Nassau/Suffolk border at Rtes. 25A & 108. Environmental education center and demonstration hatchery. Open daily year-round, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and Easter Sunday. Two buildings with tanks and aquariums, eight outdoor tanks. Largest collection of native freshwater … [Read more...]
Parks, Gardens & Natural Sites
Parks, Gardens and National Sites on Long Island's North Shore along the Long Island Heritage Trail.
Oheka Castle Historic Hotel
This magnificent Gold Coast Mansion, resting majestically on the highest point of Long Island, emanates the elegant refinement of a chateaux in France coupled with world-class service and a rich history that is distinctly American. OHEKA has been celebrating the art of entertaining since 1919, when … [Read more...]
Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium
The spectacular Spanish-Revival mansion and museum of William K. Vanderbilt II in Centerport, New York, is one of the few remaining estates on the legendary North Shore of Long Island. The mansion, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is a time machine to a rare and privilged way of … [Read more...]
Erwin J. Ernst Marine Conservation Center
Located in the heart of The Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s 88-acre wetlands preserve is the Erwin J. Ernst Marine Conservation Center (EMCC). Named after Dr. Erwin J. Ernst, the Center has been an important part of WMHO for more than 50 years. Throughout his career, Dr. Ernst worked to … [Read more...]
Avalon Park & Preserve
Located across the street from the Stony Brook Grist Mill, Avalon Park & Preserve is a privately owned nature preserve with the mission of maintaining a beautiful landscape in which visitors can enjoy nature. The park and preserve are open daily from dusk to dawn and is free to … [Read more...]
Discovery Cruise
Across Dock Road from the Three Village Inn, The Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s pontoon boat “Discovery” departs from the Stony Brook Yacht Club marina. The 27-passenger vessel cruises through the organization’s 88-acre wetlands preserve for a 1 1/2 hour tour. A naturalist from the Stony … [Read more...]
Nissequogue River State Park
The former estate of a psychiatric center, the Park 's terrain suits bicycles and horses as well as it does shoes and feet, and everyone can trek for hours without encountering another human. The Park also has a soccer field, a canoe and kayak launch, fishing, bird watching, interpretive signs, … [Read more...]
Gov. Alfred E. Smith Sunken Meadow State Park
Located on Long Island Sound, the Park has a wide range of topography that sustains a variety of flora and fauna. The three miles of beach meets tall, glacier-formed bluffs at the west end of the shoreline. A man-made dam separates the park's brackish creek and marshes from the tidal flats. South of … [Read more...]
Caleb Smith State Park Preserve
Nestled in the heart of Smithtown, Caleb State Park Preserve is only one of two nature preserves on Long Island. Much of the Preserve's 543 acres are undeveloped, allowing visitors to explore its many different habitats including freshwater wetlands, ponds, streams, fields and upland woods. Jericho … [Read more...]
Caumsett State Historic Park
Lloyd Neck. 1,500 acres with bridle path, salt water fishing, hiking, cross country skiing. 631-423-1770 Originally purchased in 1921 by Marshall Field III, it became one of the largest estates of the Gold Coast Mansions. The estate was purchased by the State of NY in 1961 and designated a … [Read more...]