How is this called a Smithtown Historical Society when they are constantly changing the look of the…read moreland. Taking down trees and not keeping the integrity of the original landscape. There is nothing historic about this place any longer, it is now about making their wallets fatter and not about preserving the history of Smithtown!

Visited for a holiday event. Lots of vendors selling a variety of items. From soaps, jewelry,…read morechocolate and Boy Scouts selling wreaths. They had most of the vendors inside the barn or whatever it was and it was pretty cramped. We had to squeeze past people a few times. We browsed around and walked outside. It is situated on lots of land. Walk down the path and you'll see a still in use come the Spring, an old time baseball field. Keep walking and there's a farm. The kids enjoyed seeing and petting the horse, and sheep. There were chickens too. I would like to return when we can learn more about the property and the various houses on it. When you're standing on the one path, you're set back away from Main Street and it feels like you're transported back in time. The 3 star review was based on the holiday event we went to after thanksgiving.

It was a really awesome place to visit, located in Smithtown it was once the property of Caleb…read moresmith the founder of Smith Town and later on turned into a private hunting club in an area which would have been largely rural at the time. It was a nice experience to walk the grounds near the water features which at one time where old mills. If you enjoy some mild hiking in a controlled environment with plenty of signage to lead you back to the parking area I recommend this place. Some of the hiking trails were pretty to traverse and I truly felt like I was in the forest.

Nice quiet park with shade. There's a place to sit also. It's a small park good for families and…read morecouples.

I love nature and history. The T Bayles Minuse Mill Pond and Park (referred from this point on as…read moreThe Mill Pond) is where nature and history unite.    I have visited the Mill Pond and seen it from Christian Avenue several times over going all the way back to the Jimmy Carter Administration when I attended Minnesauke Elementary School. When I a little child, my mother brought me here to feed the ducks. Over 43 years from my first visits here in the 1970s, I returned here when visiting my Dad this summer.    This is a beautiful and charming postcard worthy spot where pristine Long Island lives. When I looked west, my eyes took in a forested hillside beside a pictorial pond. When I looked north I saw a small bridge carrying Harbor Drive over the stream feeding the pond from the Long Island Sound and the historic Stony Brook Grist Mill to the right. The wide shoreline that is interspersed with flowers and mature trees provides sufficient room for waterfowl and people. In this pictorial postcard scenery; the geese, birds, and squirrels were the stars.    There are signs along the pond that educate guests about the ducks and wildlife that live here. The sign said the ducks include mallard ducks, Peking ducks, gadwall, and wood ducks. On my last visit, I saw primarily geese.  The Mill Pond is the Gateway to the Avalon Park Trail, which travels through the forested hillside that I described. This is where my brother and I started off before hiking on the Avalon Park Trail. Following the hike, we'd sit by my dad who had been relaxing on a rock overlooking the pond.    The amount of historic sites surrounding the pond is commendable. We parked at the Stony Brook Village Center, which could be the oldest shopping center in America. On the way, we stopped at the Hercules Figurehead. After passing the Stony Brook Grist Mill, we made our way to the pond. If we kept walking past the pond we'd arrive at the Carriage House Museum. So, the Mill Pond can be an attraction in a day filled with historic attractions and taking in the Long Island Sound.    I am a fan of what I have always called the Stony Brook Mill Pond. In contrast to several of the Long Island forests, the Mill Pond shoreline  was not  a victim of the wrecking ball. On the contrary it only got better with land purchases that helped create the adjacent Avalon Park Trail. With that said, I would love to return to it again several times over.

Great park to do some bird watching. Lots of double crested cormorants, swans, geese, ducks. We…read morealso saw great egret.Very well maintained. This park is located next to Avalon Park and Preserve and across from the Stony Brook Grist Mil. Street parking is easy to find. Definitely worth visiting if you live nearby.

I like urban legends and supposed mysteries, so the Lake Ronkonkoma story caught my eye. It's…read morerelatively nearby, and a nice drive out to Long Island if anything. So I made a trip out there with my boyfriend to see the lake and the mural specifically. Not that I was expecting anything phenomenal, but I was still disappointed. There's nothing inherently special about the mural, other than the fact that it gets repainted every so often. It's just a mural on the side of a deli. Drive up, park, look for 50 seconds, go grab lunch, leave. Eh. And I like to spend time looking at art, so for me to shrug and move on, you know it's nothing really to sneeze at. What would be more interesting is if someone made a little gallery showing every face change over the years. I wonder if the deli guys have one. The lake was better. Still nothing particularly special, though watching the Weird U.S. YouTube video Craig linked about the lake helped with appreciating it.

