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V I S I T I T H A C A . C O M | 6 8 DOWNTOWN ITHACA COMMONS BRAIN SHOPPE If you're up for a good challenge, be sure to visit Brain Shoppe. It's full of brain teasers, logic puzzles, and other smart toys! There's even a table in the back of the shop to try out some of the games. Plus, if you buy something, you'll get a free s cker. DOWNTOWN ITHACA COMMONS LEARN SOMETHING NEW TOMPKINS CENTER FOR HISTORY & CULTURE Learn about the history of Ithaca and Tomp- kins County at the new heritage tourism center. Located downtown on the Ithaca Commons, the Tompkins Center for History & Culture houses the exhibi on gallery of the History Center, the Community Arts Part- nership gallery and the new Downtown Vis- itor Center. See photographs from the olden days, check out an historic airplane, and learn about the na ve inhabitants of the region. You could easily spend hours looking through and interac ng with all of the exhibits. DOWNTOWN ITHACA COMMONS CORNELL DAIRY BAR Cornell University does a lot of things really well - and ice cream is no different! Not only can you visit the Cornell Dairy Bar to get yourself a fresh scoop of ice cream, you can head upstairs and take a self-guided tour of the facility. The long hallway is full of win- dows overlooking the dairy lab, along with signs and videos explaining the process of how they make ice cream, cheese, yogurt, and even seasonal favorites like apple cider and eggnog. CORNELL UNIVERSITY CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY To be honest, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is best enjoyed by a walk along the trails in the woods. But, it's s ll a great place to spend the day inside! The main lobby of the building has a beau ful curved wall with floor-to-ceil- ing windows overlooking the pond. So even if you're not keen to wander the forest, you can sit back in one of the rocking chairs and use the telescopes to get up-close views of the wildlife outdoors. WATCH A SHOW OR MOVIE CINEMAPOLIS Nothing beats watching a movie when the weather isn't coopera ng. Luckily, Ithaca is home to Cinemapolis, a charming inde- pendently-owned movie theater. Surround yourself with it's retro movie theater vibe and catch a mixture of blockbusters, independent movies, and locally made films. STATE THEATRE Housed in a building over 100 years old, the State Theatre of Ithaca is a true gem. Origi- nally another movie theater, it now operates as a venue for live performances. You'll find a mix of local, regional, and na onal ar sts performing on stage. During the holidays, the theater hosts ballet performances of The Nutcracker and orchestral concerts can be seen throughout the year. Find out who's performing and get your ckets today! DOWNTOWN ITHACA KITCHEN THEATRE COMPANY The Ithaca Times readers' poll declared Kitchen Theatre Company to be Ithaca's best cultural asset. Why? Because of the culture and community surrounding the theater. The Kitchen Theatre Company puts on live per- formances by local ar sts that are both in - mate and engaging. Watch live theatre that's sure to inspire conversa on! Now that you have this list of indoor ac vi es in Ithaca, you'll never go bored on a rainy day! About the author: Danielle runs her own trav- el blog at Wanderlust on a Budget. She writes about budget-friendly ac vi es and travel ps to help everyone realize the travel doesn't have to be expensive!