Top Things to do in Finger Lakes
Top Hotels in Finger Lakes
- 1. Holiday Inn & Suites Syracuse Airport - Liverpool, an IHG Hotel
- 2. Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel
- 3. Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Rochester-Pittsford/Brighton, NY
- 4. Hampton Inn & Suites Syracuse North Airport Area
- 5. The Statler Hotel at Cornell University
- 6. La Tourelle Hotel, Bistro, Spa
- 7. Best Western Brockport Inn & Suites
- 8. Hampton Inn & Suites Syracuse Dewitt
- 9. The Craftsman Inn & Suites
- 10. Comfort Inn & Suites
Countries
Things to do in Finger Lakes, Finger Lakes: The Best Gardens
New York’s Finger Lakes region takes its name from 11 freshwater lakes placed like a handprint between Lake Ontario and the Pennsylvania border. Skiing, hiking and biking trails traverse the landscape; visitors can also indulge in various wine, cheese and beer trails. The area offers a culinary bounty, with an emphasis on farm-to-table cuisine. Rich history and culture are found throughout the region, with one attraction more inviting than the next.
Restaurants in Finger Lakes
1. E.M. Mills Rose Garden
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 32 reviews
Reviewed By foodierichj - Syracuse, United States
This place is beautiful, especially in early summer when all the flowers are in bloom! People often take wedding photos here :)
2. Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 749 reviews
Sonnenberg Gardens is a historic estate showcasing nine formal gardens, an antique greenhouse complex, and a Victorian mansion. Sonnenberg also features a gift shop, the Finger Lakes Wine Center, and wedding/reception rental facilities.
Reviewed By Debie3682 - Baldwinsville, United States
My self and my 17 year old daughter visited on a Friday morning in August. Simply beautiful!! We both enjoyed walking around the different landscaped areas. The grounds are huge!! Lots of walking, enjoying the hardscape, plants, flowers, even suprise wild life throughout! The buildings are also beautiful, showing there aged character. The mansion is breathtaking. Everything is so well kept, with very little signs of insect's in the gardens. We were on a time restraint, I still feel we were able to see, and walk through completely in 2 1/2 hours. However I wish we had more time.
3. Lockwood Lavender Farm
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 41 reviews
LOCKWOOD LAVENDER FARM WILL BE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC FOR THE 2019 SEASON. Farming is never easy at the best of times. Our plants should be green and growing now but after an unusually wet fall and winter and now a wet spring, many of our plants appear damaged. Lavender thrives in a well-drained soil, but when precipitation becomes inordinate plants suffer. We have heard from many gardeners and other lavender farmers across Canada and the U.S. that are also experiencing the same loss after this winter’s polar vortex. Our reaction plan, the angustifolia we are pruning back and a large number of the lavandins will need removal and replacement. This will be a year to propagate cuttings from the less damaged plants and plan for the future. Over the 18 years that we have welcomed people to our farm (our home) it has always been our goal to offer the best of what we do. We will not be capable of representing ourselves at those standards in 2019.
4. Cornell Botanic Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 350 reviews
Cornell Botanic Gardens inspires people - through the cultivation of 150 acres of specialty gardens, conservation of plants and 3400 acres of natural areas, and the education of lifelong learners - to understand, appreciate, and nurture plants and the cultures they sustain. The botanic gardens are located at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY and are open year-round, dawn to dusk, free of charge. The Nevin Welcome Center and Gift Shop is open Mon, Tues, Wed, Thu, and Sun 9:00 - 5:00 p.m. Fri - Sat 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Reviewed By jinxminx888 - Takoma Park, United States
This is one of the reasons it's worth spending a day on the Cornell campus. There's no conservatory associated with the gardens, but there is one on campus in the agriculture program. The gardens are beautiful. We didn't go to the arboretum or the wildflower garden. Usually I would be all over a wildflower garden but this is basically a forested spring one, and we were there in August. Also, we looked at all the steps down, and thought about all the steps back up - we'd already done some hiking in the area and we weren't feeling it. If it was spring I probably would have gone for it. The lilies were a standout - they had a lot of really tall ones that smelled amazing. The gardens outside the visitor center are pretty compact and then you can strike out on the trails through the arboretum and wildflower garden. There are a lot of stairs, it didn't seem very wheelchair accessible. There are little nooks with benches, shade and sun. There was also a new sculpture by UK blacksmith artist Jenny Pickford in steel and glass which was pretty special. It had just been installed a month or two before so I felt pretty lucky about that. The gift shop was nice - a little pricey but we bought some good gifts there. Honestly I wish we had more time and better hiking legs.
5. Maplewood Park and Rose Garden
6. Ithaca Children's Garden
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 53 reviews
Ithaca Children’s Garden is an award-winning 3-acre public children’s garden designed for kids, enjoyed by all, and driven by a mission to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards. First time to Ithaca? Make sure ICG is on your itinerary. ICG welcomes ALL visitors EVERY day. From exploring the Kitchen Garden and walking the Bulb Labyrinth to climbing on the back of Gaia (the turtle giantess) and playing in the Hands-on-Nature Anarchy Zone, this is truly a place for kids to be kids. Pack some snacks and bring a water bottle - you may or may not encounter staff while you're there as offices are off site (at least for now). Enjoy your visit and try to leave it a smidge better than you found it... it takes a village!
Reviewed By Explore280092
Very creative, kid-oriented, interactive. Fun, fun, fun (even for grown-ups)! The anarchy zone is brilliant. Bring lunch and have a picnic.
7. Liberty Hyde Bailey Conservatory
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2 reviews
8. Fallbrook Farms
Join our team at Fallbrook Farms for a guided tour of our medicinal herb gardens, followed by a magical campfire experience in the woods. Learn about the healing properties of the plants we grow, and stretch your legs while exploring our beautiful gardens, meadows and forest. In the winter, we offer cross-country ski and sledding experiences, complete with a cozy bonfire and hot beverages.
