‘Storytime Under the Stars’ Returns
The Vanderbilt’s next Storytime Under the Stars will be on Sunday, March 16, at 6:00 pm.
Join us for a special evening of storytelling and stargazing in the Reichert Planetarium. All children are invited to wear their comfiest pajamas and bring their favorite stuffed animal.
A live narrator at the front of the theater will bring selected picture books to life, with pages projected onto the Planetarium dome so families can enjoy the illustrations and follow along. Between stories, an astronomy educator will explore seasonal constellations visible from here on Long Island.
Admission fee: $8 per person | $6 for members.
Imagine Your Wedding at the Romantic Vanderbilt Estate
Step back in time—plan your wedding at the Vanderbilt Estate, one of the most beautiful venues on Long Island, located on 43 stunning waterfront acres in Centerport.
The estate—where the Vanderbilts lived from the Jazz Age through the Second World War—offers lush gardens and greenery, Spanish Revival architecture, sprawling grounds, incomparable views of Northport Bay, and the delight of immersing yourself in the history of a distinguished American family.
The rolling, hilltop estate and its extensive mansion—listed on the National Register of Historic Places—is the former summer getaway of William and Rosamond Vanderbilt and home of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum and Reichert Planetarium.
Some dates are still available in 2025.
Inquire: host@vanderbiltmuseum.org.
Options:
- Wedding ceremonies (and mini-ceremonies)
- Receptions
- Engagement photos
- Bridal party photography
- Rehearsal dinners
- Anniversary dinners
- Engagement parties
- Private proposals
- Elopements
Wilderness Survival with Ranger Eric Powers & Mike Evans
The Vanderbilt Museum is excited to offer the Wilderness Survival Series with Ranger Eric Powers and Mike Evans. Each workshop focuses on specific skills such as making cordage, shelter building, purifying water, and toolmaking. Perfect for those starting their survival skills journey or looking to deepen existing skills, these workshops offer a platform to learn, share experiences, and connect with a community of like-minded individuals.
Saturdays | 2:00 pm
$50 guests/$45 Vanderbilt Museum members
SOLD OUT March 15: Water Purification
April 5: Shelter Building
May 10: Toolmaking
June 14: Foraging for Food & Medicine
July 12: Navigation & Traps
Please bring sturdy footwear, work gloves, and dress appropriately for the weather. Survival knives are suggested, but not required
“Ranger Eric” is a wildlife biologist, outdoorsman, and conservationist. He started leading nature hikes in 1987 as a park ranger in Colorado until he served two years in the US Peace Corps. Since then, he has been running nature centers in Colorado, Alabama and then in 1997, Long Island, New York. In 2005 he started a mobile nature company, “Your Connection to Nature” (YC2N), doing environmental education programs, live animal shows, field trips, and eco-tours worldwide. In 2013, he started as an Adjunct Professor at Molloy College and developed a summer course for their Teaching Green Sustainability Institute. In 2016 he co-founded The Center for Environmental Education & Discovery (www.CEEDLI.org ) in Brookhaven Hamlet, N.Y., as Long Island’s newest nature center and holds the title of Site & Program Director. Please view his award-winning TV Series, “Off the Trail…with Ranger Powers” on YouTube.
Mike Evans, founder of Forgotten Skillz, is a motivator, educator, and life changer, blending his roles as a martial arts instructor, massage therapist, and science communicator. His leadership fosters a community on Long Island dedicated to exploring ancestral skills and generalism, from bushcraft and foraging to woodworking and homesteading. Mike’s approach embodies the spirit of being a “jack of all trades”, drawing inspiration from historical methods to thrive in the modern world.
Spring Break Workshops For Children
Kindergarten-Grade 3 | 10 am-12 pm | $20 Guests | $18 Members
April 14
Wings of Wonder & Milkweed Greenhouse
Every year, Monarch butterflies migrate to Mexico and California. These wings of wonder can travel up to 100 miles a day in their journey. We’ll learn about the life of these amazing insect pollinators and plant milkweed seeds in repurposed plastic container greenhouses. Purchase Tickets
April 15
Ocean Odyssey & Egg Carton Shark Art
Sharks are some of the least understood and most feared animals on Earth, yet they play an important role in the ocean ecosystem. We’ll explore the depths of the ocean for sharks big and small, touch preserved shark teeth, and create unique shark art. Purchase Tickets
Preschoolers + Adult | 10 am-11 am | $20 Child | $18 Members
April 16
Bird Story Stroll & Craft
Spring is when many birds sing the loudest and begin nesting. Preschoolers and their adults will join a museum educator in the collections for a story and create a handprint bird painting. Purchase Tickets
Vanderbilt Portrait Displayed in Deco at 100 Exhibition
This portrait of William Kissam Vanderbilt II (1878-1944) is included in the Nassau County Museum of Art’s original Deco at 100 exhibition – which coincides with the 100th anniversary of the 1925 Paris International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts – now through June 15.
Vanderbilt, in his U.S. Navy blazer, is depicted at his estate on Fisher Island, Florida. This is the first time a painting from the collection of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum has been loaned for an exhibition.
The Nassau County Museum of Art calls Boutet de Monvel “a pioneer of the Art Deco portrait style, much like his contemporary Tamara de Lempicka. His style is quintessentially Deco, fusing simplicity and geometry in such high society portraits as that of William Kissam Vanderbilt II.”
Above right: Bernard Boutet de Monvel (1881-1949), Portrait of William Kissam Vanderbilt II, 1935, 39” x 47”, oil on canvas
