Museums & Preserves

Comprising 550 acres of fields, woodlands, ponds, and estate grounds, the Muttontown Preserve includes miles of marked nature trails with local wildflowers, trees, birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. In winter, residents can enjoy cross-country skiing when weather permits. The Muttontown Preserve is cobbled together from multiple gold coast era estates, including the Benjamin Moore estate (Chelsea Manor) and a 150-acre estate once owned by King Zog of Albania.  Chelsea Manor, accessible from 25A, is intact and viewable from the exterior, and can also be rented for private events.

Headquartered in the c.1720 home formerly occupied by two beloved ministers of Oyster Bay’s Baptist Church, the Oyster Bay Historical Society offers tours of this historic structure’s Colonial Room, Minister’s Parlor, and 1940’s kitchen, as well as rotating exhibits on Oyster Bay’s social and cultural history in both the house itself and the adjacent Angela Koenig Center.

Climb aboard and step back in time to the golden age of railroading at the historic Long Island Rail Road station used by Theodore Roosevelt before, during, and after his presidency! The Oyster Bay Railroad Museum, comprising the landmark 1889 railroad depot and the adjacent rail yard, offers visitors a rare opportunity to see and learn about vintage trains and other railroading equipment from the 19^th and 20^th Centuries. This includes a tour of a restored steam locomotive and a ride on Long Island’s only operational locomotive turntable.

Guided tours are available for schools, early childhood groups, youth organizations, students with special needs, and Spanish-speaking groups. An Augmented Reality tour, hosted by world-renowned Theodore Roosevelt reprisor Joe Wiegand, can be experienced via the museum’s TRAR mobile app. Please check the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum website for hours of operation.

A jewel in the crown of Oyster Bay’s north shore, this 400-acre attraction is situated on the grounds of the former William Coe/Mary Huttleston estate in the Village of Upper Brookville. Planting Fields Arboretum features breath-taking landscapes, meticulously accentuated by a unique and diverse collection of flowers, plants, and trees from around the world. Explore more than twenty themed gardens and five miles of woodland trails, delight in the warmth of two exquisite greenhouses, and enjoy tours and special events at Coe Hall, the 65-room Tudor Revival mansion at the center of it all.

Step back in time to the Revolutionary War, when British troops seized and occupied the home of Samuel and Sarah Townsend, prominent Oyster Bay citizens who were staunch supporters of the patriot cause. Unbeknownst to British Lieutenant Colonel John Simcoe and his Queens Rangers, the Townsends’ son, Robert, was operating as a spy for General George Washington and would regularly transmit information to Washington about British troop movements and other activities. Ultimately, Robert (and perhaps his sister, Sally) played an important role in the colonists’ victory.

Today, the Townsend family’s 1738 homestead serves as one of America’s premier Revolutionary War-era time capsules, regularly hosting special events and exhibits, as well as ongoing tours (both guided and self-guided) for students, clubs, and visitors from all over the United States.

A “must-see” attraction for every visitor to Oyster Bay, Sagamore Hill was home to President Theodore Roosevelt from 1885 until his death in 1919, and also served as Roosevelt’s “Summer White House” during his two terms in office (1901-1909). Sagamore Hill played host to presidential campaign speeches, numerous visits from foreign dignitaries, and to peace talks that helped end the Russo-Japanese War.

The interior of the home, which contains almost all original furnishings, is viewable by ticketed tour. Also on-site are the famed “North Room,” where Roosevelt displayed his hunting trophies and his collection of art and books, as well as the Theodore Roosevelt Museum, which chronicles the life and career of our 26^th president.

Our 26^th president had a lifelong passion for birds and was a staunch advocate for national forests and preserves. Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center, established in 1923 as the country’s first National Audubon Society songbird sanctuary, gives visitors an opportunity to explore fourteen acres of plant demonstration gardens, several small ponds, a mile of nature trails, and the famous Bessie Potter Vonnoh fountain sculpture. The Audubon Center features several non-releasable raptors, including hawks, owls, and falcons, as well as recreational opportunities that include hiking, bird watching, and more.

Located at the edge of the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center is the final resting place of our 26^th president, whose grave lies within Youngs Memorial Cemetery. Dating back to 1658, the cemetery houses the grave of Thomas Youngs, who hosted President George Washington at his nearby home during the president’s 1790 visit to Long Island. Youngs’ descendants later opened the family burial site to their enslaved workers and to neighbors, including the Roosevelts. Youngs Memorial Cemetery (and particularly Theodore Roosevelt’s gravesite) has been visited by numerous American presidents, as well as royalty from around the world.

Built in 1895 on land donated by John Heitz, one of Hicksville’s most notable early developers, the Hicksville Gregory Museum – originally a village hall, courthouse, and jail – holds Long Island’s largest rock and mineral collection, as well as more than 5,000 butterfly and moth specimens, a shell and fossil collection, a flying dinosaur bird specimen from the Xixian Formation in China, and a dinosaur egg exhibit that includes a pair of 100-million-year-old eggs! The experience also includes a look at Hicksville’s original 1915 jail cell, plus a self-guided local history exhibit.

Steps away from the Old Bethpage Village Restoration, the Museum of American Armor showcases machines and technology from an entirely different era. Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino gets a hands-on demonstration of some of the vehicles and weaponry that helped lead the US military to victories in World War II and beyond.

Join Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino and Oyster Bay Today as we visit Old Bethpage Village Restoration. This authentically recreated mid-19^th Century village, nestled on 209 sprawling acres, features nineteen historic houses and buildings dating between the 1660’s and 1875, plus numerous other historic structures from the Town of Oyster Bay and surrounding areas.

Located in the heart of the Massapequas, the Massapequa Historic Complex offers visitors a chance to explore three buildings of great historical significance to Massapequa and the Town of Oyster Bay.

The Old Grace Church, built in 1844 on land donated by General Thomas Floyd Jones, a descendant of one of Massapequa’s founding families, served as Massapequa’s Episcopalian church for more than 100 years. Funding for the church was organized by Thomas Floyd-Jones’ son, Elbert, another prominent figure in Massapequa’s history.

The Elbert Floyd-Jones Servants’ Cottage, built c. 1870 for employees of Elbert Floyd-Jones’ estate on the south side of Merrick Road, escaped a fire that completely destroyed Mr. Jones’ mansion in the early 1900’s and briefly housed the Baldwin family (of acting fame) before finding its current home beside the Old Grace Church and the Delancey Floyd-Jones Free Library in 1986.

The Delancey Floyd-Jones Free Library was the first public library in the Massapequas and the only one in operation from 1896 to 1952. The building and its original books were donated by Delancey Floyd-Jones, who had served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Civil War.