Long Island 250 is this region’s participation in America 250, America’s Semiquincentennial, which commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Suffolk County, one of the most historic regions in New York, played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. From colonial-era homesteads to battlefield sites, our rich history will come to life through reenactments, lectures, tours, festivals, and family-friendly activities.
Here are some of the intriguing programs being planned by the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum.
(Details available February 2026)
Colonial Astronomy invites families to travel back in time and explore the night sky as it looked 250 years ago! Discover how early Americans used the stars to find their way, tell stories, and dream about the future. Together, you’ll see comets, constellations, and the same shining stars that inspired our nation’s founders. It’s a fun and fascinating journey through history — all under one amazing sky!
(Details available February 2026)
Brian O’Connor, author of Death by Fire and Ice: The Steamboat Lexington Calamity, will present his forthcoming (2026) book on John Sloss Hobart (1738-1805)—an Eaton’s Neck lawyer and historical figure who played a significant role in New York’s support of the Declaration of Independence. Hobart’s legacy remains deeply connected to Eaton’s Neck and Long Island’s Revolutionary history.
On July 9, 1776, as a member of the New York Provincial Congress, he voted to approve the Declaration and directed New York’s delegates in Philadelphia to join the other colonies in declaring independence. He later helped draft New York’s first state constitution and went on to serve as a U.S. Senator and federal judge, leaving a lasting legacy in both state and national history.
As Long Island commemorates this 250th anniversary, Museum visitors can take part in Wish Fish, a community art and reflection project that celebrates our shared history and hopes for the future. To the people of America, fish can symbolize abundance, adaptability, life, perseverance, or prosperity.
Wish Fish workshops, inspired by the Museum’s coastal setting and William K. Vanderbilt II’s lifelong passion for marine exploration, invites participants of all ages to spend time with a Museum educator in the Hall of Fishes. Surrounded by the diversity of life in the world’s oceans, they will create painted fish with a wish for the future that will be displayed all summer in the Vanderbilt Education Center.
As we reflect on the past two and a half centuries, Wish Fish reminds us that our choices today shape the waters, landscapes, and stories of tomorrow.
(Details available February 2026)
Guided tours of the Vanderbilt Mansion will introduce visitors to the more than century-long engagement of the Vanderbilts in the service of our country through their active duty during the War of 1812, the Civil War, the two World Wars as well as their crucial assistance to the Department of Defense with their donations to the war efforts.
A special highlight of the tours will also be furniture and paintings dated to the eighteen century, which will introduce visitors to life and society at the time of the Declaration of Independence.