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Welcome to Ithaca, where breathtaking natural scenery meets urban sophistication. Located in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, Ithaca is known for its ice-age gorges and tower waterfalls. Taughannock Falls State Park offers swimming, fishing, and camping in the summer as well as ice skating, sledding, and cross country skiing in the winter -- but be sure not to miss Taughannock Falls, a spectacular waterfall three stories taller than Niagra Falls, that drops nearly 400 feet into a rock amphitheater! A similarly stunning vista (one of many near Ithaca!) can be found at Buttermilk Falls State Park. Swim in the natural pool at the base of Buttermilk Falls or follow a hiking trail up Buttermilk Creek as it descends nearly 500 feet in a stunning series of rapids and cascades.
Ithaca is also known as a center of arts and culture. Home to both Ithaca College and Cornell University, Ithaca is home to an array of museums and features a wide variety of theater, music, and dance. Wander through art galleries like the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Fine Art, or take a closer look at an everyday object at the Ithaca Clock Museum. And visitors can explore the natural world from indoors at the Sciencenter, a hands-on science museum for all ages, and at the Museum of the Earth, a natural history museum at Ithaca's Paleontological Research Institution. Many of central New York's award-winning wineries are a short drive from Ithaca, or visitors can stroll and shop along the downtown Commons.
Ithaca also hosts an Apple Festival in the fall, featuring many varieties of apples and locally made apple products, and a Chili Fest in February, during which local restaurants compete to make the most mouthwatering chili!
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