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Looking for a scenic spot to sit and reflect? Throughout our gardens, arboretum, and natural areas, there are over 200 benches thoughtfully placed in front of scenic views, within quiet and tucked-away places, or near favorite spots.

In the F. R. Newman Arboretum

  • Get a bird’s-eye view of the expansive F. R. Newman Arboretum from the Newman Overlook or Southeast Overlook.
  • Look and listen to life at the water’s edge in the pergola over Houston Pond.  
  • Perch next to one of the oldest trees in the arboretum at the eastern end of the footpath through Slim Jim Woods.  
  • Reflect from a streamside bench tucked-away in the Floriculture War Memorial in the arboretum.

Around the Nevin Welcome Center 

  • Find the bench overlooking the Robison Herb Garden on the side of the staircase near the North Walk. 
  • Sit on the benches under the pergola in front of the Lewis Education Center to enjoy the Container Gardens during the summer months.  
  • Sit at Kienzle Overlook off Tower Road across from the Cornell Dairy Bar and view the gardens around the Nevin Welcome Center from the top of the slope. 
  • Find the sitting area in the Rhododendron Collection at the pinnacle of Comstock Knoll. June is peak bloom time.  
  • Find the bench tucked away in a quiet corner of the Groundcover Collection
  • The Nearing Summer House, between Beebe Lake and Comstock Knoll, is an ideal place to listen to birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and the wind rustling through surrounding hemlock trees.

In our Natural Areas

  • Enjoy the view of Beebe Lake among the old oak trees from the picnic tables at the Class of ’36 Overlook.  
  • Enjoy benches near waterfalls in Cascadilla Gorge
  • Appreciate the depth the water of fall creek has carved into its deep gorge from the pedestrian suspension bridge over Fall Creek Gorge
  • There are several benches to reflect and enjoy the beauty of the wooded Mundy Wildflower Garden
  • Enjoy a panoramic view of Cayuga Lake atop limestone cliffs at Edwards Lake Cliffs Natural Area. 
  • A boardwalk over the wetland at Ellis Hollow Wetlands leads to the Hirshfeld Memorial Tower, an excellent place to observe wetland birds. 
  • Trails follow the edges of bluffs towering over Fall Creek in Monkey Run, providing expansive views of meandering Fall Creek and its wooded valley. 
  • Look for the stone picnic table tucked away in the woods along Fall Creek in Park Park Natural Area. 
  • A trail in Renwick Slope Natural Area passes by a small gorge and waterfall and provides scenic views of Caygua Lake.  
  • A trail in the Polson Preserve leads to the top of the hillsides offering expansive views of the glacially-carved Ellis Hollow Valley.