Things to Do on Long Island, NY

• What is Old Westbury Gardens?
  • Old Westbury Gardens is a beautiful Charles II-style mansion surrounded by 200 acres of magnificent formal gardens, woodlands, landscaped grounds, ponds, and lakes.
• Who built Old Westbury Gardens?
  • The mansion was built in 1906 for John S. Phipps and his family and was designed by renowned English architect George A. Crawley.
• What is inside Westbury House?
  • Westbury House is filled with fine original English antiques and art accumulated during its 50 years as the Phipps family's residence.
• Is Old Westbury Gardens open to visitors?
  • Yes, Westbury Gardens is open to visitors, and guides provide informative tours of the mansion and its formal gardens.
• What types of events are held at Old Westbury Gardens?
  • It hosts school visits, children's events and programs, family programs, classic car shows, museum exhibits, indoor and outdoor classical music concerts, lectures, pop concerts, and many other events.

Address: 71 Old Westbury Rd, Old Westbury, NY 11568, Phone: 516-333-0048

• What is the Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium?
  • The Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium is located in Centerport on the north shore of Long Island, on Eagle's Nest, the former 43-acre estate of William K. Vanderbilt II.
• What does the museum include?
  • The museum features the Vanderbilt Mansion with all its furnishings and art, a marine museum with a collection of natural history specimens, a curator's cottage, a boathouse, gardens, a seaplane hangar, and an extensive collection of firearms, swords, ship models, and various objects from Europe, Asia, and Africa.
• Is the Vanderbilt Museum historically significant?
  • Yes, the museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Are there guided tours available?
  • Yes, the museum curators offer a very popular guided tour while dressed in period costumes, bringing the lives of the estate’s previous residents to life.
• What technology does the planetarium use?
  • The planetarium operates a Konica Minolta Gemini Star III full dome display projector, one of the best in the country, and features the latest surround sound technology.

Address: 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport, New York 11721, Phone: 631-854-5579

• What is Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park?
  • Located in the Upper Brookville village in Oyster Bay, New York, the 400-acre Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park is situated on the former estate of railroad executive William Robertson Coe and his wife.
• What does the arboretum include?
  • It features their 67-room Tudor Revival residence, Coe Hall, along with gardens, woodland paths, greenhouses, extensive plant collections, and a herbarium with more than 10,000 pressed specimens.
• Is Planting Fields Arboretum historically significant?
  • Yes, the park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open to the public for visitors to explore.
• What can visitors do at the park?
  • Visitors can enjoy strolling through rolling lawns, woodlands, and beautifully maintained gardens.
• What plant collections are featured in the greenhouses?
  • The Camellia Greenhouse has a large collection of camellias, while the main greenhouse showcases impressive collections of orchids, hibiscus, succulents, and seasonal flowering plants.
• Are guided tours available at Coe Hall?
  • Yes, guided tours of Coe Hall offer a glimpse into the lifestyle of the wealthy in the 1920s, featuring collections of furnishings, stained glass, paintings, and decorative arts.

Address: Planting Fields Rd. Oyster Bay, NY 11771, Phone: 516-922-9210

• What is the Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center best known for?
  • Best known for having one of the largest live coral reef displays in North America, the Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center features a 120,000-gallon shark tank, sea lion shows, marmosets, African penguins, and interactive touch tanks where visitors can touch live animals.
• How many exhibits are in the aquarium?
  • The aquarium boasts over 100 diverse exhibits, showcasing marine life and other fascinating creatures.
• What can visitors find in the indoor garden?
  • The colorful indoor garden is home to the Butterflies, Bugs and Birds Exhibit, featuring 30 species of North American and tropical butterflies flying freely.
• Is there a bug exhibit?
  • Yes, it is the only bug display in New York, showcasing a variety of fascinating insects.
• What species are in the bird aviary?
  • The bird aviary houses conures, lovebirds, ringnecks, and many other bird species.
• What are some of the most exciting experiences at the aquarium?
  • One of the most thrilling adventures is JAWsome Aquatic Adventures with the Shark Dive, where visitors enter a cage and sink into the Lost City of Atlantis Shark Exhibit.
• Can visitors interact with penguins?
  • Yes! Visitors can enjoy the Penguin Encounter, where they get a chance to feed charming penguins.

Address: 431 E Main St, Riverhead, NY 11901-2556, Phone: 631-208-9200

• What is MoMA PS1?
  • MoMA PS1 is one of the largest and oldest nonprofit contemporary art centers in the US.
• When was MoMA PS1 founded?
  • The museum was founded in 1971 and serves as an exhibition space without a permanent collection.
• Where is MoMA PS1 located?
  • The museum is located in Long Island City.
• What is MoMA PS1's focus?
  • It is one of the biggest American art institutions focused entirely on contemporary art, supporting and encouraging the most experimental and thought-provoking contemporary works of today.
• What events and programs does MoMA PS1 organize?
  • In addition to art exhibitions, the museum hosts the Warm Up summer music series, the Sunday Sessions performance series, and the Young Architects Program, which is organized in collaboration with the Museum of Modern Art.

