Libe Slope

Libe Slope, named for its proximity to Cornell libraries, is an iconic campus spot where students meet to read, laugh and unwind. Community members gather here in every season to marvel at the sunset over Cayuga Lake and survey the gorgeous geological landscape carved by glaciers from millennia ago.

The slope overlooks the West Campus house system — a popular residential option for upper-level students — as well as downtown Ithaca.

Once a year, this grassy knoll transforms to host Slope Day, an all-day music festival celebrating the end of the spring semester.

Media Gallery

Two students are seen walking up a pathway on a fall day. In the distance are McGraw Tower and two other academic buildings.

Two performers at Slope Day. Photo is taken from behind them on the stage, looking out toward an audience of thousands of Cornell students. Trees and McGraw Tower are in the background.

Two students are sitting on a bench, seen from behind, watching the sun set on the distant horizon.

Students walking up an uphill path. In the background are snow-covered trees.

About a dozen students sit and lie in circle while studying. In the background are trees in full autumn foliage.

A Cornell Dining staff member hands a bowl to a customer. Between them are three large containers of buffet-style food.

A wide shot of a dining hall, where dozens of students and families eat together. In the background are signs that read “West Side Market” and “East Side Market.”

A student puts a pizza on a wooden board into a large oven in a dining hall kitchen.

Exterior view of the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art with a blue cloudy sky in the background

A gallery at the museum, which contains a variety of artwork including framed photographs, artifacts in a display case and mixed-media art.

Two visitors sit on a bench at the Johnson Museum surrounded by a gallery of small paintings mounted on the walls.

Statues line the left side of a museum hallway; to the right are large glass-pane windows with a wide view of Cayuga Lake.

Collegetown and Downtown Ithaca

Cornell Dining

Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art

⭐ Collegetown and Downtown Ithaca

Ithaca is a unique and highly rated city in which to live, work and study. Nestled on the south edge of campus, the Collegetown neighborhood provides restaurants, shops, attractions and off-campus housing for juniors, seniors and graduate students.

Students enjoy exploring Ithaca and the surrounding area, sampling local cuisine, hiking, camping, attending cultural festivals and more.

⭐ Cornell Dining

Cornell Dining offers 10 buffet-style facilities and 19 retail eateries, ensuring students never have to travel far for excellent food and lively conversation. First-year undergraduates are automatically enrolled in the “unlimited” meal plan, while sophomores and upper-level students living on campus may opt for the 14-meals-per-week plan.

For those with special diets, Cornell offers options including vegetarian, vegan, kosher, halal and gluten-free meals and labels all menu items that contain major allergens. The university also extends its commitment to sustainability through trayless dining rooms, promoting the use of reusable containers and utensils and sourcing over 20 percent of its food from local and regional providers.

⭐ Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art

The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art was designed by noted architect I. M. Pei. The more than 40,000 works in the museum’s permanent collection — spanning six millennia and encompassing art from most world cultures — are the foundation for the museum’s initiatives related to teaching, research and the development of projects to connect people, art and ideas in creative ways. Admission is always free.

Libe Slope

Media Gallery

⭐ Collegetown and Downtown Ithaca

⭐ Cornell Dining

⭐ Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art

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