Through my local library, I was able to obtain a free General Admission pass for up to 2 adults and 4 children for the Vanderbilt Museum on Sunday, June 21, 2026. Both Planetarium show and Mansion tour are add-ons for an additional charge and subject to availability. Currently, the operating hours for Saturday and Sunday are 11:00 am to 5:00 pm with last admission at 4:30 pm. Summer hours begin Saturday, June 27: Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm with last admission 4:30 pm. When I arrived on Sunday around 11:00 am, there were already a good amount of cars in the parking lot but there is still plenty of spots. We walked over to Planetarium/Admissions and showed our digital pass. The staff were very friendly and gave us a map to show us what we have access to with general admission yellow wristbands. General Admission includes access to the Vanderbilt Mansion (including the Habitat and Stoll Wing animal dioramas, and natural-history and cultural-artifact galleries in the Memorial Wing), The Hall of Fishes marine museum, Planetarium exhibits, and the grounds and gardens. It was really cool to walk around and check out the mansion. The main entrance is a cobble-stone driveway and a bell-tower looms above. This leads you to the central courtyard and I felt transported to a different country. With its ironwork, red tile roof and central courtyard, the mansion's Spanish architectural style stands out. Mr. William Vanderbilt spent over thirty years on scientific expeditions aboard his 250-foot yacht, the Alva, bringing back over 17,000 varieties of marine specimens. The marine and natural history museum is filled with the figurines of underwater creatures. We also met and spoke with the staff inside the mansion. They were very informative and friendly. The Vanderbilt Museum is definitely worth visiting. read more

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And the Long Island stoners rejoice: yo man, let's smoke up and see a Van Halen laser show.. 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 read more

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I know it has taken me forever before I was able to visit and share my thoughts about this place. 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. read more

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Located an hour drive from the city is Vanderbilt Museum, in Centerport LI. This museum features breathtaking views of the water and French and Greco-Italian inspired buildings. Inside the habitat exhibit, visitors can marvel at the multiple taxidermized fish and wildlife. This place reminds me of the Museum of natural history, my favorite museum. Additionally, they have shows in the planetarium. You can book tickets online or in person. My favorite show is the laser Taylor Swift show that happens at 4 PM for $18. What a steal! This place offers a beautiful backdrop for graduation and wedding photos. Discounts are available with a student ID, admission is free for children under 2. Website: https://www.vanderbiltmuseum.org/portfolio/tickets/ 10 AM- 5 PM read more

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A one-of-a kind museum housing William K. Vanderbilt's collection of animals and all sorts of interesting artifacts. The grounds are beautiful and the waterfront views are stunning. There is also a planetarium with a fun and educational show. It's a nice place to spend the day - 4 stars. read more

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Very cool old gilded age house + museum. You can buy grounds tickets online, but you can't buy a tour until the day of in person, which I thought was odd. It's worth it to upgrade to get the tour but be prepared it might not be right when you want it. Luckily, you can see part of the house without a tour, including a lot of marine and biological specimens collected by a couple of the Vanderbilts, as well as some information on their sailing/yahting history and a couple of old cars. The house tour covers the living space, and our guide was thorough on the art the Vanderbilts collected and good information on the family. There is also a planetarium on site, but the gift shop is only for that, not the Vanderbilt Museum. It's got a nice view of the sea and plenty of parking. It's an interesting way to spend a few hours but wear some comfortable shoes. read more

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It is a wonderful place to visit, making you feel like you're not in New York. It's an ideal spot for a picnic. The venue also hosts weddings, which look very romantic. Additionally, there are activities for kids that have educational value. read more

Vanderbilt Museum - Museums Near Me - Centerport, New York

There were fantastic exhibits of fish and other sea creatures from around the world. We also did the mansion tour and got to see things like the $80,000 organ that provided entertainment to the Vanderbilts and their guests! A fun day trio while on Long Island. read more

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Located in Centerport in Suffolk, Long Island. Beautifully kept grounds offering a variety of touristy experiences in one location. Planetarium, toured walks, a hike, marine museum, museum of the mansion including antique cars, rooms kept in their original condition, expansive grounds to explore with views of the water. They have cats that appear to live on the grounds and cared for by the folks that work there. We came on a beautiful May Saturday afternoon and happened to arrive right as a wedding was getting started. We were directed to park along side the main road on the grass because of the wedding. The grounds have a good amount of cobblestone to walk on and given the amount of walking in general and stairs to climb up/down, would definitely recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes. They have multiple discounts offered from northwell health employee, to veterans, to children 12 and under, to local library membership, AARP as well. There were 6 of us (5 adults and 1 child age 10) and we paid just $8 after all the discounts we had were applied. We were too late for the planetarium and guided tour but were able to explore the different homes and were pleasantly surprised at the history within. I absolutely see myself returning and do recommend to others who find themselves in Suffolk looking for a fun time. read more

