Situated around the meeting point of the Chenango and Susquehanna Rivers, Binghamton offers a wide range of things to see and do for the whole family. The New York State city is home to the Phelps Mansion Museum, which showcases works from the Gilded Age; the long-running Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park where big cats roam; the Discovery Center of the Southern Tier; and the popular Recreation Park, which features beautifully preserved, hand-carved carousels from the 1920s. Here are some fun things to do in the city.
1. Phelps Mansion Museum
Formerly known as The Monday Afternoon Clubhouse and once the private residence of Sherman D Phelps, the Phelps Mansion Museum is a three-story brick and stone mansion located on Court Street in Binghamton. Designed by the chief architect of the New York State Capitol, Isaac G. Perry, and built in 1870, the Phelps Mansion changed ownership over several decades until 2005 when it was opened to the public as a museum. Declared a national historic landmark in 1973, the historic house museum features exquisite interiors with intricate detailing such as a beautiful Baccarat crystal chandelier from 1890, other rare light fittings from the Victorian period, a mansard roof and cresting on the exterior.
191 Court Street Binghamton, NY 13901, Phone: 607-722-4873
2. The Discovery Center of the Southern Tier
The Discovery Center of the Southern Tier is an educational center for children of all ages that offers a variety of hands-on participatory exhibits and programs that engage the senses, challenge the mind, and encourage an interest in the arts, sciences, and humanities. The 22,500 square-foot interactive children’s museum features 30 themed exhibits that promote learning through play such as ‘Santa’s Workshop,' ‘Haunted Hallows,' ‘A, B, C Bank,' and ‘Take Flight’, and an outdoor story garden. The Story Garden is an outdoor exhibit space that aims to spark a visitor’s imagination through interactive experiences from favorite children’s books in a comfortable outdoor setting. The Discovery Center also offers a variety of educational programs, family workshops, art expressions, school programs, and summer camps. Facilities at the Discovery Center of the Southern Tier include indoor and outdoor picnic areas, restrooms and changing facilities, and free parking.
60 Morgan Rd, Binghamton, NY 13903, Phone: 607-773-8661
3. NYSEG Stadium
The NYSEG Stadium, formerly known as the Binghamton Municipal Stadium, home to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies of the double-A Eastern League and who are a Double-A franchise for the New York Mets. Located on Henry Street, the stadium is named for the local electricity and gas utility, New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG), and can accommodate up to 6,012 fans. The stadium also features six luxury boxes at the top of the seating bowl, tunnel access to the seating area, and a group picnic area known as ‘Lupo’s Dugout’.
211 Henry St, Binghamton, NY 13901, Phone: 607-722-3866
4. Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park
The Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park is Binghamton’s central zoo and animal conservation center on Park Avenue in Binghamton. Built in 1875 and one of the oldest zoos in the country, Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park is open seasonally from April through November and features several animal exhibits and rare species, including Amur and snow leopards, wallabies, red wolves, and lemurs. A massive aviary is home to numerous species of birds, and a large pavilion is an ideal place for a picnic lunch. A Discovery Center houses a hands-on children's museum, and the Zoo offers a variety of education-based programs and personal animal experiences, such as Wild Encounters where visitors can get up close with individual residents of the zoo.
185 Park Avenue, Binghamton, NY 13903, Phone: 607-724-5461
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5. Recreation Park Carousel
The Recreation Park Carousel, also known as the George F. Johnson Recreation Park Carousel, is a beautifully preserved historic carousel in the George F. Johnson Recreation Park. Installed in 1925 along with the pavilion on which it is based, the carousel is housed in a single-story, a 16-sided wooden pavilion that is topped with a cupola. The carousel features 60 ‘jumping’ horses, four-abreast, two chariots, and an original Wurlitzer Military Band Organ with bells and is listed as a National Historic Landmark. The carousel and pavilion are surrounded by an array of park facilities, including bandshell concerts, playgrounds and ballfields, swimming pools and a bathhouse, tennis courts, a reflective pond, and a statue of George F. Johnson.
103 Laurel Avenue, Binghamton, NY 13905, Phone: 607-722-9166
6. Roberson Museum and Science Center
The Roberson Museum and Science Center is Binghamton's primary destination for interactive exhibitions, engaging education programs, and community events in art, natural history, and the sciences. The 1904 Edward Vosbury-designed Roberson Mansion rests at the centerpiece of the museum and is surrounded by extensive exhibit spaces, a planetarium, and collection vaults. The Roberson Museum features permanent and changing exhibits throughout the year, as well as a model train layout that reflects the local landscapes of the area in the mid-1950s. The Roberson Museum and Science Center plays host to a variety of annual special events, including a food and wine festival, science fiction conventions, decorating the Roberson Mansion for the Christmas holidays, and a model train and doll fair, among others.
