Ithaca LGBTQ History Tour

Ithaca Is History Flyer

Download the PocketSights app to learn more. Go to the Apple Store or Google Play and search "PocketSights Tour App." Once the app is installed, open it and find our route based on your location. Look for the "Ithaca Heritage" logo and the title Ithaca LGBTQ History Walking Tour. If desktop is more your speed, many of the tour features are available from the desktop site too.

Use the PocketSights app to enjoy all the tour offers. 

A companion brochure about the tour is available, view it here. Pick up your print copy from the Ithaca College Center for LGBT Education, Outreach & Services, the Ithaca/Tompkins County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Ithaca Downtown Visitors Center, and Taughannock Overlook Visitors Center.

Enjoy music? Want to experience the tour through even more dimensions? Try our new playlist inspired by the Ithaca LGBTQ Local History Tour Project expertly curated by amazing Ithaca College Center for LGBT Education, Outreach & Services student employees. Songs specifically and carefully chosen to pair perfectly with the tour's local people, places and themes. Enjoy it for a break in your work or studying, to get excited about taking the tour virtually or while social distancing, or simply to remember some of the musical heritage by, about, for, or especially resonating with LGBTQ communities. We hope this most recent companion piece to our tour adds to your interest and enjoyment of Ithaca's culture and community.

Did you know that Ithaca:

  • is the site of one of the 1st public declarations of the American bisexual movement
  • played a crucial role in marriage equality
  • was one of the 1st cities in the US to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation
  • is where one of the 1st student-organized sit-ins for LGBTQ rights took place. ...and more!

Ithaca and Tompkins County hold unique and meaningful roles in local LGBTQ history and culture, as well as in the national LGBTQ rights movement and for communities across the globe.

Bars and public spaces have been sites of LGBTQ resistance and resilience for decades. But many of the people and places that make up our shared past have been forgotten, erased, overlooked, or ignored. This LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning) local history tour is designed to preserve some of the rich stories and heritage of our Ithaca community. It’s for anyone wanting to learn about our local LGBTQ history and culture.

Not in Ithaca? Nearby but the weather is too cold/snowy/Ithaca-y to venture outside?  Don't feel like a walk, bike ride or drive right now? You can take the tour from anywhere in the world! Type "Ithaca" into the search bar in PocketSights, and scroll down the results to this photo to find our tour! Select "Use in Virtual Tour Mode" when the pop-up box asks. You can take the tour from the comfort of your own home or office, whether you're in Trumansburg NY, across the country, or even Antarctica!

You can also find us on Facebook! Like us for posts with local interest, and highlights of LGBTQ history throughout the world.