Vanderbilt Museum - One of the antique cars. - Museums Near Me - Centerport, New York

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An ideal short trip from NYC for a taste of wealth and history from New York's robber baron era. The museum used to be one of William K. Vanderbilt's mansions housing many animals and fish he collected during his numerous ocean journeys. The collection has over 40,000 objects, including some authentic pottery and weapons from Africa and Southeast Asia. The museum has good ramps for access and some seating if you get tired of walking. The gardens were well manicured and the walking trails offer some views of the water. We spent about 3 hours on the grounds and museum and didn't even get a chance to visit the planetarium (which costs extra), but it seemed kind of small so we passed. Overall, a great place to spend an afternoon! read more

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Just like I remember it when I visited as a child! The same petrified sea life, gorgeous grounds, and museum exhibits in the mansion. Lots of fun instagramable photo spots overlooking the sound. Planetarium offers some fun later light shows with music for kids. Great day trip with family, friends or for a date. read more

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Fun day great walking tours, though the landscape could be tricky, rolling hills and all. But all in all a nice place to spend a few hours!

Came here to explore for the day. Really, the reason we came was for the Taylor Swift light show at the planetarium. This was spectacular. Worth the $16 per ticket! And it allows you to explore the grounds. We chose the last show of the day and didn't explore the grounds so much, which we should have done. But the grounds and gardens are gorgeous! The only difficulty we had was realizing where we had to check in. If you purchase planetarium tickets you sign in there and then can walk over to the grounds, so spare yourself the trouble of doing the reverse. Also, parking is super easy! We were there the day a wedding was about to start and didn't have any difficulties. read more

Incredible staff, from the parking attendant, event organizers, to the delightful docents you find throughout the museum. I recently visited & attended a wedding here. Tiffany was over the top on her professionalism and hospitality. She made the Bride & Grooms day flow like a dream. Her ability to make quick and important decisions on their behave was amazing, the staff under her leadership were also extremely helpful. We will never forget such an incredible experience at the Vanderbilt!!!! read more

Went there on a date, and the place entirely was a lot of fun as well as educational.

Gorgeous mansion, with outdoor space. We enjoyed the grounds and the waterview. Nice place for pictures. The other side of the water has small waterfront town for eatery and coffee. read more

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I don't even know where to start. This museum was pretty dope. 8 dollars a person just for the standard viewing of 5 different locations. Never seen a place like this with do much history and old school architecture from the old school cobble stone floors to the old school buildings. I really loved all the history in this place and such a great place to have weddings. Make sure if you come, you wear comfortable sneakers because there is a-lot of walking and the flooring is all cobble stone and not easy to walk on. Aldo a lot of up and down hills so be prepared to break a sweat. Every room had different animals and different species to check out and I enjoyed the history and the story to every room. I really enjoyed myself and would come back here over and over. Such a cool place to bring kids or even do dates. Highly recommend this place and very cool place. read more

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Wonderful way to spend an afternoon. Make sure you book a tour of living quarters. . Go on a sunny to explore the grounds

I've been here a few times this year! It is a nice way to get some exercise in while enjoying a lovely view of architecture and the water. The Grounds: Make sure you are capable of walking and climbing stairs. This is a large property, and all the parts of the Mansion are not attached, they have their own sections on the land. There is a lot of cobblestone as well. What I recommend: There are tours available for purchase, I do recommend that route. The Grounds can be confusing and there aren't many explanations of the rooms themselves and why the animals or artifacts are there. There are maps and a few staff sitting at the front doors, but they don't really answer much or walk the rooms with you. Library museum passes don't cover this, but it will be cheaper since you aren't paying to enter. There is a mummy in one of the rooms, and that usually has a man very ecstatic to be there and is very knowledgeable. Warning: There are a lot of stuffed animal dioramas on the grounds(bugs, mammals, marine life). They were hunters and have rooms and rooms of restored kills. Planetarium: They have a Planetarium with a few different shows, which is fun to learn (they are geared towards children but aren't too childish, good for any age). I do recommend going to your local library first to get a free admission pass(it gives you access to the grounds and a discount on the Planetarium). I am staff for special needs adults, and there are no official discounts for them or staff...there are discounts for teachers, students, elderly. read more

