About Ithaca Children’s Garden
Ithaca Children’s Garden (ICG) is an award-winning, 3-acre public non-profit children’s garden that is designed for children, but is enjoyed by all. ICG operates with a mission to inspire, promote, and sustain youth and community stewardship of the natural environment through garden-based learning and discovery.
The beautiful physical space of the Garden is matched by ICG’s deeply held values of inclusivity, accessibility, innovation, sustainability, and community. The passionate ICG team works everyday to advance the Garden’s mission and provide a fulfilling and refreshing space and experience for Garden visitors.
Located at 121 Turtle Lane, Ithaca, NY, near Cass Park, the Garden is completely free and open from sunrise to sunset every day of the year, and is wheelchair accessible. ICG has a policy to never turn anyone away due to inability to pay which they honor through provision of scholarships for all camps and programs. ICG hosts a number of community events throughout the year that are free to the public and celebrate the natural bounty of the seasons. Focusing on fostering intuitive play and natural learning, the Garden is lush and full of free play spaces including the famous Hands-On-Nature Anarchy Zone. A trip to the Garden offers visitors a chance to explore, discover, and connect with nature.
Established in 1999, ICG has been central to the Ithaca Community for two decades and has gained national attention from the American Public Gardens Association, American Horticulture Society, Children and Nature Network, and the Smithsonian, among others.