30 Front St, Binghamton, NY 13905, Phone: 607-772-0660
7. Bundy Museum of History and Art
The Bundy Museum of History and Art, also known as the Harlow E. Bundy House, is a historic home and museum located in Binghamton, Broome County in New York. Built in 1893 in a Queen Anne style, the Bundy Museum of History and Art tells the story of the entrepreneurial Bundy brothers who opened a time recording clock company in downtown Binghamton, which later went on to become IBM. The museum features a variety of permanent exhibits, including one that displays early time clocks and explores the forgotten story of the origins of IBM, as well as changing exhibits of local art, an African art gallery, and a vintage barbershop. Surrounded by the beauty and grandeur of the Victorian age, the National Register-listed Bundy House honors local entrepreneurs and artists and pays respect to the cultures that influenced them.
129 Main St, Binghamton, NY 13905, Phone: 607-772-9179
8. Cutler Botanic Garden
The Cutler Botanic Garden is a seasonal botanical garden on Front Street that is a center for teaching horticulture and environmental issues. Established by Miss Frances Cutler in 1978, the garden is one of 360 gardens in the United States that only displays flora endemic to the United States and acts as an outdoor classroom for local students to study the plant kingdom. The free-admission botanical garden is open seasonally from dawn to dusk and offers guided tours, educational workshops, and adult classes for visitors.
840 Upper Front St, Binghamton, NY 13905, Phone: 607-772-8954
9. Broome County Forum Theatre
The Broome County Forum Theatre is a historic 1,500-seat theater that serves as the home performing venue for the Binghamton Philharmonic and the Tri-Cities Opera. Also known as the Capri Theatre, the Forum, and the Broome Center for the Performing Arts, the theater is comprised of two parts. Constructed of brick and cast stone, the theater has a main theater block which was built in 1919, and the entrance and lobby that was added in 1981. The Broome County Forum Theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
236 Washington St, Binghamton, NY 13901, Phone: 607-778-2480
10. Broome County Public Library
Opened in 1904 as the Binghamton Public Library as a gift from Andrew Carnegie and later renamed the Broome County Public Library, this institution was designed to serve the community as both a community center and public library. The first floor of the library houses a collection of 14,000 books, ranging from fiction and non-fiction books, audiobooks, eBooks, and audio-visual titles, while the second floor houses an auditorium, the Broome County Historical Society, and the Binghamton Museum of Fine Arts.
185 Court St, Binghamton, NY 13901, Phone: 607-778-6400
11. Tri-Cities Opera
The Tri-Cities Opera Company, commonly known as TCO, stages four full-scale operas per season between October and May each year. Founded by Peyton Hibbitt and Carmen Savoca in 1949, the TCO hosts a Resident Artist training program and is renowned for using resident artists over hiring outside performers. Many artists who have studied at the Tri-Cities Opera Company Resident Artist training program have performed for world-renowned opera companies like the San Francisco Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. The opera company also operates a costume and set rental business for other opera companies.
315 Clinton St, Binghamton, NY 13905, Phone: 607-729-3444
12. Greater Binghamton Sports Complex
The Greater Binghamton Sports Complex is a vast 125,000-square foot, air-supported dome in Union, and the largest of its kind in the country. Located off Route 17 on Airport Road just outside Binghamton, the complex is used to host a variety of sporting events, including soccer, softball, lacrosse, baseball, and rugby union. The complex has been the home for various sports teams, including the women’s tackle football team, Binghamton Tiger-Cats. The Greater Binghamton Sports Complex also features a golf driving range, a restaurant, and casual caféteria, a large party room and several offices.
1500 Airport Rd, Binghamton, NY 13905, Phone: 607-729-5165
13. Michelangelo's Pizzeria & Ristorante
Michelangelo's Pizzeria & Ristorante is a family-owned and operated restaurant serving authentic Italian cuisine, wood-fired pizzas, and casual Italian wines. The family-friendly restaurant has a warm and welcoming ambiance with comfortable décor and serves both classic and contemporary Italian cuisine with platters of antipasti, fresh salads, handmade pasta, fresh seafood, classics like lasagna and spaghetti Bolognese, and desserts of tiramisu, pannacotta, and homemade gelato. The cuisine is paired with a variety of casual wines from Italy and other wine-growing regions, along with craft beers by the bottle, and made-to-order cocktails. Michelangelo's Pizzeria & Ristorante is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, seven days a week.
