Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Non-profit organization · Lansing

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Non-profit organization · Lansing

159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850

Highlights

Discover the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, where you can explore stunning trails, a striking visitor center, and an incredible bird mural, all while enjoying hands-on educational exhibits—plus, the best part? It’s all free!

159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850 Get directions

birds.cornell.edu

@cornellbirds

@onthegrid

"Birds are a big deal in Ithaca, and it's not because of the number of Canadian geese choosing to winter here. Ithaca is home to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a world leader dedicated to the study and conservation of birds. The organization boasts 90,000 friends and members and engages 400,000 participants in their citizen-science programs. From building the world’s most comprehensive online archive of audio and video recordings of animal biodiversity to creating bird identifying apps – the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is an Ithaca and global treasure. The striking visitors' center sits firmly in the middle of a 230-acre sanctuary - stop in to collect a map of the 4+ miles of trails, to borrow binoculars, and to see the recently completed "Wall of Birds" mural, painted by artist Jane Kim. Each of the 271 birds featured is life-sized and painted in brilliant color; she’s ambitiously been painting a bird a day since 2014. The observatory overlooking Sapsucker Woods pond is the perfect place to meet a friend - bring coffee and watch the bird feeding garden. Admission is free, public educational events are frequent and terrific – and don’t skip taking a second to browse the gift shop – it’s hard to resist all that great Charley Harper merch!" - St. John Design Group

On the Grid : Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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@onthegrid

"Cornell Lab of Ornithology, The Hills East South West. Birds are a big deal in Ithaca, and it's not because of the number of Canadian geese choosing to winter here. Ithaca is home to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a world leader dedicated to the study and conservation of birds. The organization boasts 90,000 friends and members and engages 400,000 participants in their citizen-science programs. From building the world’s most comprehensive online archive of audio and video recordings of animal biodiversity to creating bird identifying apps – the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is an Ithaca and global treasure. The striking visitors' center sits firmly in the middle of a 230-acre sanctuary - stop in to collect a map of the 4+ miles of trails, to borrow binoculars, and to see the recently completed "Wall of Birds" mural, painted by artist Jane Kim. Each of the 271 birds featured is life-sized and painted in brilliant color; she’s ambitiously been painting a bird a day since 2014. The observatory overlooking Sapsucker Woods pond is the perfect place to meet a friend - bring coffee and watch the bird feeding garden. Admission is free, public educational events are frequent and terrific – and don’t skip taking a second to browse the gift shop – it’s hard to resist all that great Charley Harper merch!"

Ithaca

View Postcard for Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Emerald Moon

Google

Incredible trails with a lot to see! No pets allowed so there was no disturbances to the abundant wildlife. The indoor center has a hands on learning lab, a library, and binoculars to check out for use on the trails.

Nunia Busines

Google

They have very nice telescopes around the building to watch the birds in the forest - very nice that they also put up protective wires on the large windows as a way to protect the birds from the glass. Everything is completely free to view, three stories and a gift shop on the first floor if you're interested. Inside, besides the large windows for viewing the wild birds, there is a small interactive learning exhibit for kids to play with, along with plenty of text for those interested in reading more. They have a few bird specimens in drawers with facts. There is also a theater room where they play short bird documentaries on loop. Upper floor had a large library. Only criticism is I really wish the gift shop had postcards!

Charles Hollenbeck

Google

Yet another excellent natural site in Ithaca. The trail system varies, and is sometimes well-built wooden platforms, or packed dirt trails. The trail itself is scenic, with many viewing platforms to sit and enjoy the wetlands. The ornithology lab is also worth swinging into, and has a wonderful viewing area with chairs. The viewing area is in front of massive windows, so you feel as if you are practically on the water. This area truly has something for many age groups.

Sarah Nguyen

Google

First time the kids got to experience bird watching with binoculars. Walked around the pond and saw lots of diff birds. Lots of shade on the trail, which was mostly wood chips and mulch. The lab itself is really neat with a huge mural with birds on all the continents. Very helpful and friendly staff.

Tim C.

Google

Easy walking trails but could be marked better. There are nap boards but they are a little confusing since the trails aren't marked. Besides that, they are well maintained and it's a beautiful area with multiple observation areas and bridges to go over the wetlands. Cool viewing area from inside the building, as well as some neat educational displays. Also inside the building, you can see where their YouTube Live is streaming the bird feeders.

Stephanie

Google

Had a wonderful visit here! The building has lots of interesting exhibits and a small gift shop. Lots of trails to walk through with plenty of benches throughout to watch birds. The building is open 10am-4pm Tuesdays-Sundays but trails are open from dusk to dawn. If you come during lab hours, you can borrow binoculars for your walk! Yvette was incredibly helpful in guiding us through how to use them and explaining the park grounds. Free parking and accessible facilities. Bathrooms are very clean. There’s a water fountain and free wifi available here!

Angelique Marie

Google

I have been enjoying the bird sanctuary for ten years now. It is one of the most beautiful walking trails in the area where you can see such a variety of plants and animal life, anytime of the year. The trails and walkways are always well maintained and accessible to people of all mobility levels.

Kevin V

Google

A wonderful experience. If you watch the Cornell bird feeder YouTube cam, you can see it live here. The trails around the lakes and through the woods are peaceful. Unless you’re avid at bird watching, most of your bird viewing will be on the lake or at the feeder cam. The facility itself is amazing and seemingly one of a kind. A must-see when in the area.

Andy B.