Address: 22-25 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101, Phone: 718-784-2084

What to do if you are traveling with kids:

• What is the Brooklyn Botanic Garden?
  • Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a 52-acre garden located in the Prospect Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, offering a delightful and colorful oasis with more than 14,000 taxa of plants from around the world.
• What makes the Brooklyn Botanic Garden unique?
  • The garden is famous for its "gardens within the Garden", which are unique plant collections and groupings of trees and flowers, including the famous cherry tree garden.
• What is special about the cherry tree garden?
  • When all 200 cherry trees bloom in the spring, the garden hosts a month-long cherry festival at the Cherry Esplanade called Hanami, which attracts thousands of visitors.
• What notable structures are in the garden?
  • The garden houses the Steinhardt Conservatory, which includes the C. V. Starr Bonsai Museum, a white glass and cast-iron aquatic plant house, and three climate-themed plant pavilions.
• Is there an art gallery in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden?
  • Yes, the Steinhardt Conservatory also features an impressive art gallery.
• What is the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden?
  • Created in 1914, the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden was the first Japanese garden in a public garden in the United States.

Address: 990 Washington Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225, Phone: 718-623-7200

• What is the Brooklyn Bridge?
  • With its massive granite towers and long steel cables, the Brooklyn Bridge has been a New York City icon since 1883, stretching over the East River and connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn.
• How long is the Brooklyn Bridge?
  • The main span of the bridge is 1,595.5 feet long, making it one of the most significant bridges of its time.
• What makes the Brooklyn Bridge historically significant?
  • When completed, it was the first-ever steel-wire suspension bridge in the world.
• Who originally used the Brooklyn Bridge?
  • Initially, the bridge was designed for pedestrians and non-motorized vehicles.
• How is the Brooklyn Bridge used today?
  • Today, it offers safe passage to trains, bikes, and cars, with millions of commuters and tourists crossing it every year.
• How does the bridge impact the New York City skyline?
  • It dominates the landscape and remains one of the most recognizable features of the city skyline.
• What is a must-do experience on the Brooklyn Bridge?
  • Crossing the bridge on foot through the elevated walkway is considered one of the most memorable experiences for visitors.

Address: Brooklyn Bridge, New York, NY 10038

Activities and Attractions for Couples and Singles:

• What is the Brooklyn Museum?
  • The Brooklyn Museum is the third largest art museum in New York City, with an impressive collection of over 1.5 million artworks.
• Where is the Brooklyn Museum located?
  • The museum is near the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Crown Heights, Flatbush, and Prospect Heights, covering 560,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor gallery space.
• When was the Brooklyn Museum founded?
  • Founded in 1895, the museum is housed in a stunning beaux arts building designed by McKim, Mead & White.
• Was the Brooklyn Museum originally planned to be larger?
  • Yes, it was originally planned to be the biggest art museum in the world.
• What are the most significant collections in the museum?
  • The museum is renowned for its Egyptian antiquities, spanning more than 3,000 years, as well as antiques from Europe, Africa, Oceania, and Japan.
• Does the museum have American art?
  • Yes, it has a well-represented American art collection, starting with the colonial period.
• Which notable artists are featured in the collection?
  • Some of the most notable artists featured include Mark Rothko, Norman Rockwell, Edward Hopper, Winslow Homer, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Max Weber.

Address: Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY 11238, Phone: 718-638-5000, Instagram

• What is the Long Island Game Farm?
  • The Long Island Game Farm is a wildlife park and children’s zoo located in Manorville.
• How long has the Long Island Game Farm been in operation?
  • The park has been operating for 47 years and is Long Island’s largest children’s zoo and wildlife park.
• What educational opportunities does the zoo offer?
  • The zoo gives families the opportunity to learn about animals in their natural environment.
• Are there areas where visitors can interact with animals?
  • Yes, the zoo features several encounter areas where visitors can interact with and feed animals, including Bambiland and a nursery.
• Can visitors bring their own food for the animals?
  • No, if visitors want to feed the animals, they must purchase food from the zoo, as bringing outside food is not permitted.
• Is there a place to buy food at the zoo?
  • Yes, the park features a snack bar serving a selection of food items and light fare.
• Does the zoo have a souvenir shop?
  • Yes, the souvenir stand sells Long Island Game Farm merchandise and apparel.

Address: Long Island Game Farm , 489 Chapman Boulevard, Manorville, New York 11949, Phone: 631-878-6644

• What is Coney Island?
  • Once an outer barrier island, Coney Island was eventually connected to Long Island by a landfill to form a peninsula on the Lower Bay in Brooklyn.
• How does Coney Island change during the summer?
  • This residential neighborhood of about 60,000 people transforms every summer into one of the most popular entertainment destinations in New York, attracting thousands of locals and visitors.
• What are some of the main attractions at Coney Island?
  • Visitors can enjoy the long sandy beach, Luna Park with its famous Cyclone roller coaster, and the iconic Wonder Wheel.
• What unique events take place at Coney Island?
  • Some popular events include the Circus Sideshow, the Mermaid Parade every June, and the famous 4th of July hot dog eating contest at Nathan’s.
• What other entertainment options are available?
  • Visitors can enjoy street performers, musicians, food stalls, and much more throughout the area.
• What sports teams are based in Coney Island?
  • Coney Island is home to MCU Park stadium, where the Brooklyn Cyclones minor league baseball team and the New York Cosmos soccer club play.