Small Enough to Walk, Rich Enough to Linger

Aurora is a village of fewer than 700 people on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake, about halfway between Ithaca and Seneca Falls. It occupies roughly four blocks of lakefront along Route 90, and you could drive through it in under two minutes without realizing you had passed through anything remarkable. That would be a mistake. Aurora contains a 156-year-old liberal arts college, a luxury inn complex that transformed the village’s economy, a factory producing some of the most recognizable hand-painted ceramics and furniture in the country, and a collection of 19th-century buildings so well-preserved that the entire village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Wells College

Wells College was founded in 1868 by Henry Wells — the same Henry Wells who co-founded Wells Fargo and American Express. The campus occupies a lakefront property of roughly 365 acres, with a mix of Gothic, Federal, and Collegiate Gothic architecture set on a sloping lawn that runs directly to the shore of Cayuga Lake. The college enrolls about 400 students and has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, making it one of the smallest liberal arts colleges in New York State.

The campus is open to visitors and worth walking. The Zabriskie Library, the Morgan Opera House, and the Main Building all date to the 19th century. The waterfront is particularly striking — the college boathouse sits at the edge of the lake, and the view north across the water stretches for miles. Glen Park, a ravine on the campus grounds, contains a waterfall and a hiking trail through old-growth forest.

Inns of Aurora

The Inns of Aurora is a collection of five historic properties — the Aurora Inn, the E.B. Morgan House, the Rowland House, Wallcourt Hall, and the Patrick Tavern — that have been restored and operate as luxury lodging and dining venues. The project was led by Pleasant Rowland, founder of the American Girl doll company, who grew up in the area and invested substantially in Aurora’s restoration beginning in the early 2000s.

The Aurora Inn, originally built in 1833, is the centerpiece. Its restaurant serves a seasonal menu using produce from the on-site gardens and regional farms, and the lakefront porch dining room — with direct views across Cayuga Lake to the western shore — is one of the finest restaurant settings in the Finger Lakes. Room rates are at the luxury end of the regional spectrum (upward of $300 per night), reflecting both the quality of the restoration and the exclusivity of the setting. The properties have won Conde Nast and Travel + Leisure recognition.

MacKenzie-Childs

MacKenzie-Childs, the design company known for its hand-painted ceramics, furniture, and home accessories featuring bold check patterns and whimsical motifs, operates its factory and retail shop on a 65-acre former dairy farm on Route 90 just south of the village. The company was founded in Aurora in 1983, and everything is still made here — over 200 artisans hand-paint each piece in the factory.

Factory tours run on select days and take visitors through the production floor, where you can watch painters applying the signature designs by hand. The retail store carries the full product line, often at prices below the department store markup, and a seconds room offers pieces with minor imperfections at significant discounts. The farm grounds include gardens, a restored barn, and a chicken coop that has been painted in MacKenzie-Childs style — it is exactly as charming as it sounds. Seasonal events, including a popular holiday open house in November, draw visitors from across the Northeast.

The Lakeshore

Cayuga Lake at Aurora’s doorstep is 38 miles long, up to 435 feet deep, and the second largest of the eleven Finger Lakes by surface area. The eastern shore where Aurora sits is less developed than the western side, with long stretches of farmland and woodland between small communities. The light on the lake in late afternoon — when the sun drops toward the western ridge and the water turns from blue to silver to gold — is the kind of thing that keeps people coming back.

Long Point State Park, about three miles south of the village, offers a swimming beach, picnic areas, and a boat launch on a peninsula that juts into the lake. The park is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day, with a vehicle fee in season.

What to Do

• MacKenzie-Childs factory and shop: Open daily. Factory tours on select days — check the website for the current schedule and to reserve a spot. The seconds room is in the lower level of the retail building.
• Inns of Aurora dining: Dinner at the Aurora Inn restaurant is open to non-guests but reservations are recommended, especially on weekends. The Sunday brunch is popular.
• Wells College campus walk: Open to visitors. The lakefront, Glen Park waterfall trail, and the historic buildings are all accessible. Free.
• Long Point State Park: Beach, picnic areas, and boat launch. Three miles south on Route 90. $7 vehicle fee in summer.
• Cayuga Lake Wine Trail: Several wineries on both shores of Cayuga Lake are within a 15- to 20-minute drive. Heart & Hands Wine Company, specializing in Riesling and Pinot Noir, is one of the closest.

Practical Details

Aurora is located on Route 90 on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake, approximately 30 miles north of Ithaca and 35 miles southwest of Syracuse. There is no village parking lot — park on the street along Route 90 or in the small pulloffs near the Inns of Aurora (respect private property and posted signage). The village is entirely walkable — from one end to the other is about a 10-minute stroll. There is no gas station in Aurora, so fill up before arriving. Lodging beyond the Inns of Aurora is limited; vacation rentals in the surrounding area are the main alternative.

Locals Know

The MacKenzie-Childs seconds room is the real draw for many visitors — you can find pieces with barely perceptible flaws at 30 to 50 percent off retail. Stock rotates constantly, so the selection changes from week to week. And for the best view of Aurora from the water, rent a kayak or canoe at Long Point State Park and paddle north along the shoreline — the village appears as a string of historic buildings between the green hillside and the blue lake, and it looks exactly like a 19th-century painting.