gardens ...

Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art ("The Johnson Museum") is an art museum located on the northwest corner of the Arts Quad on the main campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its collection includes two windows from Frank Lloyd W ...

Museum of the Earth The Museum of the Earth is a natural history museum located in Ithaca, New York. The museum was opened in 2003 as part of the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI), an independent organization pursuing research and education in the history o ...

Sciencenter Sciencenter is a hands-on science museum in Ithaca, New York. It was founded on February 28, 1983 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization. The Sciencenter grew out of the Volunteering, volunteer-run hands-on science program run for ...

, The History Center of Tompkins County, and

Tompkins County Public Library Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL) is the public library for residents of Tompkins County, New York. The library has one branch which is located in Ithaca, New York. History Ithaca's first public library was founded by Ezra Cornell as the ...

History

Prior to the founding of the Discovery Trail, museums worked together informally on joint promotions. In 1999, the Ithaca Discovery Trail was established using a grant to fund a part-time coordinator. It was incorporated in 2007 and gained a Section 501(c)(3) tax exemption in 2008. In 2005, the Discovery Trail began the "Kids Discover the Trail!" (KDT) project with the Ithaca Public Education Initiative and Ithaca City School District (ICSD). KDT connects the eight ICSD elementary schools with the eight Discovery Trail institutions by providing curriculum-based field trips and instructional materials. About 2,900 students participate each year.

Programs

The Discovery Trail cross-promotes the eight member institutions which form a "33-mile loop of exploration." The Discovery Trail promotes the "Ithaca Discovery Trail" as a distinctive brand that links the member institutions, and the Discovery Trail conducts the co-marketing effort among its eight members, which includes: * collaborative programming; * participation in community-wide events; * a website; * distribution of a common brochure; * a biannual visitor survey, focus groups and analysis of visitor data (which is performed by Cornell's Survey Research Institute); and * media press releases and advertising. The Discovery Trail carries out joint events, programs, and exhibitions and works closely with the Tompkins County Convention & Visitors Bureau. The Discovery Trail also maintains a joint calendar of events. The Discovery Trail is funded by the Tompkins County Strategic Tourism Board and by member contributions.

References

External links

Official website
{{coord missing, New York (state) Museums in Tompkins County, New York Tourist attractions in Tompkins County, New York