CORTLAND, NY): Experience Cortland, the Cortland County Convention & Visitors Bureau, is pleased to announce the soft opening of the brand-new Experience Cortland Visitors Center at 42 Main Street, Cortland, today, Thursday August 6th.
“While the grand opening celebration has been delayed due to the COVID pandemic, we are pleased to officially open the doors to the all-new Experience Cortland Visitors Center,” said Meghan Lawton, Executive Director of the CVB. “When we moved into the space at 42 Main Street back in December we anticipated needing about eight weeks to finalize the Visitor Center before opening to the public – we never imagined the turn 2020 would take, however, we are thrilled to now be open.”
The Visitors Center, located on the first floor of the building at 42 Main Street, is open from 9a-3p on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday through the summer. Hours will be extended as the season’s change, and a grand opening celebration is anticipated in late fall.
Visitors to the Center will be able to peruse brochures from local tourism businesses in Cortland County, as well as in the greater Finger Lakes and Central New York regions. Staff will be on hand to assist with trip planning and to answer questions. Please note, all CDC guidelines must be followed when inside the Visitors Center: masks are required at all times and the total number of individuals allowed in the Center at one time will be monitored to ensure safe social distancing.
In addition to the wealth of tourism information available, the Visitors Center also showcases two local artists’ works: local photographer David Spaulding and local painter Molly Andrejko. A feature gallery wall in the Visitors Center will rotate works from local artists on a bi-monthly basis. Local photographer David Spaulding is the first featured artist in the gallery space – there are eight photographs of the Cortland County area currently on display. Molly Andrejko’s mural covers the entirety of the wall space at the Visitors Center. Each part of the mural relates to Cortland County and a fun scavenger hunt has been created to help you take in the massive artwork piece.
“In designing the Visitor’s Center we wanted it to be a reflection of the tourism industry – loud and fun and uplifting,” said Lawton. “The mural that Molly created captures all of these aspects and celebrates Cortland County at the same time. It was a tremendous undertaking and we were thrilled that Molly wanted to work with us on this project. We hope it makes our visitors as happy as it makes the staff each and every day.”
More information about the Experience Cortland Visitors Center can be found at www.experiencecortland.com/cortland-county-visitors-center
The Cortland County Convention & Visitors Bureau’s purpose is to enhance the general economy of Cortland County, its cities, towns and villages, through promotion of tourist activities, conventions, trade shows, special events and other directly related and supporting activities.
The CVB office is located at 42 Main Street, Cortland, NY. Office hours are 9a-3p, Mon, Tues, Thurs and Fri. The office is closed on Wednesday’s through the summer. For more information on the Cortland County Convention & Visitors Bureau, please call 607-753-8463, email info@experiencecortland.com, visit us on the web at www.experiencecortland.com, or follow us on our social media channels @experiencecortland.
