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Fun Things to Do on Long Island

A curated list of interesting, fun, and unique attractions nearby

Did you know?
Paumanok is the Algonquian name for Long Island, meaning “island in the shape of a fish."

Over the years, Dr. Dave has put together a list of fun, cultural, and educational attractions to share with clients who are new to the Island. Due to popular demand, we're sharing the list for anyone interested in exploring the unique natural beauty and deep historical roots of Long Island.

Wildlife and Nature

  • Bayard Cutting Arboretum
    • Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park is a 691-acre state park located in the hamlet of Great River, New York, on Long Island. The park includes an arboretum designed by Frederick Law Olmsted for William Bayard Cutting in 1886, as well as a mansion designed by Charles C. Haight.
    • Dr. Dave's Tip: Beautiful scenery and great hikes!
    • Website: https://bayardcuttingarboretum.com/
    • Address: 440 Montauk Hwy, Great River, NY 11739
  • Elizabeth A Morton Wildlife Refuge
    • Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge protects 187 acres on the north shore of Long Island’s south fork in the town of Southampton. The refuge is located near Sag Harbor, and includes a peninsula one and a half miles long, locally known as Jessup’s Neck, which separates Little Peconic Bay from Noyack Bay.
    • Website: https://bayardcuttingarboretum.com/
    • Dr. Dave's Tip: The chickadees have been tamed over time and will land on your hand if you have seeds!
    • Address: 2595 Noyack Rd, Sag Harbor, NY 11963
  • Seal Watching at Montauk Point
    • Experience seals in their natural environment! Montauk Point State Park will host a series of hikes to observe wintering seals. Beginning in November and continuing through April 2022, a State Park naturalist will lead visitors on a scenic beach walk to an area where up to four species of seals can be observed.
    • Website: https://liparks.com/longislandseals/_39159/
  • Sunken Forest - Fire Island
    • In the heart of the Sunken Forest, it's hard to imagine you're so close to the Atlantic Ocean on a narrow barrier island, where growing conditions are harsh at best. This special forest is comprised of a rare assemblage of plants and is yours to explore.
    • Website: https://www.nps.gov/fiis/planyourvisit/sunken-forest.htm
  • Watch Hill - Fire Island
  • Caumsett State Park
    • Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve, situated on a scenic peninsula extending into Long Island Sound, offers miles of bridle paths, walking, jogging, hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and nature trails over acres of woodland, meadows, rock shoreline and salt marsh.
    • Website: https://parks.ny.gov/parks/23/details.aspx
    • Address: 25 Lloyd Harbor Rd, Lloyd Harbor, NY 11743
  • Deep Hollow Ranch
    • Located in Montauk, New York amidst thousands of preserved acres of spectacular coastal land, Deep Hollow Ranch welcomes visitors from all over the world, from the experienced cowhand to the beginner. Here one can step back in time and catch a glimpse of America’s rich history.
    • Dr. Dave's Tip: A great place to go horseback riding!
    • Website: http://www.deephollowranch.org/
    • Address: 8 Old Montauk Hwy, Montauk, NY 11954
  • Montauk State Park
    • On the eastern tip of the South Shore of Long Island, Montauk Point State offers stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean where it meets the Block Island Sound. The view is unique because, when the water is calm, visitors can clearly see the "race" of converging tides from the Atlantic and Block Island Sound.
    • Dr. Dave's Tip: It's a "different world" out there!
    • Website: https://parks.ny.gov/parks/montaukpoint/details.aspx
    • Be sure not to miss: Montauk Point Lighthouse
  • Canoe or Kayak the Nissequogue River
    • Paddle along 5.5 miles of incredible unspoiled nature at its finest! Launch from the Smithtown Bull or Kings Park Bluff depending on the tides.
    • Dr. Dave's Tip: Check the tide chart to see where and when to launch each day.
    • Website: http://www.canoerentals.com/
  • Peconic Paddler
    • Enjoy an amazing adventure kayaking, canoeing, or paddle boarding on the beautiful Peconic River.
    • Website: https://www.thepeconicpaddler.com/
    • Address: 89 Peconic Ave, Riverhead, NY 11901
  • Whale Watching
    • Did you know that you can see beautiful whales on Long Island? Long Island Whale Watching is an excellent activity for anyone, young to old.
    • Website: https://liwhaleandsealwatching.com/
    • Address: 31 Woodcleft Ave, Freeport, NY 11520
  • Suffolk County Farm
    • The Suffolk County Farm provides inclusive educational opportunities based in the 4-H Positive Youth Development framework for over 50,000 school children and families each year, to increase understanding of agriculture, nutrition, history, and environmental issues. The farm has cows, horses, goats, pigs, chickens, and more!
    • Dr. Dave's Tip: Don't miss the goats!
    • Website: https://ccesuffolk.org/suffolk-county-farm
    • Address: 350 Yaphank Ave, Yaphank, NY 11980
  • Quogue Wildlife Refuge
    • The Quogue Wildlife Refuge is a 305 acre non-profit nature preserve that was founded in 1934 and is home to diverse wildlife. Free of charge and open 365 days a year from sunrise to sunset, you can enjoy walking seven miles of trails to explore diverse habitats including forests and ponds, as well as the ecologically rare Dwarf Pines in the Pine Barrens.
    • Website: https://quoguewildliferefuge.org/
    • Address: 3 Old Country Rd, Quogue, NY 11959
  • Holtsville Ecology Site
    • The Town of Brookhaven Holtsville Ecology Site and Animal Preserve is located on a reclaimed landfill. Since 1974, when the landfill closed, the Town of Brookhaven Highway Department employees worked to revegetate the hills and build a modern recreational and educational facility.
    • Website: https://www.brookhavenny.gov/197/Holtsville-Ecology-Site
    • Address: 249 Buckley Road, Holtsville, NY 11742
  • Avalon Nature Preserve
    • Avalon Nature Preserve is located on Harbor Road in Stony Brook, NY. Avalon is FREE and open to the public year round. Parking is available along Main Street, on Harbor Road, and in the shopping center just past the Preserve on Main Street.
    • Website: https://avalonnaturepreserve.org/
    • Address: 200 Harbor Road, Stony Brook, NY 11790

