Fall Festival, Halloween Fun, Classic Cars, New Planetarium Show, Walk & Talk Tours
Festive Days, Haunted Nights
The Vanderbilt Fall Festival is underway now on weekends through Halloween.
Daytime activities for ages 2 and up include mini-golf, face painting, Halloween games, a scavenger hunt, and more. At night, for those over 12: The Wicked Walk: A Haunted Maze, and The Wicked Haunt, plus mini-golf.
The event offers a great way for families and children to enjoy a safe Halloween. On Halloween weekend, everyone is invited to attend in costume. Different areas of the Museum will feature staff members dressed in costumes and giving out trick-or-treat items.
Daytime (Saturdays, Sundays)
12:00 to 4:00 pm
Recommended for children 2 and up. (No costumed actors present.) Includes general admission to the museum, mini-golf, face painting, pumpkin patch, Halloween games, scavenger hunt, and more.
For purchase: festive drinks and snacks along with farm stand items. Members: kids, $10; adults, $12. Non-members: kids, $20; adults, $24.
Nighttime (Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays)
6:00 to 10:00 pm
Haunted attractions with costumed actors – not recommended for children 12 and under – The Wicked Walk, a haunted maze, and The Wicked Haunt, our version of a haunted house. Plus, 9-hole Mini Golf. Also: the Bubbly Bar will be selling refreshments and snacks.
Guests can purchase one haunt for $25 (choose the one you like when you arrive). Both haunted attractions plus 9 holes of mini-golf, $45. Just 9 holes of mini-golf: members, $5; non-members, $10.
New Planetarium Show
Premiere: ‘Explore’
The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum’s Reichert Planetarium will premiere Explore a new show, on Friday, November 5, at 9:00 pm. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday nights at 9:00 and Saturdays and Sundays at 4:00 pm. For ages 14 and up.
Explore is an odyssey to the planet Mars, seen through the lens of human history and scientific development. This visually stunning fulldome film begins with a look at how scholars and scientists throughout the ages used the sky as a clock and calendar to measure the passage of time. Their charts and star catalogs informed the modern science of astronomy.
Dave Bush, director of the Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium, said “This is a planetarium show not to miss. We’ve presented dozens of original fulldome films, but I have to say this is one of the finest productions ever made available to our audiences. We are thrilled to have this new program on our 60-foot dome. It’s truly an immersive masterpiece.”
Once an object of mystery, the red planet may one day become a second home for humankind. Take an adventurous journey from ancient Mesopotamia to modern space exploration! Experience the fascinating history of astronomy, geocentric and heliocentric models, the laws of planetary motion, and discover the principles of orbital maneuvers which enable satellites and space travel.
Watercolor Painting in the Hall of Fishes
On Sunday, November 7, the Vanderbilt will offer a watercolor workshop for adults, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. A museum educator will discuss William Vanderbilt’s expeditions, his contributions in marine science, and the work of his curator and artist William Belanske. Participants will sketch and paint from the collection.
Fee: $20 / Members $18
‘Walk and Talk’ Tours: Architecture, Ironwork
Come for an intriguing walking tour of the Vanderbilt Estate with knowledgeable Vanderbilt Museum educators through October 30. Learn about Warren & Wetmore’s design and the exterior architectural details of the 24-room Spanish Revival mansion – including the striking ironwork of Samuel Yellin, considered the greatest iron artisan of the early 20th century – and explore Mr. Vanderbilt’s passion for travel, marine biology, and auto racing.
These Walk and Talk Tours, created by the Vanderbilt Education Department and limited to 10 people each, are offered on Fridays and Saturdays at 12:00 and 1:00 pm. Tickets may be purchased at the door: Adults $16, seniors/students $15, children under 12 $13, members free.
Tickets are available for purchase only at the gate.
Beth Laxer-Limmer, associate director of education, said, “The grounds are beautiful at this time of year and the walking tour is a perfect way to be introduced to the history of the estate and collections. There is an abundance of beauty in the eclectic architecture and the unique details that reflect William Vanderbilt’s interests.”
William K. Vanderbilt II (1878-1944) spent summers at his Eagle’s Nest estate and mansion on Northport Bay between 1910 and 1944. He and his wife, Rosamond, hosted intimate gatherings and entertained well-known guests, such as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Pierre Cartier, Conde Nast, Charles Lindbergh, and the Tiffanys. Eagle’s Nest is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
‘Alva Belmont: Socialite to Suffragist’
Alva Belmont, the mother of William K. Vanderbilt II, was a pioneer in the movement to secure voting rights for women. The Museum just opened its newest exhibition on her life and work, in the Lancaster Room of the Mansion. The exhibition was created by Killian Taylor, archives and records manager.
Belmont, along with suffragist leader Alice Paul, created the National Woman’s Party in 1913 to fight for women’s suffrage: the right of women by law to vote in national or local elections. An unexpected advocate and the party’s primary benefactor, Belmont was elected its president in 1921.
Belmont’s involvement and financial support helped lead to the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on August 26, 1920. The amendment put women on an equal basis with men. She died in Paris in 1933.
Virtual Exhibition
The newest virtual exhibition explores the history of the Museum’s four neighboring villages. View it on the Vanderbilt website.
The village histories presentation, North Shore Life, was created by Steven Clampitt, curatorial associate. “The exhibit shows scenes of daily life in Northport, Centerport, Greenlawn, and Huntington during Mr. Vanderbilt’s time at Eagle’s Nest,” he said. “This is a fascinating look into a lost age of Long Island history when the North Shore was dominated by grand mansions and small fishing hamlets.”
Classic Mustangs, Shelbys at Vanderbilt
The Mustang and Shelby Club of Long Island has planned a show at the Vanderbilt for Sunday, November 7, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm on the Museum’s Great Lawn, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport, N.Y.
The event will include cars from the 1960s to the present day, according to show coordinator Patrick McNulty. Also included will be awards for the top 40 cars on display, five best-in-show awards, charity raffles, music, and free t-shirts for all owners who enter, plus food and ice cream trucks.
The event features a special guest appearance by John Clor, Ford Motor Company’s director of performance enthusiast communications, who works nationwide with car clubs. He is the author of The Mustang Dynasty: Featuring Rare Memorabilia from the Ford Motor Company and Mustang Enthusiasts (Chronicle Books, 2007).
Visitors will pay only Museum general admission: adults, $10.00; seniors (62 plus) and students with ID, $9.00; children 12 and under, $7.00. There is no extra charge for the car show. Admission can be purchased at the gate.
