Took the kids to the museum, and they had so much fun exploring all the exhibits! The bubble…read morestation is always a classic and a huge favorite. I loved that the staff was right there, constantly cleaning up the extra bubbles and adding more soap to keep the fun going. The giant blue blocks section was so cool, too--the kids built a ton of different things and had a blast destroying them afterward! The old-school phones are always a fun classic, and they absolutely loved the animal section upstairs. It was a perfect day out for the family! ¡Llevé a los niños al museo y se divirtieron muchísimo explorando todas las exhibiciones! La estación de las burbujas siempre es un clásico y una de sus favoritas. Me encantó que el personal estuviera ahí mismo, limpiando constantemente el exceso de burbujas y agregando más jabón para que no parara la diversión. La sección de los bloques azules gigantes también estuvo genial; ¡los niños construyeron muchísimas cosas y se divirtieron un mundo destruyéndolas después! Los teléfonos antiguos siempre son un clásico muy divertido, y les fascinó la sección de los animales en el piso de arriba. ¡Fue un día perfecto en familia!

One of the better children's museums we've been too. Located next to a bunch of other family…read morethings, this is on the big side and should burn a few hours for most kids. Lots of interactive exhibits, play areas and the obligatory climbing structure. Will inevitably be busy like most things on Long Island. Staff is friendly enough however mostly in the background. Good balance of different types of things to do, including a few animals upstairs. The town play set area is very cool, and I love that they have a rotating exhibit space. It was trains when we were there, themed to Thomas the train with both a ton of tracks to play with, as well as life sized Thomas train characters. Had to drag my son out of there, however luckily their gift shop is decent with legitimate toys versus just cheap crap. Would definitely come back here.

Is a must place to attend at least once w a tour guide. U will b in awe after you leave. Recommend…read morea Saturday morning.

This place is widely celebrated for its extensive African Atlantic Genealogical Society research…read morecenter, local historical archives, and captivating rotating exhibits detailing Black excellence and heritage. I praise the hospitable and knowledgeable staff. I noted it is a uniquely welcoming, family-friendly environment that proudly highlights overlooked local and global Black history. Guests highlight the eclectic art displays and permanent artifacts--such as the restored 1915 piano of ragtime legend Eubie Blake--as well as its striking collection of traditional African masks. Uniquely, it hosts the first museum-based genealogy department in the US, allowing visitors to deeply research their ancestral roots.

We got a Groupon for this place, which makes the price a lot more reasonable. They don't open until…read more1 pm on the weekends, and on Saturdays they don't even give guided tours. Instead, they give an "augmented reality" audio tour which is kind of hit or miss. The house was preserved for the historical significance of the Townsend family, one of which was a spy for George Washington. I didn't feel there was a ton of information on the family though. Pointing their phone at the different objects in a room turned on audio about them, but only a couple of rooms in the actual house were interactive. The rest didn't have signs, and one loan employee was around to answer questions at the end. The exhibit in the visitor center was nice though. I just don't think the AR experience was really up to replacing a person, both in amount of information and the uncanny valley, unnerving portraits. There is street parking and a nearby lot that are free on weekends. The gift shop is minimal. It was an okay spot to visit, but I would recommend coming on Sunday or whenever they offer actual tours to get a more thorough understanding of the house and the history of the people who lived here.

We went here on a winter weekend, and were fortunate to have the builsings to ourselves. The…read morehelpful staff took out modest admission fee and explained that they don't do tours on Saturdays but they do have tour devices using augmented reality. That means that when you walk through the buildings, you scan the cell phone device on important paintings and artifacts and they talk to you with further information about who or what they are. The small building that contains the entrance is packed with paintings, dioramas, documents and artifacts. Next you walk to the main house, built in the 1730's, and housing the Townsend family. At the time of the Revolutionary War, Samuel had to make room for a British colonel. In spite of the fact that he sympathised with the patriots, he maintained good relations with his "Guest." At the time of the war, the house had eight rooms. One of his sons was one of the leaders of the Culpepper Spy Ring, Placing the home on the National Registry of Historic Places. Each room was elegantly decorated, with the exception of the space for the enslaved housekeeper. In spite of the fact that we didn't get a formal tour, the staff member tagged along with us and kept up a spirited conversation - even giving us a bonus look at the Victorian wing which doubled the size of the structure. The house is said to be haunted, of course. Very highly recommended. The full set of photos can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/terryballard/albums/72177720323110655