Music, Art, & Culture

  • Long Island Ducks - Baseball
    • The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor-league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent "partner league" of Major League Baseball.
    • Website: https://liducks.com/
    • Address: Fairfield Properties Ballpark, 3 Court House Dr, Central Islip, NY 11722
  • The Jazz Loft
    • The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor-league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent "partner league" of Major League Baseball.
    • Website: https://www.thejazzloft.org/
    • Address: 275 Christian Avenue, Stony Brook, NY 11790
  • The Patchogue Theater
    • The Patchogue Theatre offers a variety of events including live performances, films, educational presentations, commercial productions, community forums, and more!
    • Website: http://www.patchoguetheatre.org/
    • Address: 71 E Main St, Patchogue, NY 11772
  • Theater Three
    • Theatre Three occupies Athena Hall in Port Jefferson, New York as a fully functioning, non-profit theatre company. Begun in the late 1960s, Theatre Three has become one of the premier theatre houses on Long Island.
    • Website: http://theaterthree.com/
    • Address: 412 Main St, Port Jefferson, NY 11777
  • Staller Center for the Arts
    • The Staller Center for the Arts is the main arts building at Stony Brook University. It opened in 1978 as the Stony Brook University Fine Arts Center before being renamed in October 1988 after a $1.8 million donation from the Staller family.
    • Website: https://www.stallercenter.com/
    • Address: 100 Nicolls Rd, Stony Brook, NY 11794
  • Alive after Five
    • Alive After Five is an outdoor summer street fair that takes place on Main Street in Patchogue. Enjoy music, drinks, food, games, and more!
    • Website: https://aa5.patchogue.com/
    • Address: Main Street in Patchogue
  • Tilles Center
    • Located on the campus of LIU in Brookville, Tilles Center hosts more than 70 performances each season by world-renowned artists in music, theater, and dance. Tilles Center was the first to bring the New York Philharmonic to Long Island and Bruce Springsteen’s legendary "Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town" was recorded onsite.
    • Website: https://tillescenter.org/
    • Address: 720 Northern Blvd, Brookville, NY 11548
  • Jones Beach Theater
    • Jones Beach Theater is an outdoor amphitheatre at Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh. It hosts big names in the entertainment industry with a beautiful view of Zach's bay.
    • Website: https://www.livenation.com /venue/KovZpZAE6eAA/northwell-health-at-jones-beach-theater-events
    • Address: 895 Bay Pkwy, Wantagh, NY 11793