If you're coming from NYC, it can be a long haul. It's only about 40 miles, but traffic on the Friday afternoon that I went was brutal, and it took an hour and a half to get there. That being said, it's a beautiful estate with amazing panoramic views of Long Island Sound. Great photo opportunities, unique architecture. The mansion (the Vanderbilts called it a cottage and you can't take photos inside) is full of unique artifacts/decor. Tile from Portugal. Paneling from an English manor. Antique furniture. Lavish baths. Our guide, Margaret, was very informative. Lots of interesting facts and drama surrounding this family! Volunteers are very helpful as well. Brian helped me find my way around and made sure I had cold water on a hot day. General admission to the grounds was around 10 dollars and the mansion tour was 6 dollars. There is a planetarium on site, as well as collections of taxidermy and wildlife specimens that the Vanderbilts collected on their travels. Our guide told us that Vanderbilt always intended this home to become a museum after his death, so he prepared it like one during his life. read more

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Looking for a place to go on the weekend? Vanderbilt Museum is a good option to check out! I was there a month ago when the weather was still pretty nice. Picked a sunny day to go outdoors and actually enjoyed the views a lot there! It's a good spot to spend a day, take some pictures and walk around. You can bring a picnic mat or just sit on the grass and enjoy the lovely views! Bring lunch or snacks too so you can eat there. I bought shake shack on the way and ate it there :) Check out the marine museum and their giant whale shark by habitat gallery :) Admission is $10 for adults, kids are free under 2. Check their website for the hours before you go! read more

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Great museum and the staff are very helpful. You'll do quite a bit of walking and I do not recommend wearing heels of any kind lol. read more

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The astronomer who lead the experience was amazing. My sister and I are still laughing at her "pizza" joke. Can't wait to go back!

I took a personal day and trekked out here one gorgeous summer day. I had never been to this museum and was pleasantly surprised. I did so on a whim, so I didn't have time to check out the planetarium, but that will definitely be on my list to do. The museum is a wondrous collection of ocean life to even some unexpected's like an Egyptian mummy and full on Moroccan styled room. The grounds are beautiful and the gardens are well kept. When in the courtyard, you'll feel like you are instead walking around a Spanish square. Additionally, signage in the square, as well as chairs set up informed me that a local group puts on Shakespeare works in the summer. So cool! There's lot of things to see and do here for the whole family, and as it's not too far from Huntington, makes a great little day trip read more

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Went with a library pass and it made for a beautiful couple of hours with my parents. We bought tickets to the 12pm-1pm tour with Miriam Rosen and she was really informative and friendly! That was well worth it and I recommend it. We learned about the family, their home, their guests, and their marine biology love. You can see the hall of fish, the taxidermy animals, the gardens, and more. I would suggest bringing some food or coffee and having a picnic because there's so much space and the views are gorgeous. Wear comfortable shoes because the ground is cobblestone. And read up on the history a little bit before going, especially if you don't want a tour. It was just disappointing that we couldn't go inside the mansion on our visit, but besides that, it was a lovely museum and outing! read more

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Thanks to a fabulous tour by Jim Kelly, Director, I do not hesitate to suggest you stop by, spend the day. Awe-inspiring.

Must visit if you are in the area! The views of the water are just stunning. So many beautiful places to take photos! The general mission covers the grounds and a few exhibits inside but does not cover the planetarium or the Museum tour. You can bring a picnic and eat at the picnic tables around the property. read more

Vanderbilt Museum - Museums Near Me - Centerport, New York

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Eagle's Nest in Long Island is William K Vanderbilt's 1910 mansion and is part of the Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium complex. I'd previously visited the Hyde Park and Biltmore Vanderbilt mansions...those were built by grandsons of Cornelius, uncles to Centerport's 'Willie K.' Some friends and I were looking for a rainy-day activity on Long Island's North Shore, so we headed to the Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium and took the guided tour of Eagle's Nest. The summer home began as a 9-room Tudor cottage in 1910. By 1936, Willie K had remodeled and expanded it into a 24-room Spanish-Revival mansion, including a wing dedicated to the memory of his son who was killed in a car accident. read more

Vanderbilt Museum - One of the bathrooms! - Museums Near Me - Centerport, New York

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I was super impressed with this Christmas light show. The staff was so friendly! There were characters walking around for pictures with the kids-frosty, gingerbread cookie & the grinch and Santa was in one of the buildings also. They don't rush you out and it wasn't overly crowded. Cute for the kids! read more

