The History Center in Tompkins County

06/19/2026

Celebrate Juneteenth! Juneteenth, also called Emancipation Day and Freedom Day, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

Tomorrow Cindy Kjellander-Cantu, Curator, and Eve Snyder, Historian, will be joining the Southside Community Center, Inc. to share a little bit of local Black history through HistoryForge, a census mapping program. You're invited too! Saturday, June 20th, 12-6 PM at 305 S Plain St, Ithaca, NY 14850. Come enjoy local food vendors, artists, and crafters as we celebrate freedom, community, and Black history.

Pictured on this poster is Shirley Chisolm, the first Black congresswoman and the first Black woman to seek the presidency in 1972. These are just two of her many impassioned projects for a better democracy. The second image shows her with the New York State legislature's only women lawmakers in 1965, all in the Assembly. Left to right: Mrs. Shirley Chisholm of New York City, Mrs. Dorothy Rose of Erie County, Mrs. Aileen Ryan of New York City and Mrs. Constance Cook of Ithaca. (AP Photo)

Poster artwork by Terrance Vann

06/06/2026

Does your family claim to have a bootlegger in the family tree? Have you ever used the phrase "bees knees"? Are you looking to start your own Temperance movement?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, join us to discover the real Ithaca history behind the novelty of the roaring 20s. Tonight, you can join Liam, an experienced tour guide with The History Center in Tompkins County, for an hour of storytelling in downtown Ithaca. Find it on our website: Thehistroycenter.net/tours

06/05/2026

It's Ithaca Gallery Night and "The Power of Water: A Dam Good Exhibit" is open additional hours from 6:00-8:00 PM in the Exhibit Hall. Visit us and our neighbors Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County at at 110 N Tioga St, right off of the Bernie Milton Pavilion in Downtown Ithaca.

This image is from the Exhibit Spotlight on Water Protection and Bolton Point.

06/04/2026

In the first half of 1922, the Tompkins County Sheriff rounded up everything seized in local Prohibition raids — and piled it all in front of the old county jail for the world (and the newspapers) to see.

You can visit the site, TONIGHT, during our Downtown Ithaca Prohibition Walking Tour. Join us at 5:30 at The History Center in Tompkins County.

Details + tickets at thehistorycenter.net/tours

05/28/2026

Tomorrow is the very first tour in our summer of Downtown Ithaca History Tours! And we want to take a moment to thank The Strand Cafe for generously sponsoring these programs.

Our first tour in the series is "King Alcohol Ends Reign: Ithaca’s Prohibition History Walking Tour" and you'll end up at The Strand, where Carrie Nation Hatchets are on display. Want to know the story behind these hatchets and how Ithaca earned the nickname "Sin City"? Get your tickets to the tour on thehistorycenter.net/tours and use code "FIRST" to receive 20% off your tickets during the first week of tours.

05/23/2026

A beautiful view 📸

This aerial view of downtown Ithaca, facing west and overlooking the "tuning fork" where State Street meets Seneca and Green Streets, was taken by C. Hadley Smith, ca. 1965. Do you remember any businesses from this area that no longer exist in Ithaca?

Photo courtesy of The History Center in Tompkins County.

05/13/2026

Are you joining us tonight at Monks On The Commons for Monks Gives Back? Our bartender for the evening will be Benjamin Sandberg, Executive Director at The History Center. During Monks Gives Back, 50% of all food and beverage proceeds support The History Center as part of Monks' monthly nonprofit series.

Eat, drink, and be merry!

05/13/2026

🌱 Save your spot for our Lake Friendly Living Awareness Month event!

Join the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network, The History Center in Tompkins County, and The Plantsmen Nursery for a special morning exploring how native plants can help protect and strengthen our watershed.

🌼 Learn which native species are best suited for:
Rain gardens
Shoreline buffers
Pollinator habitat
Climate-resilient landscapes & more!

We’ll also share how today’s lake-friendly actions build on generations of care for Cayuga Lake and its watershed.

📍 The Plantsmen Nursery, Groton
📅 Saturday, May 30
⏰ 10–11 AM

Bring your questions, leave with inspiration (and plants!). Attendees receive 10% off at the nursery.

Space is limited for this free event!
Register at cayugalake.org

04/25/2026

Many thanks to all of the contributors and volunteers that make the Sundae Showdown a smashing success. This event was a collaborative effort between The History Center, Ithaca Downtown Conference Center, Purity Ice Cream, Ithaca Wegmans, and, of course, our amazing team of Ithaca College students.

Thank you also to Cayuga Lake Creamery, Hollenbeck's Cider Mill, and SweetMelissa for donating ingredients to make their sundaes shine sweetly.

04/24/2026

Oanh Dawes and Cayuga Lake Creamery were picked by the people as the Sundae Showdown Champion for their Raspberry Pavlova Crunch! Cayuga Lake Creamery's White Chocolate
Raspberry Truffle Ice Cream was the star of the show with artfully assembled meringue crumbles, whipped cream, and a fresh raspberry.

Everyone in attendance made Chester Platt proud, with over 800 individuals showing up to celebrate his invention, the ice cream sundae. All proceeds from the event will support the continued preservation of our county history!

Photos by Downtown Ithaca