A Perfect Valentine Date Night
The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum will present Night Sky Love for three showings only – Friday, February 13, at 8:00 pm and Saturday, February 14, at 2:00 and 8:00 pm.
Dave Bush, Director of the Vanderbilt Reichert Planetarium, said, “We are happy to bring back this Valentine’s Day version of our popular Night Sky Live! show for the 2026 season. We feel that this might be the perfect date night program for all those lovers out there.”
Tickets for 2:00 pm: adults $22; students (with ID) and seniors (62-plus) $18; children 12 and under $16 (this time slot included general admission to the Museum grounds).
Tickets for 8:00 pm: adults $12; students (with ID) and seniors (62-plus) $10; children 12 and under $8.
This live presentation celebrates Valentine’s Day and all of its lovers in outer space. With its Valentine/love emphasis, this show will explore how civilizations told stories about the constellations that included tales of heroism and love, and how they are depicted in the night sky.
Tickets: Friday, February 13, at 8:00 pm
Tickets: Saturday, February 14, at 2:00 pm
Tickets: Saturday, February 14, at 8:00 pm
School Break Winter Workshops for Children
During the February school break, children study the animals of North America in the Vanderbilt Museum collections, learn about adaptations that help them in winter, create a charming mini diorama, and sculpture.
10 am-12 pm
$20 Guests/$18 Members
February 16
Animals in Winter & Mini Underground Home
Register
February 17
Owls & Pinecone Sculpture
Register
Survival Skills with Mike Evans
The Vanderbilt Museum is excited to offer Wilderness Survival with Mike Evans. Learn how people throughout history found shelter, water, warmth, and calm in the wild — and rediscover how those same skills can make modern camping, hiking, and time outdoors safer and more rewarding.
Workshops are taught in a supportive, low-risk environment with a focus on education, curiosity, and connection. Perfect for beginners, families, and lifelong learners who want to feel more confident and capable outdoors.
Saturdays | 2:00 pm
$40 Guests/$36 Vanderbilt Museum Members
Click on dates for workshop descriptions.
February 7: Water Purification
March 14: Cordage
April 18: Shelters
May 16: Wayfinding
June 13: Edgecraft/Tools
July 11: Foraging
August 8: Primitive Firecraft
September 19: Modern Firecraft
A Journey Into the Art, Science, and History of the Written Word
ScribeCraft is a four-part creative adventure through the world of traditional writing arts. Each session explores a different ancient skill—from making your own writing materials to shaping the pages, scrolls, and bindings that once carried stories across centuries.
Every workshop stands alone, offering a fun hands-on project you can jump into at any point, and together they form a complete path from raw materials to finished works you craft yourself.
Whether you join us for one session or experience the entire series, ScribeCraft invites you to slow down, experiment, and rediscover the joy of making something meaningful with your own hands.
Adults & Youth 12+
$40 | $36 Museum Members
Click on Dates for Session Details
February 15: Paper
March 28: Scrolls
April 25: Books
Mini Valentines Inspired by the Sea
Saturday, February 14
12 pm to 2 pm
Free with General Admission while supplies last
In the 19th century, sailors brought home souvenirs known as Sailors’ Valentines to their loved ones.
Most Sailors’ Valentines were made by women in Barbados and were created using tiny local shells enclosed in a hinged octagonal wooden box.
Designs were symmetrical and often featured a heart at the center, accompanied by a message such as “Remember Me” or “Forget Me Not.“
Located in the Education Center/Historic Garage
Quilling and Cookies
Create a Miniature Iron Balcony
February 19
11 am-1 pm
Adults 18+
Fee: $30/$27 members
Quilling has been used as a decorative art form for thousands of years and is thought to have originated in China with the invention of paper or in ancient Egypt, where it was used to embellish tombs.
Participants will learn how to coil paper and create a miniature replica iron balcony using the ancient paper-shaping method of quilling.
Experience is not necessary. Materials and quilling tool are included. Workshop fee includes admission to the collections. (Mansion tours and planetarium shows are an additional fee.)
Celebrate the Lunar New Year
新年快樂
Xīn nián kuài lè
February 21, 2026
10 am-12 pm
$20 Adults & Youth 12+ | $18 Members
$15 Children 5-11 | $13.50 Members
Children under 12 must participate with an adult.
Join us in celebrating the Year of the Horse. Make a paper lantern, learn Chinese calligraphy, and create traditional good luck decorations.
‘Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, is the most important holiday in China and is celebrated by billions of people worldwide,” said Beth Laxer-Limmer, Director of Education at the Museum. “It is a time for families and friends to come together to enjoy ‘lucky’ foods and hope for a prosperous future.
Native Garden Design: Tips and Tricks for Success
Saturday, February 28
10 am-12 pm
$25 Guests/$22.50 Members
Join Anthony Marinello, CNLP (Certified Nursery and Landscape Professional), owner of Dropseed Native Landscapes, a native plant nursery, for a discussion on designing, creating, and maintaining native plant gardens.
Whether you want to support pollinators, butterflies, or songbirds, native plants provide wildlife habitat while simultaneously beautifying our landscape.
