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ACCESSIBLE HISTORY TOURS

All self-guided tours (designed by The History Center or our dormant collaboration Ithaca Heritage) are available on desktop or through the free PocketSights app for any smartphone or tablet.

Included in the introduction for each tour are physical accessibility notes recognizing elevation and distance traveled when following the tour route. The majority of tours are designed around historic locations, and many traverse roads or sidewalks that we might not recommend to users with mobility aids. We recommend our audio versions of these tours for those who cannot visit locations in-person, and to review your preferred tour route before beginning.

The tours listed below have free audio versions available through our SoundCloud page. 

RECOMMENDED SELF-GUIDED TOURS FOR USERS WITH MOBILITY AIDS

All self-guided tours (designed by The History Center or our dormant collaboration Ithaca Heritage) are available on desktop or through the free PocketSights app. Included in the introduction for each tour are accessibility notes recognizing elevation and distance traveled when following the tour route. The majority of tours are designed around historic locations, and many traverse roads or sidewalks we might not recommend to users with mobility aids. We recommend the audio tours for those who cannot visit locations in-person, and to review your preferred tour route before beginning.

The tours listed below also have audio guides available through our SoundCloud page. 

LOCAL HISTORY AUDIO TOURS on SoundCloud

Thanks to a position funded through A4TD Workforce Development in 2023, we have created audio recordings of over 30 tours from our self-guided PocketSights tours! These tours can be listened to from home at soundcloud.com/tompkinshistory/sets. The audio tours read through the history of each tour stop, but do not describe the visuals of each location. There are images for each stop available through the PocketSights app. 

   WALKING & BIKING TOURS in ITHACA

Physical accessibility notes are in the introduction for each tour. Click on the tour image or title to review. 

HISTORIC BROCHURE TOURS OF TOMPKINS COUNTY

For decades most walking tour research was preserved and shared through printed brochures. With the growing popularity of apps on smart phones and tablets, The History Center has selected a number of walking tours created in decades past and revised them to work on the free PocketSights app. Most of these brochure tours did not originate from The History Center, but many of them used our archives and collections during development. 

Physical accessibility notes are in the introduction for each tour. Click on the tour image or title to review. 

 BICYCLING & DRIVING TOURS - TOMPKINS COUNTY

Physical accessibility notes are in the introduction for each tour. Click on the tour image or title to review. 

WALKING & BIKING TOURS around TOMPKINS COUNTY TOWNS & HAMLETS

Physical accessibility notes are in the introduction for each tour. Click on the tour image or title to review. 

POCKETSIGHTS SELF-GUIDED TOURS                                              

PocketSights is a FREE mobile tour guide app. Anyone with a smart phone or tablet can download the app for free from the App Store and immediately access thousands of self-guided tours around the world. 

Ithaca Heritage, Historic Ithaca, The History Center in Tompkins County and other local partners have been partnering with PocketSights since 2017 in developing over 40 walking, biking, and driving historic tours of Ithaca and Tompkins County. Download the app today and start exploring! Be sure to tag us at @tompkinshistory in any pictures you share to social media! 

**There are additional PocketSights tours in Tompkins County that highlight local art, co-ops, geology, waterfalls, college campuses, and other notable sites. The tours below specifically highlight only local history. 

PHYSICAL ACCESSIBILITY for the EXHIBIT HALL

The History Center is working to improve the accessibility of our collections, programs, and learning materials. Details on the physical accessibility of our space can be reviewed on the Inclusive Recreation Resource Center's profile of our building and Exhibit Hall. The History Center is now operating out of the Tompkins Center for History & Culture, a heritage tourism space in downtown Ithaca that we share with 12 other local non-profits.

Visitors can enter through the front door adjacent to the Bernie Milton Pavilion. Street and garage parking (Seneca Street or Green Street garages recommended) are available on surrounding streets. The Seneca Street TCAT bus stop is less than a block away from our main entrance. We have one handicap accessible parking space available at the back of the building. If you are planning a visit and would like to use this space, please contact us in advance so we can open the back entrance doors for you. 

We have implemented stringent new Health & Safety Protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the health of our visitors, staff, and volunteers. If you have any questions about the safety or sanitation measures in place, please reach out to us via email or phone (607-273-8284 ext. 229). We are also happy to coordinate private visits to ensure covid safety and a comfortable museum experience.

We have wheelchairs available for visitors to explore the Exhibit Hall. Available by request at the front desk, or can be reserved in advance by emailing community@thehistorycenter.net.

REQUEST A WHELCHAIR

RESTROOM ACCESS

Accessible restrooms are available on the first and second floors (second floor can be reached via stairs or elevator). Gender neutral private restrooms are available on the second floor. All restrooms have changing tables available for parents caring for young children. We have a private room for nursing mothers available on the third floor (accessible via stairs or elevator).