Open House

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine's Open House

Open House is our opportunity to share the joys of our profession with the community. Veterinary students and members of the faculty and staff host this annual event that provides a chance for those interested to get a closer look at veterinary medicine. We invite you to tour our college and learn more about our facilities, our equipment and what we do every day.

Students, faculty members and staff will be on hand to answer your questions about a career as a veterinarian, a veterinary technician or an animal care specialist. Careers in veterinary medicine have traditionally involved working with dogs, cats, cows, horses, sheep and pigs. However, this rapidly growing field also provides opportunities to work in the animal health industry, government, armed forces and with many other species in zoos, wildlife refuges and developing countries.


Student with children and cat

Please note:

Schedule of Activities for 2023

Events, Demos and Tours 2023

Schedule of activities for the open house
Time Event Location
10:30am Wildlife Bingo Paddock LH 2
10:30am CUPD K9 Demo  LH 5
11:00am

Admissions Presentation & Student Panel

Yarnell LH 4
11:00am  Scent Dog Demo Agility Rink
11:00am Tour of Dairy Barn Teaching Dairy Barn
11:00am Story Time in the Veterinary Library (11 - 11:30am) Flower-Sprecher Veterinary Library
11:00am Farrier Demo  Farrier Shop
12:00pm Small Animal CPR Lecture Paddock LH 2
12:00pm CUPD K9 Demo LH 5
12:00pm Scent Dog Demo  Agility Rink
12:00pm Farrier Demo Farrier Shop
1:00pm Admissions Presentation & Student Panel Yarnell LH 4
1:00pm Agility Dog Demo  Agility Rink
1:00pm Tour of Dairy Barn Teaching Dairy Barn
1:30pm Wildlife Bingo  Paddock LH 2
1:30pm CUPD K9 Demo  LH 5
1:30pm Farrier Demo  Farrier Shop
2:00pm Agility Dog Demo  Agility Rink
3:00pm Ag & Sustainability Lecture Paddock LH 2
3:00pm CUPD K9 Demo  LH 5
3:00pm Agility Dog Demo  Agility Rink
3:00pm Tour of Dairy Barn Teaching Dairy Barn
3:00pm Farrier Demo  Farrier Shop
All day Climate Change Movies (& popcorn!) 

S1-106

Event Description

  • Wildlife Bingo: Bingo with a wildlife animal twist. Come win some fun prizes!
  • CUPD K9 Demo: Police dog demo with Cornell University Police Department. 
  • Admissions Presentation & Student Panel: For those interested in applying to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, as well as for those who just want to know more about veterinary education and careers in veterinary medicine, there will be admissions and veterinary career information sessions presented by the admissions director, Jennifer Mailey.
  • Scent Dog Demo: Watch trained scent dogs do their thing! 
  • Tour of Dairy Barn: A tour of the Vet School's very own Teaching Dairy Barn. Witness a demonstration of the milking process! (-3 minute drive away).
  • Veterinary Library Story Time: Join us for read-alouds of Sally Goes to the Vet (Stephen Huneck) and Pigeon Wants a Puppy (Mo Willems) and related, fun activities!
  • Farrier Demo: Horses wear shoes too1 Learn about shoeing a horse. 
  • Small Animal CPR Lecture: Learn about CPR in cats and dogs. 
  • Agility Dog Demo: Come see sport dogs do agility tricks! 
  • Agriculture & Sustainability Lecture: Learn about agriculture's impact on the environment and future steps being taken to improve! 
  • Dentistry: learn about tooth health in your dogs and cats
  • Cardiology: learn all about animal CPR with our lifelike animal models 
  • Canine Water Treadmill: watch a dog use a water-filled treadmill and learn about rehabilitation
  • Imaging (ultrasound and radiology): see the inside like the veterinarians do! Discover more about the anatomy of your pets
  • Small Animal Physical Exam: get your hands on a pup or a cat and learn how the veterinarians do it
  • Equine treadmill: see a HORSE. On a TREADMILL. See a demonstration of our state-of-the-art performance treadmill used to study orthopedic and cardiovascular diseases of horses
  • Painted horse: get a beautiful image of a horse’s insides
  • Blossom the Fistulated Cow: our famous fistulated cow, will once again be showing off her rumen! Learn how cows digest their food
  • Petting zoo: come and meet a variety of farmyard friends
  • Pocket pets: chinchillas and rats can be awful sweet, come see
  • Herptiles: snakes and lizards to meet
  • Wildlife health: identify skulls, learn how to wrap an injured wing, dart a wild beast and learn about our Wildlife Health Center
  • Dress like a surgeon: get on all the gear you’ll need for your future
  • Teddy Bear ER: got a busted bear? Let the Cornell Vet Students fix it up. Vet Students will surgically repair your wounded stuffed animals* with TLC.
  • *PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN INJURED STUFFED ANIMAL FOR TEDDY BEAR ER. WE ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH STUFFED ANIMALS FOR SURGERY.
  • Face painting: Get your face painted with your favorite animal ($1.00 minimum donation)
  • Local Non-Profits: These groups are animal shelters and other animal-focused organizations within our community. Many bring animals along with them, and they’re all ready to answer questions and fill you in on what they do!
  • Corporate Sponsors, Government Agencies, Technician Schools: Come learn about some of the other aspects of animal health, from public health with the Health Department, to how to become a veterinary technician. We’ll also have a few sponsors with information on their pet products!

