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.

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.

East Rockaway Grist Mill Museum is a historic society location, sitting behind East Rockaway…read moreVillage Hall and Memorial Park. Known mostly by the local school children, as it's a field trip location to show them what was of the East Rockaway people before what they see today. It's not a very large museum by any means in actual size, but it does indeed contain a tremendous amount of knowledge of the past/towns humble beginnings. Definitely come down to support fundraising events like the annual Huckleberry Frolic to support this local hidden gem!

I went here when I was in middle school and took my son who enjoys stacking. This museum is very…read moreinteractive for kids of all ages.

Three stars or so…read more This science museum is mainly catered to children. Most of the exhibits are interactive and hands on, which is cool but I don't think it's a museum to visit as an adult without kids. I also think they don't have many exhibits and some of them were closed. I did like the math exhibit they had. IMO, the price of entry is a little too expensive for what you get. But it's a great place for families with younger kids.

And the Long Island stoners rejoice: yo man, let's smoke up and see a Van Halen laser show…read more. Vanderbilt Museum, when I moved to Long Island? It was like the Fresh Air fund for me! I thought everyone lived in these mansions with manicured gardens. Now add rock music and a laser show? Yes, sharks with freakin' laser beams shows! I remember coming here on a date with my girlfriend (now wife) in the 90s and seeing a Pink Floyd laser show. I was a little perturbed because they only played New Pink Floyd. Brah, I wanna rock out to MONEY! My wife, bless her heart, bought us two tickets to see the Van Halen laser show. All these years later, we're back. And trust me, I'm still impressed with the beauty of the property. We walk down the hill to the actual planetarium. There's a couple of stoners on line, if they keep quiet during the performance then no one is gonna have problems. The theater is shaped like a circle, there's no bad seats. The doors close and for an hour, I had Van Halen music crankin'! The actual show, the lasers seem a little dated. I went to The Sphere in Vegas a few months ago, this is old technology. But, it's on Long Island and people still enjoyed the shows. 3.5 Yelp stars

I know it has taken me forever before I was able to visit and share my thoughts about this place…read more One of the best places to visit in Long Island if you haven't been. The entirety of the place has so many things to offer for all ages. I would recommend to visit during summer time where everything will look gorgeous. The rich history behind this house and grounds is so captivating. We took the opportunity to tour the mansion. How often can you visit now a museum that allowing you to see the entire building and the grounds for a great price. The architecture of the house and its grounds is unbelievable. It brings back a great memory of a trip in Spain. The harbour view is beautiful. Best spot of the place. There was a plus when we had the visit today, the annual car show for fall season. You need the entire day to fully enjoy this day. We missed to check on their planetarium as it is only open during night time of Fridays and Saturdays. There is good reason to return.

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

Just a few more days until the Raphael exhibit leaves The Met. I'm so happy I had the chance to see…read moreit. The landmark exhibition Raphael: Sublime Poetry runs through June 28 at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 899. It is the first comprehensive exhibition on the Italian Renaissance master in the United States, gathering over 170 of his paintings, drawings, and tapestries from 62 global lenders. The Met is one of my favorite, if not my favorite, museums in NYC. Grand, opulent, rich in history and gorgeous. Raphael exhibit has been running for three months and showcases the celestial beauty of his work. Whether it's his famous portraits or the multiple Virgin Mother and Child paintings, his stunning work will leave you breathless. Raphael, along with Michelangelo and Da Vinci were known as the Supreme Masters of the High Renaissance. Exquisite Master artists. In addition to this gorgeous exhibit which is included in the standard admission, there's always so much to see at The Met. The last day of the exhibit is June 28--catch it!

Fabulous museum! A must see if you're a museum lover like me. Tip: best to visit upon opening…read morehour, as it gets quite busy later in the day. No need to buy tickets online, as they do sell tickets there. But, do plan and set aside a good chunk of time to visit, because this museum is quite large! So much to see and beautiful vast exhibits. This museum held a large collection and we didn't get a chance to explore all, but was able to see our musts. At the time of our visit, Raphael was the special exhibit coming to a close. The exhibit was extensive and interesting, but frustrating because it was over crowded with people. We actually had to bypass many areas, as there were too many people congregated around most of the pieces. Bought some nice souvenirs at their gift shop- Van Gogh neck scarf, beautiful apron, and stickers. Well worth museum visit, we had a great time and they offer a very generous Military discount , thank you!

A visit to Old Westbury Gardens is always a wonderful experience, but it's especially spectacular…read morein June when the roses are in full bloom. The gardens are beautifully maintained, the grounds are peaceful and relaxing, and every path seems to lead to another picture-perfect view. Based on many recent positive visitor reviews, people consistently praise the stunning landscapes, historic mansion, tranquil atmosphere, and endless photo opportunities. I'm giving it 5 stars because it's truly a beautiful place to spend a couple of hours. Whether you want to leisurely stroll through the gardens, take lots of photos, or do a little of both, about two hours feels just right. There's also plenty of free parking, which makes visiting easy. While the current admission price of $22 per adult feels a bit high, the beauty of the property and the overall experience still make it worth the visit. Throughout the year they host great special events, including classic car shows and an incredible illuminated pumpkin trail before Halloween that has become a Long Island favorite.

Had a great time at Old Westbury Gardens checking out the flowers in bloom. There were a lot of…read morepeople taking wedding and graduation photos. There was a Lego exhibit with all sorts of creations ranging from a monarch butterfly to hummingbird to snail on a mushroom. I definitely recommend checking Google maps using Google Earth view before you go because we ended up getting lost and couldn't find the entrance for 15 minutes. A lot of local libraries do offer Old Westbury Gardens passes so definitely check out your local library before purchasing tickets to see if they're available!