Museum of the Earth

Museum · Northwest Ithaca ·

Museum of the Earth

Museum · Northwest Ithaca ·

Mastodon, whale skeletons, fossil digs, glaciers, local history

Information

1259 Trumansburg Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850 Get directions

@onthegrid

18,031 Postcards · 836 Cities

On the Grid : Museum of the Earth

"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!)" - St. John Design Group

https://onthegrid.city/ithaca/the-hills-east-south-west/museum-of-the-earth

Museum of the Earth

@onthegrid

18,031 Postcards · 836 Cities

"Museum of the Earth, The Hills East South West. 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!)"

Ithaca

Museum of the Earth

Ann

Google

Cool place to take kids to learn about the Earth, fossils and dinosaurs. My grandkids are 5 & 6. They were at the lower age of where the displays are targeted. They were interested for an hour or 2. I think once they're slightly older it will be a lot more interesting to them. Great place to take kids.

Thierry C.

Google

Fascinating Stop on Our Way Home My wife and I stopped by the Museum of the Earth on a Sunday afternoon while heading home from the Finger Lakes region. It turned out to be a great little detour! The museum is on the smaller side, but very well done. We spent about an hour walking through and really enjoyed the peaceful, quiet atmosphere—there were only a few other visitors at the time, which made it easy to take our time and explore. Two highlights for us were the massive Right Whale skeleton suspended overhead and the incredibly well-preserved Mastodon, which was discovered in Hyde Park, NY and is an astonishing 97% complete. It’s a great place to stop, stretch your legs, and learn more about New York State’s prehistoric past. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area or passing through!

Charlie “Charmander” L.

Google

The exhibits were well put together and interactive highly recommend downloading the audio tour, but be aware that the audio numbers do not match the museum map. Liked digging for our own fossils and the large mammoth skeleton. Highly recommend for a rainy day activity with the family.

Becky Z.

Google

This is a small museum but it's full of exhibits and areas worth exploring. They have a few specific spots for kids to touch and interact with the exhibits, too. Kids always enjoy experiencing how big creatures of the past acrually were, and seeing the light shine in their eyes while they soak it in is beyond words. Lots of magical moments here. While there is no place to sit and eat and no "real" food to purchase, they do have a few snacks to grab in the gift shop on the way out. There are also a lot of cute items in the shop. Some of which are locally sourced. It is handicapped accessible and the showing floors are fairly open to maneuver mobility devices. They also offer ticket prices for EBT cardholders (see associate for details). While visiting, we witnessed an associate go above and beyond to make a child happy. It was very kind and showed integrity within the staff they choose to employ.

ÜNSAL T.

Google

The Museum of the Earth, though modest in size, offers an impressively comprehensive look at the planet’s geological and evolutionary history. Exhibits cover fossils, climate change, and New York State’s own natural heritage in a clear and accessible way. Visitors can expect to spend 30–60 minutes, depending on the depth of engagement with the interactive displays and informative videos. While compact, the museum provides a rich educational experience that appeals to both casual visitors and those with a deeper interest in Earth sciences.

Rebecca L.

Google

This research institution and museum is a little jewel if you are interested in paleontologist! They have an amazing collection of glass models of invertebrates that alone is worth visiting.

Caroline G.

Google

The Museum of the Earth is a true gem in the Finger Lakes! It is a must visit destination for fossil lovers of all ages. The staff members are welcoming, knowledgeable and clearly passionate about their work. I brought in my collection of fossilized shark teeth to be identified on a Saturday Fossil ID Day and was thrilled to find that Nico (the awesome Director of Visitor Services) is the shark tooth queen. She spent an hour discussing all things shark with my group and took the time to dig into the scientific literature to ensure a more accurate ID for our fossilized teeth. We also loved viewing the Fossil Prep Lab and chatting with the manager Dr. Maureen. The Museum of the Earth is the only fossil prep lab in New York State that offers public viewing and it was fascinating to observe stone being expertly cleared away from an ancient rhino jaw. We also saw a huge apatosaurus shoulder blade and leg bones on display waiting to be prepared. The fossil prep lab trains volunteers to work on their specimens and if I lived in Ithaca I would 100% sign on to train and work. Overall, my friends and I had a fantastic and memorable afternoon at the Museum of the Earth. We can’t wait to return. If you have the chance to visit I highly recommend you take it.