Exhibit Locations""

Atrium - Downstairs 

  • Alfred State Vet Tech 
  • Banfield 
  • Blue Buffalo 
  • Canine Companions 
  • Cornell Companions 
  • Elanco 
  • Express Yourself Mural
  • Golden Retriever Club of Central NY 
  • Morris Animal Foundation Golden Retriever Study Public Health 
  • Purina Pro Plan 
  • SAVMA (Student American Vet Medical Assn.)
  • SCACVIM (Internal Medicine) 
  • Shelter Medicine 
  • Veterinary Emergency Group 
  • ZAWS/Wildlife Health Center 

Atrium - Upstairs

  • Common Household Toxins 
  • Cornell DVM Admissions 
  • Dairy Princess 
  • Express Yourself Mural 
  • Hill's Pet Nutrition 
  • SAVMA Philanthropy 
  • SAVMA Sale 
  • Skull Identification & Anatomy 
  • Southside Healthy Pet Clinic 
  • SUNY Delhi Vet Tech 
  • Touch Table 
  • VCA Pet Hospitals 

Large Animal Breezeway

  • Blossom the Fistulated Cow 
  • Equine Treadmill 
  • Minnie the Mini Horse 
  • Painted Horse 
  • Petting Zoo 

Downstairs Rooms

  • Theriogenology (rm S1-102) 
  • Climate Change Movies (rm S1-106) 
  • Dentistry (rm S1-114) 
  • WAVMA (World Aquatic Vet Med Assn.) (rm S1-116) Guiding Eyes for the Blind (Hagen Room) 
  • Small Animal Acupuncture (Classroom 6) 

Upstairs Rooms

  • Herpetology (rm S2-106) 
  • Ophthalmology (rm S2-110) 
  • ZAWS (rm S2-114) 
  • Physical exam - dog (rm S2-116) 
  • Physical exam - cat (rm S2-118) 
  • Pocket Pets (Centennial Room, rm S2-120) 

Other Locations 

  • lmaging/X-rays (Dry Lab) 
  • Dress Like a Surgeon & Teddy Bear ER (Jr. Surgery)
  • Small Animal Water Treadmill (Rehab Hallway)
  • Face Painting (3rd floor) 
  • Farrier Demo (Farrier Shop) 
  • Parasitology (Wet Lab): tick races happening every hour on the 15 and 45 minutes! 

Other features

  • Annual SAVMA Sale of Cornell Apparel
  • The Cornell Dairy Bar, just a 5 minute walk from the veterinary school, sells an array of food items including sandwiches, snacks, and Cornell’s very own ice cream! Just follow the signs placed outside of the vet school to find the Dairy Bar.

Student assisting child with OR wear

Directions

The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine is at the intersection of Route 366 and Tower Road in Ithaca, New York. Open House visitors should park in the large "O" parking lot just off Tower Road and enter the college through the Veterinary Medical Center Public Entrance. The doors are under the open house banner in the Veterinary Education Center.

From the north: Take Route 34 South to Route 13 South to Ithaca; turn onto Buffalo Street; turn right onto Albany Street; turn left onto Green Street; turn left onto Route 366; at the Y intersection, bear right; turn left on to Tower Road across from Cornell Orchards.

From the northeast: Take Route 13 South toward Ithaca; turn left onto Route 366 (by NYSEG); turn right onto Tower Road across from Cornell Orchards.

From the south: Take Route 13 North to Ithaca; turn right onto Green Street; turn left onto Route 366; at the Y intersection, bear right; turn left on to Tower Road across from Cornell Orchards.

From the east: Take Route 79 West to Ithaca; turn right onto Pine Tree Road; continue until 4-way stop sign; turn right onto Route 366; turn left on to Tower Road across from Cornell Orchards.

From the west: Take Route 79 East, Route 96 South, or Route 89 South to Ithaca; after you cross the inlet bridge, turn right onto Fulton (one-way street); at the Route 13/Meadow Street intersection, continue straight across onto Clinton Street; turn left onto Albany Street; turn right onto Green Street; Green Street turns into State Street and continues to be Route 79 East; continue up State Street; bear left onto Mitchell Street; bear left onto Ithaca Street; turn right onto Route 366; turn left onto Tower Road across from Cornell Orchards.

For more information

Contact the Office of Student and Academic Services
Phone: 607-253-3700
Email: vet_sas@cornell.edu