Long Island Museums and Culture

The oldest lighthouse in New York State. The Lighthouse was authorized by the Second Congress, under President George Washington in 1792. Construction began on June 7, 1796 and was completed on November 5, 1796. This historic landmark has been part of Long Island's land and seascape for over 200 years and still serves as an active aid to navigation.

To create a children’s museum: a magical and inviting place for young people that would stir their curiosity and imagination. In this quickly moving world of technology, children’s museums give families an opportunity to slow down and actively share in their children’s growth. These wonderful places of discovery are designed to provide interactive experiences that foster curiosity in children and create a lifelong love of self-directed learning. The Children's Museum of the East End (CMEE - we pronounce it "see me") was formed to make this dream a reality.

The idea for the Long Island Children’s Museum started as a dinner conversation in 1989 between a group of Long Island business people, artists and educators—parents all. Why, they wondered, didn’t Long Island have the type of institution they visited often on their family travels across the country? That conversation led to a commitment to create for the community an exciting place that would stimulate a child’s natural curiosity and educate them through exploration and play.

The Northport Historical Society has been collecting, preserving and telling the stories of the people of Northport for more than four decades. Hop on board a journey of discovery -- a trip that begins before the time of Columbus and brings us right up to the present.

"To preserve Long Island's rich maritime history and heritage for educational purposes."

The John Drew Theater stage provides dramatic, comedic and musical entertainment, as well as films, lectures, literary series, and staged readings, all featuring prominent artists and writers with ties to the community.
The Guild Hall Museum features world-class art exhibitions of internationally renowned visual artists and emerging regional artists. The Museum also encourages local talent with community art exhibitions. One of the directives of the Museum is to collect, preserve and present the works of accomplished East End artists. We have a significant permanent collection and archive approximately 2,100 works of art. Our Education program is devoted to serving the needs of the community and the local schools by integrating arts education into those programs that lend themselves to creative learning. We conduct master classes, studio workshops and outreach in the East Hampton School District. While Guild Hall is proud of our heritage, we remain committed to shaping a future that nurtures creativity and inspires innovation.

The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum - a unique combination of mansion, marine and natural history museum, planetarium and park - is dedicated to the education and enjoyment of the people of Long Island and beyond. This mission shall be achieved through the thoughtful preservation, interpretation and enhancement of the Eagle's Nest estate as an informal educational facility. Exhibition and program themes focus upon Long Island's Gold Coast Era and upon William K. Vanderbilt II's desire that his marine, natural history, and ethnographic collections promote appreciation and understanding of the marvelous diversity of life, other cultures, and scientific knowledge.

The Long Island Museum is a place to rediscover the richness of America’s cultural heritage.
In 2006, the Long Island Museum joined a small group of museums and cultural institutions nationwide in becoming a Smithsonian Affiliate. The Smithsonian Affiliations program allows select organizations to have greater access to its collections and educational resources, sharing, educational initiatives and research efforts.

Public programs including concerts, lectures, family fun festivals, and a day-long tour of East End Long Island artist studios will round out the Museum’s spring offerings. Join us for any of our numerous events and exhibitions and discover the rich resources of the Hofstra University Museum. Beth E. Levinthal, Director

With hangars built and designed during World War II, filled with operational warplanes from that historic era and staffed with volunteers in authentic period flight gear, the American Airpower Museum brings to cost effective life powerful images from another era.
It's squadron of flight ready aircraft include a B-17 Flying Fortress in the markings of the famous Memphis Belle, a twin engine Mitchell bomber, the famous P-40 Warhawk, with its tiger mouth markings and more. The museum also offers a control tower retrofitted to the 1940's, a hangar whose design is reminiscent of Pearl Harbor on the eve of war and access to a fleet of vintage automobiles and trucks that add to the ambiance of this vivid chapter of American history.
The museum sits five minutes south of the Long Island Expressway at Republic Airport, which is a state owned general aviation airport. It is minutes from the Farmingdale Long Island Railroad station. And because of its airport location it is the only historic aircraft collection in the region that can regularly return to the air, demonstrating the power and stunning beauty of aircraft designed for war.
As a location for your visual needs the American Airpower Museum is Unique. Cost effective. Local. Cooperative. Historic. Available. Compelling. If you need air power call us. Fees are a tax deductible donation.

The Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum collects, preserves, and exhibits objects and documents pertinent to whaling, especially the regional whaling history of Long Island, whale conservation, and the history of Cold Spring Harbor as a maritime port. The Museum serves a broad and diverse public audience.

In 1973, growing interest in local history led to the organization of the Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Association. A permanent charter from the State of New York was received in October 1976. The GCHA is a non-profit membership organization with a mission to research, collect, record and preserve the history of the communities of Greenlawn and Centerport, Long Island, New York

Museum Director: Herb Petersen. Supervisor of Museum Apparatus: Edward Masiello Sr. Archives: Susan Savochka. Historians: Herb & Marie Petersen