Boris D.

Google

As usually, me and my nine years old son enjoyed the permanent exposition - always learning something new about our planet and New York State in the past. And then we had great time at the mollusk exhibition and Blaschka's glass figures. Great unique place!

Jesse W.

Yelp

While a small museum, the Museum Of The Earth packs in a lot of exhibits and information. It's an immersive experience at times as well with full rooms decked out with artifacts or fun interactive displays. For those in the Ithaca/Cayuga area, it's worth a stop in for an hour or so of your time.

Jessica R.

Yelp

This is an excellent indoor activity for children and adults. The cashier also informed us of the military discount. My husband is a navy veteran and the family receives 50% off admission. So many interactive exhibits. Visually exciting and made learning fun for my daughters on a rainy day.

C M.

Yelp

I love this museum. It was the highlight of my trip to central New York. I heard it's closing for good soon and that breaks my heart

Lauren S.

Yelp

Perfect for toddlers, my twins absolutely loved this museum. It's not very large but it had a lot of interactive options for the younger aged kids. My twins are 2 almost 3 and we ended up getting a membership after our visit because we could tell they liked it enough to return enough to some that worth it, I would stay it's not gear toward adults but if you have children this is a great place to visit. They even had a space for sensory issues children if they need it which was very nice, we didn't stay cause my kids are too loud but we peeked. If you have dinosaur loving kids there a lot.

Vikki D.

Yelp

A great way to spend 2 hours wandering and learning. I had a free day on a work trip and decided to pop into the museum. It's small but informative and nicely set up. It focuses on the changes seen in the northeast area, featuring a fish tank set up, glacier area, a mammoth found in someone's backyard, and many exhibits on local sediment and fossils. There was even an animal ambassador when I went and I got to root around for a fossil to take home, complete with certificate of authenticity from the staff. The front desk staff was so gracious and willing to give me recommendations on other local sights.

Richard D.

Yelp

I visited here with my girlfriend on November 26th. The Museum of the Earth is a wonderful geologic and paleontological museum right in the heart of the Finger Lakes with exhibits about all the ages of the Earth and a special focus on New York's geology. It was particularly interesting to learn about Coelophysis, a dinosaur that may have existed in New York based on fossilized tracks that match known Coelophysis footprints from New Mexico. The exhibits about Eurypterid fossils, the Official New York State Fossil, were fun and gave a better understanding of just how large these "sea scorpions" were. Dinosaur exhibits brought to mind Ian Malcolm's warnings from the "Jurassic Park" franchise. The Hyde Park Mastodon was another neat New York connection to paleontology.

Kayla C.

Yelp

What an amazing adventure and learning experience to be had at this interactive museum! Great for kids and adults. The museum is tucked away along the beautiful Cayuga Lake. The drive to this museum is so beautiful. Once you arrive there will be parking up front and there is a second gravel parking lot that you drive by before reaching the building. Beautiful architectural buildings surround you when you arrive. $9 for a ticket or $1 if you have an EBT card. When you walk in you embark on a journey of the earth, it's creation and all the living things that have been around before us! (I.e. fossils, sea life, dinosaurs, etc) They also include a lot of local history which I really enjoyed learning about. Fun activities along the way for kids, a fossil digging station to find your own fossil! And a short video in each room explaining earth's evolution. There was an optional voice guided tour you can listen to on your phone but we opted out of this as there was plenty to read and do already. At the end we explored the gift shop and they had a lot of earth/fossil/dinosaur related gifts for children, good selection of books, candy, jewelry and my favorite! A penny press machine! If you're in the are you shouldn't pass this little gem up!

Hunter S.

