Wharton Studio Museum and Friends of Stewart Park

Wharton Studio and Cafe

Chiuten Trowbridge Landscape Architecture (CTLA) is currently leading the landscape design and implementation for the Wharton Studio & Café in Ithaca, NY. This landmark project pays tribute to the Wharton Brothers—trailblazers of the silent film era—and the expansive studio they once operated along the shores of Cayuga Lake. Ithaca’s vibrant silent film industry produced over 700 films, standing as a lasting legacy of cinematic innovation and creativity. The project is an adaptive reuse of one of the last remaining motion picture studio buildings from the silent film era in the country, and will feature exhibits on the history of film in Ithaca.

In collaboration with a multidisciplinary team led by Bero Architecture, CTLA is designing a welcoming café terrace, interpretive landscape features, a shaded seating grove, and fully accessible ADA pathways.

A key objective of the project is to harmoniously integrate these new elements with the broader Stewart Park landscape, a site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Set along the lakefront, the design will not only honor the area’s rich cultural history but also establish a compelling new destination within the park.