Ithaca Discovery Trail facts for kids
| Formation | 1999 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Ithaca, NY |
| Website | www.discoverytrail.com |
The Ithaca Discovery Trail is a cool team-up of museums and the public library in Tompkins County, New York. These places offer lots of fun, hands-on activities. They work together to help people explore and learn new things.
The places that are part of the Discovery Trail are:
- Cayuga Nature Center
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Cornell Botanic Gardens
- Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art
- Museum of the Earth
- Sciencenter
- The History Center of Tompkins County
- Tompkins County Public Library
How the Discovery Trail Started
Before the Discovery Trail officially began, the museums in Ithaca often worked together. They would share ideas and help each other promote their events.
In 1999, the Ithaca Discovery Trail became an official group. They received money to hire someone to help organize everything. By 2007, it became a recognized organization. This meant it was officially set up to do its work.
Kids Discover the Trail! Project
In 2005, the Discovery Trail started a special project called "Kids Discover the Trail!" This project works with local schools. It helps connect students from eight elementary schools with the eight Discovery Trail places.
Through this project, kids get to go on field trips. These trips are linked to what they are learning in class. About 2,900 students get to take part in these exciting trips every year. It's a great way for kids to learn outside the classroom!
What the Discovery Trail Does
The Discovery Trail helps all its member places work together. They call their combined area a "33-mile loop of exploration." It's like a big circle of fun and learning!
The Discovery Trail makes sure everyone knows about the "Ithaca Discovery Trail" brand. This brand shows that all these amazing places are connected. They work together on many things, including:
- Creating fun programs together.
- Taking part in big community events.
- Running a helpful website.
- Handing out a common brochure with information about all the places.
- Doing surveys to find out what visitors like.
- Sending out news to the media and advertising their events.
The Discovery Trail also plans joint events, programs, and special exhibits. They work closely with the Tompkins County Convention & Visitors Bureau. This helps more people discover all the cool things to do in the area. They also keep a shared calendar of events. This way, you can easily see what's happening at each place.
The Discovery Trail gets its money from the Tompkins County Strategic Tourism Board. Its member organizations also help by contributing funds.