Yelp

One of the nicest nature preserves I've ever been to, Cornell's Ornithology Lab offers a wonderful setting for viewing the bird species that are native to central New York. The building itself fits into its setting quite well, not distracting from the natural beauty of its surroundings. The glass curtain wall provides an excellent vista from which to observe the birds, either with the naked eye or the high-powered telescopes that really do provide a birds-eye view (pardon the pun) of the preserve. Even if you're not a hard-core birder, the trails here offer a wonderful and easy walk around the grounds. The trails are also dotted with some very nice sculptures that don't distract from the beauty of nature around them. A lot of thought went into the design of these grounds - not surprising, as Cornell is home to one of the premier landscape architecture programs in the country. Free admission, easy parking, and the beauty of nature make for an enjoyable and serene afternoon stroll amongst the birds, a perfect place to visit on a nice spring or fall day.

Mickey O.

Yelp

Nice viewing area inside the building, with provided spotting scopes. The girl behind the welcome center desk was nice and friendly. We did NOT see much in the way of wildlife or birds, like we had hoped we would. That could be from the time of year I suppose. I'm sure the place is teaming with wildlife in the fall months. The biggest complaint/suggestion I would give to the people that run it is to have a BETTER system for marking the trails. There are maps at trail intersections, but they are VERY confusing. EVERY time we thought we knew where we were going, we NEVER ended up in the right spot (and I'm a seasoned veteran of woodsmanship for over 50 years!). PLEASE COLOR CODE the trails to help people ensure they are on the CORRECT trail. Some areas we saw twice, other areas we missed. Not sure about when we might return.

Linda O.

Yelp

Looking for something to do on a sunny day? This is the place! Great walking trails, well maintained and easy walking. Lots of bird activity so bring your binoculars. The visitor center has some very interesting and interactive displays as well as a lovely gift shop.

PJ C.

Yelp

Wow the Lab's visitor center is beautiful. We really enjoyed the giant murals of the birds in the atrium - there are guides for both. Ask at the front desk for the one that explains the "numbered" birds. You can bird watch with free scopes from chairs from the comfort of the building if you choose not to take one of the many hikes around the grounds. We went for a relatively short walk around the pond closest to the visitor center. Didn't see many birds but not a surprise given it was mid-afternoon. I am sure at an earlier hour and a different time of year there would be much to see. We also liked the audio recording booth where you can playback all kinds of birds and other animal recordings. We could have spent a long time playing different sounds. Definitely worth the drive out of town.

Joyce L.

Yelp

Cornell University Ornithology is a fancy word for bird park with a nice walking trail. There's no admission for this place but if you plan to come in a group of more than 10 people be sure to call them ahead of time. We came here on a cloudy/light rain day but we were still able to do the 1 mile walking trail that loops this place. It's an easy trail. The birds here are not caged. It's nice to be in a place where they can roam freely. Inside the museum, they have telescopes that you can use to look for birds. They do have some bird feeders outside and if you're lucky you get to see some colorful birds through the glass.

Sam W.

Yelp

I went here on a date with my girlfriend and had a lovely time. There is no charge to walk the trails or to enter the visitor center, it is completely donation-based. There are telescopes (or whatever they're called) that are free to use from a very nice observation point inside of the center. There is a large pond with many birds and animals to observe from the comfort of inside the visitor center. We saw a Heron fishing. There is not a whole lot to do inside the center other than observing birds but there is a nice cozy library that has great material if you want to do research and there is bathrooms and a small gift shop. It's kid-friendly but young kids might get bored after a short time. The lady at the front desk was very kind and knowledgeable. She offered us binoculars to borrow for free as we walked around the trails. There are many great photo opportunities and the trails are in great condition. Great for running or for pushing a stroller. We saw a bunch of beaver teeth marks on felled trees and also their beaver house. It's a really nice way to spend a few hours.

Betty L.

Yelp

Great exhibits, beautiful grounds, very informative. Only issue with the place is, upon exit, a bird discharged its fecal matter onto my head as I walked to my car and the staff would not discipline it. Rude birds and sadly I guess they'll never learn if such behavior is allowed to continue.

Naguib K.

Yelp

A hidden gem in the Finger Lakes. We wanted something special to spend half the day in Ithaca New York. We found it! The setting couldn't be better. Close to town, the Sapsucker woods trails were a wonderful, easy, very well maintained system. The modern clean building provided a beautiful viewing window that one can spend the entire afternoon looking at the various birds that come by. The store is jam packed with a myriad of birding specific gear. I've never seen a better variety of spotting scopes and binoculars. Great staff and volunteers,

James H.

Yelp

Always delightful--displays instructive, trails well-kept and marked. Kids love it, and the shop has many items not available anywhere. We'll continue to come by whenever we're in Ithaca.

Eleanor G.

Yelp

A unique birding spot that all nature lovers should take advantage of. There is a large building with bird movies, a gift shop, and an amazing floor to ceiling viewing area. They even have a mock up of the sound booth and tech equipment that they use to record bird sounds. (When you look on the web for bird IDs or bird sounds it is likely from the Cornell Bird Lab). They are currently painting an amazing bird mural . Its big and impressive. of course there are great birding trails outside and its all free. Trails open till dark.

@onthegrid

On the Grid : Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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@onthegrid

Ithaca

View Postcard for Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Emerald Moon

Google

Nunia Busines

Google

Charles Hollenbeck

Google

Sarah Nguyen

Google

Tim C.

Google

Stephanie

Google

Angelique Marie

Google

Kevin V

Google

Andy B.

Yelp

Mickey O.

Yelp

Linda O.

Yelp

PJ C.

Yelp

Joyce L.

Yelp

Sam W.

Yelp

Betty L.

Yelp

Naguib K.

Yelp

James H.

Yelp

Always delightful--displays instructive, trails well-kept and marked. Kids love it, and the shop has many items not available anywhere. We'll continue to come by whenever we're in Ithaca.

Eleanor G.

Yelp