Finger Lakes Winter Family Fun!
Family Fun in the Finger Lakes!
Corning Museum of Glass adds a special touch of ‘glass’ to any wintertime fun – there’s so much to learn about glass and a fantastic gift shop too!
The 2013 Syracuse St. Patrick’s Day Parade (March 9) is 31 years old and a grand tribute to the Irish of central New York – it’s fun and a BIG fundraiser for local food pantries!
Play 18 holes of indoor mini golf surrounded by black light painted murals at Shipwreck Amusement Center. Or, get outside! Cortland and Yates Counties have maps of designated snowmobile trails and four skiing and snowboarding areas (Greek Peak Mountain Resort, Labrador Mountain, Song Mountain, Toggenberg Ski Resort) for all levels of skill. You can snowshoe at Montezuma Audubon Center or attend events, such as Girl Scout Snowshoe Spectacular (February 9), Great Backyard Birds (February 18), Cub Scout Winter Break Snowshoe (February 22), Montezuma Birding Van Tour (March 16) or the Howland’s Island Backcountry Hike (March 20). Cayuga Lake State Park, Sampson State Park and Seneca Lake State Park all have cross-country skiing and snowshoeing; Cayuga also has snowmobile trails and you can ice fish at Seneca Lake!
Watkins Glen State Park has magnificent cross-country skiing and hiking trails and the International Motor Racing Research Center is nearby. Or, for something different, check out the geocoaching sites within three miles of Watkins Glen.
The Rosamond Gifford Zoo is home to Asian elephants, lions, penguins, wolves, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, dozens of birds, fish, reptiles – 700+ living beings on 43 acres. Side Hill Acres offers year-round tours of its cheese plant, milk house, parlor and the goat barn, and has a line of goat milk health and beauty aids! Tanglewood Nature Center has indoor AND outdoor ways to have fun and enjoy nature, including hiking trails, live animals, interactive exhibits, taxidermy and more.
Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center offers “Winter Art Camp: Wearables” (February 18-22) and a line-up of classes, exhibits and events for all ages, including regular programs such as First Fridays, Yoga and Art, Painting the Everyday, and Art After School. “Spring Art Camp: Play With Clay” starts April 1 – Fun!
The grounds of the Cayuga Nature Center are open every day from dawn to dusk. They host ongoing Night Hikes, Animal Feedings and Discovery Sundays; Winter Camp (ages 5-14) is February 18-19.
Bristol Mountain is the highest vertical between the Adirondack/Laurentian Mountains and the Rockies, with slopes for all levels of skiers and snowboarders.
Rochester Museum & Science Center has the unique Bathysphere Underwater Biological Laboratory and Strasenburgh Planetarium, and you can see a large Camera Obscura at George Eastman House. Visit the National Museum of Play during Superheroes Weekend (February 9-10), Travel-tastic School-Break Week (February 16-24), The Royal Ball (March 2-3), Meet Sister Bear at Literature Live (March 9-10), or anytime you’re ready to play and have unforgettable fun for all ages!
2013 Syracuse St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Bristol Mountain – Canandaigua
Cayuga Lake State Park; Sampson State Park; Seneca Lake State Park
Cayuga Nature Center
Corning Museum of Glass
Designated snowmobile trails - Cortland map
First Night – Onondaga Lake Park
Geocoaching near Watkins Glen
George Eastman House
Greek Peak Mountain Resort, Labrador Mountain
International Motor Racing Research Center
Montezuma Audubon Center
National Museum of Play
Rochester Museum & Science Center
Rosamond Gifford Zoo
Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center - Auburn
Side Hill Acres – Candor
Skiing and Snowboarding - Greek Peak Mountain Resort, Labrador Mountain, Song Mountain, Toggenburg Ski Resort
Tanglewood Nature Center - Elmira
Watkins Glen State Park
For more Family Fun ideas, visit the Finger Lakes region and Finger Lakes alliance.