Long Island day trip opportunities are plentiful in the summer. The Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium, located within an easy drive from many Island towns, offer something for everyone. Year-round, visitors can tour the Mansion and Museum and see eye-popping shows in the Planetarium. And in the summer, there is even more to do. Set on 43 rolling waterfront acres, the Vanderbilt will take you back to the celebrated era of the historic Long island Gold Coast.
See the centuries-old paintings and furniture collected during William K. Vanderbilt II’s extensive world travels. Enjoy an intriguing, history-filled guided tour of the elegant living quarters in the Vanderbilt Mansion. Hear tales of the Vanderbilt family and its world-famous summer guests. Marvel at the collections in the natural history and cultural artifact galleries. Stroll the gardens and tour the Hall of Fishes marine museum and view up-close the wild animal dioramas of the Habitat and the Stoll Wing.
Visit the 147-seat Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium for a spectacular sky show or an astronomy program. Following a $4-million makeover – including new seating, carpeting and museum gift shop – and an advanced technology update, the Reichert Planetarium is one of the finest and most advanced in the United States.
On a beautiful summer afternoon, bring a picnic basket, sit under a tree and enjoy breezes from Northport Bay and views across Long Island Sound to Connecticut. Register your kids for one of the fun, creative children’s workshops in July and August. Come for the Arena Players’ Summer Shakespeare Festival, performed in the Mansion Courtyard, or Arena Players Children’s Theater productions.
Other summer highlights include Midsummer Night Dances on Thursdays, Vanderbilt Clam Bake, Alex Torres and His Latin Orchestra, Woodstock Revival Festival, classic-car shows, Grateful Fest 3 and, in the fall, Oktoberfest.
Details on all of these programs are available on this website.