Museums and More

  • Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium
    • William K. Vanderbilt II's will provided for donation of his property to the county, with provision that the mansion and grounds be used for a museum for his marine, natural history, and ethnographic collections; the natural history institution was established during 1950. Developing a museum that interprets Vanderbilt's life, times, and collections, the county constructed a planetarium on the grounds during 1970.
    • Website: https://www.vanderbiltmuseum.org/
  • The Long Island Museum
    • The Long Island Museum is dedicated to inspiring people of all ages with an understanding and enjoyment of American art & history. The carriage museum is particularly unique! The museum has been accredited by the American Alliance of Museums since 1973 for excellence in exhibitions, programs and collection care. In 2006 the museum joined a small group of institutions nationwide as a Smithsonian Affiliate.
    • Website: https://longislandmuseum.org/
    • Be sure not to miss: The Carriage Museum
  • Cradle of Aviation Museum
    • Explore over 150,000 square feet featuring 75 air and spacecraft from a hot air balloon to an actual Apollo Lunar Module and learn about Long Island's pivetal role in aviation history.
    • Website: https://www.cradleofaviation.org/
    • Address: Charles Lindbergh Blvd, Garden City, NY 11530
  • Long Island Aquarium Riverhead
    • Explore over 150,000 square feet featuring 75 air and spacecraft from a hot air balloon to an actual Apollo Lunar Module and learn about Long Island's pivotal role in aviation history.
    • What to know: Competitive baseball, Between-inning gimmicks are goofy and entertaining - especially for kids
    • Website: https://www.longislandaquarium.com/
    • Address: Charles Lindbergh Blvd, Garden City, NY 11530
  • Tesla Science Center
    • The Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe is a nonprofit organization established to develop a regional science and technology center, museum and makerspace at the site of Nikola Tesla's former Wardenclyffe laboratory on Long Island, New York.
    • Website: http://www.teslasciencecenter.org/
    • Address: 5 Randall Rd, Shoreham, NY 11786
  • Brookhaven Labs - Summer Sundays
    • Primarily supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science, Brookhaven Lab is a multidisciplinary laboratory with seven Nobel Prize-winning discoveries, 37 R&D 100 Awards, and more than 70 years of pioneering research.
    • Dr. Dave's Tip: A must for science lovers, especially young aspiring scientist!
    • Website: https://www.bnl.gov/sundays/
    • Address: 98 Rochester St, Upton, NY 11973
  • Tilles Center
    • Located on the campus of LIU in Brookville, Tilles Center hosts more than 70 performances each season by world-renowned artists in music, theater, and dance. Tilles Center was the first to bring the New York Philharmonic to Long Island and Bruce Springsteen’s legendary "Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town" was recorded onsite.
    • Website: https://tillescenter.org/
    • Address: 720 Northern Blvd, Brookville, NY 11548
  • Jones Beach Theater
    • Jones Beach Theater is an outdoor amphitheatre at Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh. It hosts big names in the entertainment industry with a beautiful view of Zach's bay.
    • Website: https://www.livenation.com/ venue/KovZpZAE6eAA/northwell-health-at-jones-beach-theater-events
    • Address: 895 Bay Pkwy, Wantagh, NY 11793

Vineyards

  • Many Long Island wineries feature gorgeous tasting rooms, special events with live music, and perfect picnic spots. Vineyards have dotted the north and south forks since 1973, when Louisa and Alex Hargrave founded their winery, which later became Castello di Borghese. Today, the region is home to large producers as well as promising upstarts that make excellent wines in small quantities.
  • Dr. Dave's Favorite is Paumanok Vineyard (No relation!)

Interactive Map

All of the attractions on this list are mapped out below. Take a look and start exploring!

Color Codes: Wildlife and Nature, Local History, Music, Art, & Culture, Museums and More, Vineyards

Emergency Appointments and New Furry Faces Are Welcome!

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