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Vanderbuilt Museum was having a special laser show for Stranger Things on Halloween weekend. Since my daughters and I are a fan of the show we purchased tickets. We arrived at the museum and proceeded to the planetarium. It was a dark raining night, couldn't see much but what we could see was awesome, grounds were manicured nicely, all was clean and up to date. We entered the planetarium and there were many exhibits to observe. They have a sky observatory which houses both nighttime and daytime telescopes, evening viewing takes place every Friday night at 9:00 PM and is free of charge to the visiting public. Daytime viewing of the Sun is also available but is harder to predict as it is very dependent upon clear skies and good solar activity. We enjoyed the show with laser lights and eighties music from the show. It's a round room which you would expect, best seats are in the back which I had remembered from my Laserium days. It was a great experience for me and my daughters, all was very well organized and the narrator was on point and knowledgeable. I would definitely return with my family to see the museum and the observatory. read more

Vanderbilt Museum - Museums Near Me - Centerport, New York

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Great visit and tour! Management and Tour Guides provided exemplary service. Information was clear and well published and presented.

I went to see a Shakespeare play and had a wonderful time. The place is beautiful. My fiancé and I had a wonderful time. read more

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It's a nice spot to stroll and just listen to a podcast. Went to the planetarium show was well which was nice. It's a large grounds so wear comfortable shoes for walking Some stairs to go up and down in the houses. read more

Good day trip to this historical legend! Loved the time here, walking around the grounds and seeing the mansion as well as all the animals Vanderbilt had mounted. The view is GORGEOUS and full of history. Highly recommend!! Price: $8, $7 with student ID. NOT BAD! read more

Vanderbilt Museum - Museums Near Me - Centerport, New York

I visited here for the first time and really enjoyed it. The property is beautiful and there are a lot of buildings and nature to explore. The planetarium is worth visiting as well. You can spend hours here just wandering and taking in all the views. read more

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Awesome place to visit with family and friends. The property is very big and beautiful. Entrance is reasonable and the view is amazing. Many places to take pictures. Whenever I come here, there's a wedding. Who wouldn't want to get married here. They've added a sensory garden in front of the planetarium, where you purchase the tickets. My toddler loved it. Eh em and so did I. There's one plant that feels like puppies ears, rosemary, mint, various flowers. There's a gift shop and mini food place. Tons of animals and objects from the Vanderbilt collection. A lot of information with the objects too. The next time I come, I'll pay extra for the tour. read more

Beautifully views, the planetarium has a decent selection of daily shows. We arrived on a Sunday around closing time so the girl at the front desk only charged us for the show since we wouldn't have time to actually look around. We decide to check out the Mansion for about 10 minutes. It was pretty interesting with stunning views and architecture. The history behind it all it's pretty cool, a gentleman there was more than willing to share his knowledge. We had to kinda rush through the place to make it to the show. The show itself was pretty cool and informative. This is a nice place to visit if you're in the area, the views make it worthwhile. I also saw many people having professional photo shoots through the museum which I believe you need to make a reservation for. read more

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- before you buy online tickets, make sure you are buying for the correct museum there is another Vanderbilt museum fyi - planetarium videos are fun and very well produced check the schedule - full museum tour is accessible with tour - mansion tour alone takes roughly an hour exhibits are cute - u can spend all day on the grounds bring a picnic basket, enjoy the views - the views are quite stunning - the planetarium lunch sandwiches are good variety is not that great read more

This place has always been great, and continues to maintain its excellence! We went for a rainy day respite and were happily reconfirmed! The landscaping is very tastefully done, and one cannot ignore the plethora of fountains and magnificent shrubbery. We must have gone on an off day, when no events were planned, as we literally saw four people ... and three of them were security guards! After a brief walk, we sought shelter from the inclement weather in one of the many classic structures. This particular building had a maritime theme, with huge sculptures, documented artifacts and amazingly preserved relics of the past. Very interesting. Beautiful as well as educational. When the rain let up a bit, we decided to explore the grounds a bit more. This place does not disappoint! Simply breathtaking. I remember visiting the estate and planetarium on field trips from elementary school. It still remains as a true staple gem on our lovely island. Parking is plentiful, and the employees are friendly. This is an absolutely pristine place to visit, especially during Spring or Summer when the plentiful foliage and exquisite floral displays can be seen in all their glory. There are many events that are featured here year round. A definite must see. You'll be happy you did. read more

Vanderbilt Museum - Vanderbilt Gardens - Museums Near Me - Centerport, New York

I can testify this is not a real museum but rather just a glorified wedding venue. It is overrun with multiple nuptial couples trying to take photos! There are too many photographers everywhere to be able to enjoy the house. Expect to be pushed around by the bridezilla of Long Island. This place is a total cash-grab. read more