Yelp

I was between a 3 and a 4. I went with 4 stars because, though not the biggest or most impressive, it's very clean, clearly laid out, and informative. It's not meant to be the Smithsonian, but is a fun stopover if you're in the area. They have a large, rare wale skeleton. They have a mastodon that was found in Hyde Park. The special exhibit when we were there was about women in paleontology/biology/archaeology. It was refreshing to see the diversity of women represented! There were also exhibits on climate change, glaciers, evolution of life. Again, very concise and well laid out. It was 9 dollars for an adult ticket, and we were happy to support the organization.

Amy S.

Yelp

Fantastic natural history museum. Very well laid out with each geologic period in different rooms. Great reference for central New York geology.

Sue P.

Yelp

If you like fossils, this is the place for you! Lots of fossils local to the area plus others from around the globe to tell the story of earth's past. Great for kids and adults alike. Fun gift shop too!

Joyce L.

Yelp

Museum of the Earth is not very big museum but you can spend an hour or so browsing through. They do have lot of fossil things. One of the interesting things here is the North Atlantic Right whale display on the ceiling. This whale died back in 1999 and people volunteered to preserve it and displayed here at this museum. They also have live horseshoe crabs. You can get really close to the tank and see how many legs and pinchers they have. I say this museum is good for little ones because you can get very close to lot of the displays and see them up close.

Caffeinegirl G.

Yelp

This is a wonderfully informative museum in a relatively small space. There are separate galleries for each age (ie. Cambrian, Jurassic, etc) which include fossils, artifacts, videos and informative images. In addition there is a rotating exhibit space, which currently features the Cornell insect collection. There is also an observation area for seeing active paleontologist projects. The museum is very kid friendly, with scavenger hunts and interactive exhibits. It's a great addition to a visit to Ithaca and a wonderful way to spend a rainy day with kids. +1 to the staff who was super friendly and also to the gift shop!

Jesse S.

Yelp

Well, this is an absolute snooze fest. Some people complain that you can see everything in under an hour, but I think that about 15 minutes is more like it. I guess it would take longer if you read all of the text on the wall or sat down and watched all of the videos that feature old British men saying things like "In the beginning there was carbon," but I wouldn't do that if I were you. As someone else noted, adults would be better served by just reading Wikipedia while the information isn't really accessible to small kids. Also, the lady at the front desk snapped at my kid for touching some thing that wasn't clearly marked as "don't touch" in a way that made me think she had been waiting for someone to touch it all day. I can't imagine that anyone would ever come here twice. I certainly won't.

Timothy S.

Yelp

Passed many times and decided to finally stop in. From the road it looks small, but there's a lower floor that is larger than expected. Laid out so you are walked through the ages of the Earth, seeing the geological/fossil record, my wife and I were amazed at the wealth of fossil examples. There are some areas designed for children, and some impressive skeletons, including a real Right Whale in the lobby with a story behind it. Never heard of the Paleontological Research Institute before, but they've made something impressive inside a (from the road) ordinary-looking building. Will go again when we have more time!

Amy H.

Yelp

This is an interesting museum, but the size is pretty small. It does have a lot of cool fossils and interactive exhibitions that didn't exactly float my boat but would be great for children.

Melissa C.

Yelp

We stumbled across this gem while on a long road trip through the finger lakes region. Tucked in between farmland and large estates- turned- schools, we passed a concrete pylon sign for the "Museum of the Earth". Being fans of natural history and geology, we couldn't pass this up. For $9 each, we spent about an hour and a half wandering through the exhibits learning about the prehistoric eras, their flora and fauna, associated extinction events, and key characteristics. We have to say, these exhibits summarized each era very cleanly and conveyed the key points so clearly the we were able to start to identify on our own where certain types of creatures originated and died out. Bravo. The building design is striking, so much so that I was trying to locate some mention of the architect (without luck). Honestly, the only disappointment in our visit.

James G.

Yelp

The redhead was very rude and condescending when I was trying to check out some toys for my kids and barely paid attention to the other customers who were in front of me

Betty L.

