Medusa Tattoo first opened its doors in June 2002, at 402 W. State St, a few blocks from the current location. Shortly after opening the studio, Carol Oddy and Cesar Enciso decided to take a leap of faith and remove the traditional flash (pre-drawn designs) from the walls and use the empty space as a gallery for local artists, becoming Ithaca’s first primarily custom tattoo shop/art gallery. In 2007 they decided to relocate to 126 W. State Street, across from the Historic State Theater.

Medusa Tattoo was a fixture of downtown Ithaca for 18 years until 2025, when realizing that they had outgrown the space, Carol and Cesar made the decision to move again, and the studio is now located at 632 W. Buffalo St.

Since opening, the shop has hosted guest tattoo artists from all over the country, and has developed a reputation as one of the best tattoo shops in the area.

In 2020, the studio stopped taking walk-ins due to the Covid 19 pandemic, and started tattooing by appointment only.  Despite the initial reason for this change, both the artists and clients found that it resulted in a much more enjoyable and personal experience. Thanks to a loyal clientele and good word of mouth, Medusa Tattoo has been able to continue to operate as an appointment only tattoo studio. It is still firmly committed to supporting the community that has allowed it to flourish.

In addition to the owners, Medusa Tattoo is home to artists Dan Trocchio, who relocated from New York City in 2020, and Jen Lightfoot, who joined us in 2021, as well as apprentice Lily Oxley, who has been working at the studio since 2024.