The historic Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, Long Island is home to New York's Air and…read moreSpace where you can find many interactive exhibits. My favorite is the PAN AM Airways exhibit - famously known as the "The World's Most Experienced Airline" until its dissolution in 1991. Pan American epitomized luxury and glamour of intercontinental travel with it famous "clipper" jets. Founded in 1927 - flying as Airmail service, then peaking in the 1950-1970s as the major intercontinental airline travel for passengers, Pan Am was known for its advanced fleet with the most high standards, exquisitely trained staff and luxurious amenities. I flew my very first First Class flight to Rome, Italy, and back home to NYC (JFK) from Paris France in 1986. The team of "Stewardess" as they were called back in the day gave white glove service. Premier class passengers started with caviar and champagne, followed by rack of lamb that was carved from the trolly in the aisle, dinner was served on white pressed tablecloths with cloth napkins. A very impressive sight. The Museum grounds are perfect for a planned weekday excursion or weekend visit. The area is in proximity to convenient outdoor amenities, parks, eateries, and retail shops. Enjoy! Museum tickets range $16 (children 2-12) to $18 (adults) Thank you for reading.

It was a lot of informative displays of the era and extremely extremely well organized my…read morefive-year-old grandson kind breezed through it but my daughter and I really enjoyed it!

We had an amazing time at the Nassau County Firefighters Museum. There are a number of old and…read morerefurbished firefighter trucks and engines to see around the small museum from towns around Nassau County. There are currently five fire trucks that you are allowed to climb into explore. For the young kids they have four jackets and helmets for them to dress up in to pretend they are junior firefighters. In the education section there are more jackets and helmets for all ages to dress into. There is also a memorial in the first room dedicated to those who lost their lives from 9/11. The second room is the education center that teaches all about fire safety. There is also a small kids area sponsored by Capital One with toys on the wall. That room also is access to the museum's party room where the museum offers to host a child's birthday party. They have information about that by the cashier where you pay for tickets. Tickets are $7 for ages 3 and older. Kids 2 years old and younger are free. Most libraries in the area will have a museum pass available to rent for free for their patrons. You will need to check the terms with your library to see how many can be admitted with the pass. Last admission to the museum is 4:15pm. Our daughter enjoyed going to museum a lot. It's very educational, informative and fun. We would return again in the future. All the staff we interacted with was very nice. After we purchased our souvenirs at the gift shop, they also gave my daughter a free sticker that says "Junior Firefighter" and the name of the museum. There are bathrooms if needed. It is in the back by the connection with the Cradle of Aviation Museum next door. There is plenty of parking in the shared lot as well.

Overall, this museum was a great activity to take the kids to. I will say though that although it…read morehad very interactive elements, it was a very small space and not nearly enough to do because it's more so picturesque. The things that were suppose to work didn't. Even with all of that, I wasn't so put off until this employee there interacted with us. This man was so rude to not only us, adults, but the children. First he said they were closing in 30 minutes even though there was still an hour left before closing. Then when we were in the gift shop at 4:15 this same employee was coming in telling us they are closing which is fine, but the way he asked if we were done was so distasteful. When my 4 year old niece went back in to return something while everyone was out and paying he yelled at her "WE'RE CLOSED. " Very ridiculous behavior for an older man.

TEP deserves more than 5 stars for the amazing start to finish service we experienced on our 7 day…read moreadventure to Peru to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. From the time we signed up, to the time we boarded the plane to return home, TEP took care of every detail. We commented amongst ourselves that we felt like kids on vacation with our parents, as we didn't have to worry about any of the details - just show up and follow Neptali (our guide). From airport pickup in Cusco in luxury Mercedes vans where we were promptly served Coca tea to help with the altitude acclimation, to group dinners at amazing Peruvian restaurants, to historical tours and education on the history of the Inca - everything was covered and taken care of for us. And that was all before the amazing trek along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu! Of course the trek itself was the highlight of the trip, and although it was extremely challenging for us, TEP's unbelievable attention to detail did not fail us on the trail. With nearly a 2:1 porter to trekker ration, our every need was met on the trail. We dined like kings every meal, and were consistently amazed with the quality (and nutritional appropriateness) of the food our chef and sous chef were able to put out with minimal kitchen conveniences. The thing I felt was most special about TEP's approach to this trip was the focus on gaining a cultural and historical appreciation for what we were experiencing. Every step along the way, we learned about the native people of Peru, the Inca civilization, the many ruins we came across, the vegetation we saw and how it was and is used, and the history of modern Peru. It was the trip of a lifetime, and have the help of The Explorer's Passage made it so much more enjoyable, and so much more memorable. The value of what they provide is amazing for the cost....rather, for the investment. I highly recommend them!