Yelp

Pretty fun. Cool exhibits. So glad the Smithsonian had a garage sale so that this place could exist.

Sarah W.

Yelp

I LOVE this museum. As someone who grew up visiting the Natural History Museum every other weekend, I was delighted to find this hidden gem in Ithaca. Even though the museum itself is relatively small, I could have easily spent all day there. There are great activities for kids and adults, alike. There's so much great material here that I feel like the Museum could easily produce a book with information from its exhibits. The gift shop has a wealth of information too, and I bought a great book on climate change.

Heather B.

Yelp

The Museum of the Earth is an innovative, engaging experience for children ages 5 and up. Interactive exhibits and mind-blowing specimens are a few of the great discoveries behind the Museum's doors. The skeleton of the Right Whale is breath-taking and sad, while the massive Mastodon in the Glacier Exhibit is stunningly HUGE!! The museum is fairly small and for an adult can be walked through in less than an hour, but the museum's directive goes beyond the specimens and fossils displayed within its walls. Ongoing programs like Fossil Friday, Dinosaur Tales, and annual programs such as Darwin Day and Teacher Resource Day reach into and beyond the Ithaca community, pulling people of all minds together to celebrate the Earth and her history.

L. L.

Yelp

This is a small but excellent museum. I really liked the timeline-based walkthrough, which put the fossils into context. They also have a "find your own fossil" area, which lets you examine rocks for fossils, then take them home. The focus seems to be on the time periods in which the rocks around Ithaca were formed, which makes sense. They also do field trips to look for fossils for both families and adults. When I went, there was a traveling exhibit on biodiversity that was pretty good, in addition to the permanent exhibits.

Joseph W.

Yelp

the museum of the earth is awesome and i highly recommend it to every one and please check it out

Candice O.

Yelp

Smallest museum ever. I went here with my 5 year old son and walked through it in 10 min. He was expecting so much more, we ended up going down the hill to Science Time to fill up the afternoon.

Ben K.

Yelp

This museum was great, we were here on the first Sunday in March and it turns out admission was free on that day! The museum is small compared to many others but that does not at all imply that it is sub-par in other respects. Indeed this museum leads you on an enthralling tour through earth history replete with fossils and information about climate change and plate tectonics. Really informative and fascinating, plus lots of hands on activities for kids and adults who are young at heart. Bring some granola bars because odds are when you are wandering the halls of this museum you will lose track of time and not even notice you've spent 3 hours inside!!

Anna P.

Yelp

Kids (ages 8 and 11) really enjoyed the museum, lots of hands on activities, particularly examining fossils. Spent a good 2-3 hours there.

Joe L.

Yelp

i can't believe that i went to college at ic and never realized that this museum was here. it was excellent. really interesting displays of dinosaurs, trilobites, and extinct animals. very well done galleries too. i think the whole thing may be a bit too mature of a subject for 5 year-olds to really comprehend and get a grasp on, but they would probably enjoy the giant t-rex skeleton head and such. my one critique is that i thought that it could have provided a bit more information on darwin himself than what was actually there, but i still enjoyed the museum none the less. i'd say the whole thing can be done in about an hour. as a young adult, i enjoyed it way better than the science center. AND the museum of the earth was free on this particular sunday. score!

Ariel T.

Yelp

This was an interesting museum. We found this place on a whim while visiting. However, we had different expectations as to what the place was going to be but we still enjoyed our time there. The whole tunnel that feels like ice was amazing and the mammoth they have was very interesting. Overall, just lovely. Great for kids

L L.

Yelp

It is an intimate little museum on the out-skirt of Ithaca - aka Paleontological Research. Good museum with a lot information on the dinosaurs and the history of our own planet. The admission is not expensive and worth a visit if you are in Ithaca.

Kyron S.

Yelp

Ok for kids, adults would find Wikipedia more engaging. Not really what I would expect out of a museum.

Scott D.

