Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Rd
Ithaca, NY 14850
1-800-843-BIRD (1-800-843-2473)
clo_events@cornell.edu
Request a reservation (for groups of 10 or more).
The Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary is open every day, dawn to dusk.
Visitor Center Hours
Monday–Thursday: 8:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M.
Friday: 8:00 A.M.–4:00 P.M.
Saturday: 9:30 A.M.–4:00 P.M.
Sunday: 11:00 A.M.–4:00 P.M.
Hours may change due to special events. We are closed on some holidays.
Holiday Hours
Closed Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, and December 24-January 1. Open 10:00 A.M.–4:00 P.M. on Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and the day after Thanksgiving. Open until 4:00 P.M. November 23.
Adelson Library Hours
Monday-Friday: 10:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. and 1:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.
Where to Stay
Located just minutes away from the Cornell Lab, the Courtyard by Marriott offers Lab visitors special reduced rates. This rate is based on availability and subject to change. Free shuttle service is available to and from the Cornell Lab by appointment on the hour from 7:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Please call 866-541-3600 and ask for the Lab of Ornithology visitors' rate, or visit the Courtyard by Marriott website.
Admission is free. We appreciate donations and member support to help with trail maintenance and local outreach programs.
Discover the Johnson Visitor Center at the Cornell Lab
At Sapsucker Woods just outside Ithaca, New York, you'll find the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, headquartered at the Imogene Powers Johnson Center for Birds and Biodiversity. We invite you to visit and discover all that our Visitor Center has to offer:
- A bright, roomy observatory with large windows looking out on our bird feeding garden and Sapsucker Woods Pond
- Interactive exhibits where you can explore the world of birds through sounds and video
- Bird identification guides and binoculars for loan at the front desk
- World-class bird art, including innovative travelling exhibits
- The Adelson Library, with more than 14,000 books and serials on birds and natural history, open to the public
- Special seminars in spring and fall
- A Wild Birds Unlimited store packed with supplies, books, optics, and clothing
Interactive Exhibits
Our many interactive exhibits bring you closer to the world of birds. From touch-screen kiosks to surround-sound theater and HD movies, there’s plenty to do during a visit. Activities (pictured above) include:
1. Multimedia presentation on Citizen Science
2. Natural Sounds interactive kiosk
3. Find & enter sightings in eBird Trail Tracker
4. Surround-sound films in Bartels Theater
5. Touchscreen Bird ID kiosk
6. Explore animal sounds in Raven Sound Studio
Art Gallery
We feature permanent and rotating art exhibits in the Williams Gallery of Art and the auditorium. Behind the scenes, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s art collection includes more than 1,000 works of art spanning 150 years. John James Audubon, Louis Agassiz Fuertes, and others strove to depict birds accurately through scientific observation and illustration, while also conveying the beauty and wonder of birds. Our online catalog shows complete thumbnail images of the art collection.