There's a legend, or urban myth, about Lake Ronkonkoma. There are plenty of variations of this but…read morethe basic idea is that a disgruntled Indian princess cursed the lake so that each and every year a male will drown in it. Supposedly this is true that every year a male does in fact drown. I can't back this up with any real figures. So in the last few years someone has begun to paint a mural of this princess on the side of the Lakeside Deli in Ronkonkoma. This mural generally gets repainted every now and then with a slightly different mood or variation on this theme. Sometimes the princess looks sad and you can see a tear, sometimes she looks angry and sometimes she just looks like a princess. So it pays to come see this since you never know when it'll be changed and you'll miss out on the previous one forever. You don't want that, don't piss off the princess. She seems to hold a grudge. If you're interested in this lore, here are some links: http://wotan.liu.edu/~esenig/myth.html http://www.geocities.com/aardduck/lady.html WEIRD U.S.: The Curse of Lake Ronkonkoma http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhkRpyRn6xM

On the eastern shore of the Lake, across the water from the Indian Princess Mural…read more(http://www.yelp.com/biz/lake-ronkonkoma-indian-princess-mural-ronkonkoma#hrid:9wGDEqAyApGtY0Np_8oo7g) there lies a sprawled-out, eccentric and odd collection that comprises an ever-changing roadside tribute; it's laid out on a hillside, located midpoint on a dead-man's curve. Assumably, this locale is a tribute to a young couple who were killed here in an accident several years ago, when the driver took around the bend too quickly and collided with an oncoming van. This memorial is informal and has no written dedicaton or explanation for its being, but it is obviously a spiritual place and is a point of interest amongst the locals. Not much to review, but I posted some pics if anyone wants to take a look.

The playground here is awesome for kids but the sandy area around the lake is littered with broken…read moreglass EVERYWHERE. So dangerous.

One of the coolest exhibits in the area!!! The amount of history in the exhibit is amazing. The…read moretour featuring Washington's spies is phenomenal and the tour guides are extremely knowledgeable! They also offer a DIY phone tour that you can drive to various sites and view countless other historic sites and museums. My wife and I loved the exhibit and it featured the real life characters of the AMC series TURN, but gave the the FACTS of the Washington's Spy ring! We will definitely be coming back!!!

Such a fun way to spend the afternoon exploring wildlife, homes and estates along the Nissequogue…read moreriver. The cruise is one and a half hours in duration just long enough without it feeling antsy. The scenery included forests, wetlands, and shorelines. We even crashed in on a festive cocktail hour at the Old Field club lol. Our tour guide Erika was entertaining, interesting and informative.

We (one of us flew from Florida) arrived the morning of the cruise. Two other people were also…read morethere. There was no one from the cruise boat there. We called the wetlands booking number and we were told the cruise was canceled, because not enough people were going. I drove a total of 28 miles for nothing. The other people also drove 40 miles for nothing. This was a disappointment to all of us. This cruise was a sham. Avoid it.

I have no idea why I'm reviewing an iron (or whatever) bull; then again, this isn't just a bull,…read moreit's an oasis. For some reason when we were younger and all we did was drive around in the good il' days, listening to music, hitting record shops, finding cheap food, this. I'll represented our independence. This bull was always a strong reminder of feeling a little freedom. I've taken plenty of photos with this bull, from drunken escapades to somber and sober reminiscence... they will never be public Ah the Smithtown bull; now let's go to the famous duck!

Statue The Smithtown…read moreBull- everyone knows this landmark, conveniently located across from the worst strip club around; but I digress... This bull represents the bull that Captain John Smith rode in the Kentucky derby only to lose to Sea Biscuit, because Pocahontas was too heavy... Or, alternatively, this represents the bull that Richard Smith rode as far as he could in one day in order to gain as much land as he could from the chief of the Wyandanch Indians, in said ride. I like the 2nd version personally but no matter how much you suck at American History, you can rest assured that if you use this magnificent beast as a landmark, everyone will find their way to your house. Anatomically correct? You betcha - bronze junk and all.

Iconic. Massive. Modern. Breath taking. A cultural destination and oasis for relaxing and art and…read moremusic and theater. They also had a Valentines Craft Fair today and tomorrow 2-8-2025 and 2-9-2025 inside and was great to see artists and vendors selling all kinds of unique things. The Wang Center is beautiful and peaceful. And they have really amazing art installments that are impressive. This is a great place for students and staff and community and it is something to be proud of for Stony Brook university. It stands out as a landmark for centuries to come. IM Pei is the architect and it's an eternal work of art.

Reasons to go to the Wang Center: 1. Great study place…read more(fairly empty/quiet during the weekends) 2. Great place to hang out and eat food 3. Great place for photography Reasons not to go to the Wang Center: NONE I have been to a series of events in this gorgeous building incluidng my white coat ceremony for the Dental School and some photography events that I have attended. I often study in this building as well due to the vast space they have and the fact that it is normally quiet and not too busy. Recently the art exhibit was changed and now there are 2 interactive rooms that are available to take pictures at. The entire display is gorgeous and fun to look at, despite some of their quirkiness. If anyone likes pop up shops definitely visit the newest exhibit and take some photos! Take a walk around the building and enjoy the FREE show.