465 Court St, Binghamton, NY 13904, Phone: 607-724-4045
14. The Lost Dog Cafe
The Lost Dog Café is a vibrant, upbeat café and lounge that serves lunch and dinner, and a range of libations in a friendly, laid-back setting. Founded NYC's East Village in 1994, the café serves a menu of freshly prepared farm-to-table cuisine made with locally sourced ingredients, including fresh salads, gourmet sandwiches, pasta dishes, fresh seafood and meat entrées, vegetarian options, and a selection of delicious desserts. A sleek lounge offers a wide range of drinks from craft beers on tap and by the bottle, fine wines from around the world, and made-to-order cocktails with imported spirits. The Lost Dog Café hosts live music, monthly art shows, and other events throughout the year.
222 Water St, Binghamton, NY 13901, Phone: 607-771-6063
15. Little Venice Restaurant
Little Venice Restaurant is a long-running, family-friendly eatery that serves traditional Italian fare in a warm and inviting setting. Combining Italian, and Mediterranean cuisine in a friendly, laid-back atmosphere with art-adorned walls and soft lighting, Little Venice Restaurant’s menus cater for all tastes with appetizers and antipasti plates, fresh garden salads, homemade pasta dishes, and hearty entrées of veal, chicken and fresh seafood. Desserts menus provide delicious sweet ends to any meal, and the full-service bar offers a selection of libations, fine wines from Italy, craft beers by the bottle, and freshly brewed espresso coffee.
111 Chenango St, Binghamton, NY 13901, Phone: 607-724-2513
16. Burger Mondays & Grille
Burger Mondays & Grille is is a family-friendly burger joint and grille that serves gourmet burgers, salads, sandwiches, fries, and milkshakes, and craft beers. Using only the freshest locally sourced ingredients, burgers are made with high-quality prime beef, freshly baked buns, and delicious toppings such as smoked bacon, Swiss cheese, caramelized onions, chunky pickles, and more. Signature burgers include the Mondays Original with house aioli, the Hot Chicken with buttermilk fried chicken and Cajun buttermilk sauce, and the Inferno with chipotle spiked beef and mango habanero ketchup. Burger Mondays & Grille is open for lunch and dinner, Monday through Saturday.
23 Henry St, Binghamton, NY 13901, Phone: 607-722-7777
17. The Old Union Hotel
The Old Union Hotel is an unpretentious haunt based in a historic 19th-century hotel on Clinton Street that serves contemporary cuisine and fine wines in a beautifully renovated setting. Established in 1888, the hotel has a rich and vibrant 127-year old history but has always been a staple for great food and beverages in an elegant and refined setting. Seasonally changing menus feature dishes prepared from scratch using artisanal and locally sourced ingredients, such as fresh seafood, prime steaks, organic salads and vegetables, and handmade pasta. A full-service bar offers a wide range of drinks from craft beers on tap and by the bottle, fine wines from around the world, and made-to-order cocktails with imported spirits. The Old Union Hotel serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, daily.
246 Clinton St, Binghamton, NY 13905, Phone: 607-217-5935
18. Apple Hills
The perfect day trip for nearby travelers, Apple Hills promises fantastic eats, incredible farm fun, and so much more. This family-friendly attraction has all the staple farm fun experiences available to guests such as wagon rides, a petting zoo, animal feeding, and even duck races! Budding geologists and archaeologists can also try their hand at fossil and gem finding, while visitors who want a bit of a challenge can explore Apple Hills’ corn maze! Apple Hills is also a great place for berry, apple, sunflower, and even pumpkin picking depending on the time of the year, while the Farm Store offers fantastic local produce and products all year round. Before ending the day at Apple Hills, be sure to grab a bite to eat at the restaurant and enjoy incredible views of the Binghamton countryside while you feast.
131 Brooks Road, Binghamton, New York 13905, Phone: 607-729-2683
19. Xscapes
Put your wits and deductive skills to the test at Xscapes, a popular escape room experience in Binghamton. Great for friends who want to bond, co-workers looking for team building, or even a family night out, Xscapes offers a range of escape experiences for groups up to 8 players large. Xscapes offers four different rooms, the first being the Valley of the Kings. In this room, players will have to unlock the secrets of Pharaoh’s Tomb and escape it before time runs out. In the Twilight Zone room, players will explore the writer's cottage of Rod Sterling, while the Wizard and Dragon room pits players against an angry dragon whose eggs you must retrieve. Last but not least is Exit Protocol, the most difficult room in Xscapes, where players will have to download critical data from a compromised CIA office and destroy the facility before time runs out.
135 E Frederick Street, Binghamton, New York, Phone: 607-760-3322