What a fabulous tour! I did the "Washington in NYC" tour in June 2017 and it was such a wonderful…read moreexperience! So much fascinating historical information that I can't wait to share with all my friends now; such a great group of fellow explorers; and all so perfectly run - well planned, perfectly on time, with a great variety of sights and insights for all types of travelers. I recommend this tour highly - and will be on the lookout for future adventures from The Explorer's Passage! :)

I recently visited the Cradle of Aviation Museum and had an excellent experience. I thoroughly…read moreenjoyed learning about the aviation history of Long Island and seeing the exhibits that show long islands contributions to the evolution of aviation. One of the best parts of my visit was meeting a volunteer named Keenan. He was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely enthusiastic about sharing the museum with visitors. Keenan took the time to show me around and tell me lots of interesting facts about the museum and the aircraft exhibited. I also learned that he has been volunteering at the museum for 12-13 years despite having cerebral palsy. He told me lots of his experience and how he'd like to work at the museum someday. I really did enjoy the museum and recommend it but it definitely hurt my heart knowing that being so passionate and dedicated he was just a volunteer.

We had a great time visiting the museum today! I love using library passes for museums, so our…read moreadmission was free. Since the kids didn't have school, we were able to spend nearly two hours exploring. They had so much fun at the playground and even got to walk around and try out the different airplanes, they were so excited to explore them all! We also watched a 25-minute movie about the ocean, which was amazing. The kids were completely mesmerized by it, and the theater setup was excellent. It was our first time here, and we truly enjoyed every minute. ¡La pasamos muy bien visitando el museo hoy! Me encanta usar los pases de la biblioteca para los museos, así que nuestra entrada fue gratuita. Como los niños no tuvieron clases, pudimos pasar casi dos horas explorando. Se divirtieron mucho en el área de juegos e incluso tuvieron la oportunidad de caminar y subirse a diferentes aviones; ¡estaban muy emocionados de probarlos todos! También vimos una película de 25 minutos sobre el océano que fue increíble. Los niños quedaron fascinados y la configuración del teatro era excelente. Fue nuestra primera vez aquí y realmente disfrutamos cada minuto.

We went on their China Town & Little Italy tour of down town Manhattan. Dan was just terrific!…read more His enthusiasm was contagious that made our Birthday celebration weekend. We now want to go on all the tours that they offer.

What a superb tour we had with Dan. He was incredibly knowledgable and kept us engaged with…read morefascinating details and fun facts. Highly recommend

Captain Steve is simply AMAZING!!! Was a great time sailing with him for my birthday, along with…read moremy best group of friends on-board. He takes just as good of care with his boat as he does with his clients, and is super accommodating. *The boat was very clean, spacious, and had everything we needed. Had a microwave and stove! Lots of space on the table and seating around it. *Location of the boat was VERY CONVENIENT!! Had a parking lot with lots of space and the marina also had ice (great when you have a cooler/in need of ice for drinks). TIP: Captain Steve was really kind in offering to help us with our cooler, and offered to bring a cart/wagon to put the cooler on to make it easier to bring on the walk to where the boat is docked. *Captain Steve: Not only was he informative about the areas, but he was also a pleasure to have a conversation with. My friends and I had a fantastic experience and enjoyed our time sailing and relaxing , and will definitely sail with captain Steve again this summer!

Thank you Captain Steve for a fantastic day on the water in your beautiful sailboat. We enjoyed…read moreourselves so much that we will be back soon!

Beautiful evening on the Bella Sophia with Captain Paul. What a relaxing cruise on a beautiful 43'…read moremotor yacht. I definitely will be doing this again.

We chartered Paul's boat for a friend's birthday and it was so much fun! Paul and Bella were great…read moreas hosts and provided snacks and sodas for the trip. They also had a speaker for us to hook up to our playlists. Overall great experience definitely recommend