Yelp

Tucked away about 300 yards off a two-lane road on the western side of Cayuga Lake is this terrific little museum that tells the story of life on earth from its beginnings nearly 4 billion years ago. Fossils are in abundance and except where protected by plexiglass cases, touching is encouraged. Holding a 350 million year old fossil in the palm of your hand is a rare privilege. Yet, anyone who pays the modest $8 admission for adults ($5 for youth under 17) is given the opportunity. Spend an hour or two or several, the museum has something to pique the interest of anyone with a curious mind.

Steve M.

Yelp

Great for kids of all ages...my son looks forward to it (and even requests it out of the blue). I even find myself "playing" with some of the exhibits. Great for an afternoon.

Constance B.

Yelp

The Museum of the Earth is a gem, in a lovely spot, overlooking Cayuga lake from the western shore just a mile or two above Ithaca. The inside displays are top notch, and offer a great counter to the nonsense of places like the Creationist Museum in Kentucky. The museum lays out the diversity of life on ancient Earth in a very straightforward, easy to understand way, and makes a hands-on case for evolution through natural selection. The only thing I don't quite understand is the glacial garden outside in the back. It needs more explanation, and seems just an afterthought.

@onthegrid

18,031 Postcards · 836 Cities

On the Grid : Museum of the Earth

https://onthegrid.city/ithaca/the-hills-east-south-west/museum-of-the-earth

Museum of the Earth

@onthegrid

18,031 Postcards · 836 Cities

Ithaca

Museum of the Earth

Ann

Google

Thierry C.

Google

Charlie “Charmander” L.

Google

Becky Z.

Google

ÜNSAL T.

Google

Rebecca L.

Google

This research institution and museum is a little jewel if you are interested in paleontologist! They have an amazing collection of glass models of invertebrates that alone is worth visiting.

Caroline G.

Google

Boris D.

Google

Jesse W.

Yelp

Jessica R.

Yelp

C M.

Yelp

I love this museum. It was the highlight of my trip to central New York. I heard it's closing for good soon and that breaks my heart

Lauren S.

Yelp

Vikki D.

Yelp

Richard D.

Yelp

Kayla C.

Yelp

Hunter S.

Yelp

Amy S.

Yelp

Fantastic natural history museum. Very well laid out with each geologic period in different rooms. Great reference for central New York geology.

Sue P.

Yelp

Joyce L.

Yelp

Caffeinegirl G.

Yelp

Jesse S.

Yelp

Timothy S.

Yelp

Amy H.

Yelp

This is an interesting museum, but the size is pretty small. It does have a lot of cool fossils and interactive exhibitions that didn't exactly float my boat but would be great for children.

Melissa C.

Yelp

James G.

Yelp

The redhead was very rude and condescending when I was trying to check out some toys for my kids and barely paid attention to the other customers who were in front of me

Betty L.

Yelp

Pretty fun. Cool exhibits. So glad the Smithsonian had a garage sale so that this place could exist.

Sarah W.

Yelp

Heather B.

Yelp

L. L.

Yelp

Joseph W.

Yelp

the museum of the earth is awesome and i highly recommend it to every one and please check it out

Candice O.

Yelp

Smallest museum ever. I went here with my 5 year old son and walked through it in 10 min. He was expecting so much more, we ended up going down the hill to Science Time to fill up the afternoon.

Ben K.

Yelp

Anna P.

Yelp

Kids (ages 8 and 11) really enjoyed the museum, lots of hands on activities, particularly examining fossils. Spent a good 2-3 hours there.

Joe L.

Yelp

Ariel T.

Yelp

L L.

Yelp

Kyron S.

Yelp

Ok for kids, adults would find Wikipedia more engaging. Not really what I would expect out of a museum.

Scott D.

Yelp

Steve M.

Yelp

Great for kids of all ages...my son looks forward to it (and even requests it out of the blue). I even find myself "playing" with some of the exhibits. Great for an afternoon.

Constance B.

Yelp

Museum of the Earth

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On the Grid : Museum of the Earth

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On the Grid : Museum of the Earth