Museums are a great way to spend an afternoon, whether you’re there for educational purposes, or because you enjoy the exhibits on display. The museums on Long Island do a great job of preserving history and showing residents and visitors what life was like here so many years ago. If museums are your thing, or you’re looking to try something new, pay a visit to this year’s Best Museum on Long Island!
2024: Long Island Voted Long Island Children’s Museum Best Museum!
Long Island Children’s Museum
11 Davis Ave, Garden City
(516) 224-5800 – licm.org
Long Island Children’s Museum is a not-for-profit that is devoted to fueling the creativity of children through exhibits, programs and performances. Fostering the growth of our next generation of artists, scientists, educators, entrepreneurs and citizens with materials that are not necessarily available at home like KEVA planks or musical instruments from around the word, LICM helps to provide children with the tools to discover what inspires them. Their open environment allows children to move freely and test their independence. Some of the activities at the museum include moving through the Patterns Studio, navigating Climb-It or uncovering a new talent in a hands-on workshop. Helping children with problem solving and creative thinking, LICM is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), that recognizes LICM as the field’s gold standard for museum excellence.
2023: Long Islanders Voted Cradle of Aviation Museum Best Museum!
Cradle of Aviation Musuem
1 Davis Ave./Charles Lindbergh Blvd, Garden City
(516) 572-4111 – cradleofaviation.org
The Cradle of Aviation Museum pays homage to Long Island’s rich aviation history with stunning exhibitions spanning over 100 years of aerospace adventure. Spectators can travel through time by starting in the “Dream of Wings” exhibit which features man’s first attempts at flying from gliders to hot air balloons. Within the same day, you can witness the evolution of human aviation knowledge at the “Exploring Space” exhibit, where you can view an actual NASA Apollo Lunar Module that was intended to go to the Moon. In 2023 you can explore the world of drones in their immersive ‘The Future is Now: Drones! exhibit. New laser projectors in their giant dome theater will take you on journeys you only imagined. Additionally, they provide incredible community programs during school breaks and great field trips for schools and camps with educator-led museum classes and tours. Check out the museum’s website to dive deep into Long Island’s rich heritage of aerospace discovery.
2022: Long Islanders Voted Cradle of Aviation Museum Best Museum!
Cradle of Aviation Museum
Charles Lindbergh Blvd, Garden City
(516) 572-4111 – cradleofaviation.org
Cradle of Aviation is a remarkable place to learn about Long Island’s aviation history while enjoying hands-on experiences that engage all ages and minds. Designers especially delight being able to view and learn so much about great vintage machines here, and anyone is easily captivated by the superb planetarium experience available to visitors. Others love going into the video game arcade, among a diverse experience your family will remember. The deep story of the Island’s aviation past is incredibly presented with help of knowledgeable volunteer docents. Yes, it has planes but their stories delve so deep you won’t leave wondering but educated. A Hubble telescope exhibit is amazing and memorable.
2021: Long Islanders Voted Cradle of Aviation Museum Best Museum!
Cradle of Aviation Museum
Charles Lindbergh Blvd, Garden City
(516) 572-4111 – cradleofaviation.org
The Cradle of Aviation Museum is an aerospace museum dedicated to commemorating Long Island’s part in the history of aviation. It is located on land that was once a part of Mitchel Air Force Base which, together with nearby Roosevelt Field and other airfields on the Hempstead Plains, was the site of many historic flights. So many seminal flights had occurred in the area that by the mid-1920s the cluster of airfields was already dubbed the “Cradle of Aviation”, the origin of the museum’s name. Today the museum contains over 60 aircraft and scale models of airplanes from various time periods, including Charles Lindbergh’s Curtiss Jenny in which he barnstormed, the A-10 Thunderbolt II and Grumman F-14 Tomcat, and an actual unused Apollo Lunar Module, LM-13!
2020: Long Islanders Voted Cradle of Aviation Museum Best Museum!
Cradle of Aviation Museum
Charles Lindbergh Blvd, Garden City
(516) 572-4111 – cradleofaviation.org
The Cradle of Aviation Museum is an aerospace museum dedicated to commemorating Long Island’s part in the history of aviation. It is located on land that was once a part of Mitchel Air Force Base which, together with nearby Roosevelt Field and other airfields on the Hempstead Plains, was the site of many historic flights. So many seminal flights had occurred in the area that by the mid-1920s the cluster of airfields was already dubbed the “Cradle of Aviation”, the origin of the museum’s name. Today the museum contains over 60 aircraft and scale models of airplanes from various time periods, including Charles Lindbergh’s Curtiss Jenny in which he barnstormed, the A-10 Thunderbolt II and Grumman F-14 Tomcat, and an actual unused Apollo Lunar Module, LM-13!
2019: Long Islanders Voted Long Island Cradle of Aviation Museum Best Museum!
Cradle of Aviation Museum
Charles Lindbergh Blvd., Garden City
(516) 572-4111 – www.cradleofaviation.org
The Cradle of Aviation Museum is an aerospace museum located in Garden City, New York on Long Island to commemorate Long Island’s part in the history of aviation. It is located on land once part of Mitchel Air Force Base which, together with nearby Roosevelt Field and other airfields on the Hempstead Plains, was the site of many historic flights. So many seminal flights had occurred in the area that by the mid-1920s the cluster of airfields was already dubbed the “Cradle of Aviation”, the origin of the museum’s name. Today the museum contains over 60 aircraft and scale models of airplanes from various time periods, including Charles Lindbergh’s Curtiss Jenny in which he barnstormed, the A-10 Thunderbolt II and Grumman F-14 Tomcat, and an actual unused Apollo Lunar Module, LM-13.
2018: Long Islanders Voted Long Island Children’s Museum Best Museum!
Long Island Children’s Museum
11 Davis Avenue
Garden City, N.Y. 11530
www.LICM.org
Ready, set, learn at Long Island Children’s Museum! A fun-filled learning space dedicated to the importance of creativity and play, their exhibits, programs and performances fuel creativity and collaboration to inspire all who see them. Through play, children master skills and uncover passions that will last a lifetime. Whether its dinosaurs or the beauty of bubbles, LICM has something to inspire every child. Try one of their messy afternoon’s where your child, will be up to their elbows in a variety of artistic activities that every kid loves, but this time, you won’t have to do the clean up!
2017: Long Islanders Voted Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium Best Museum on Long Island
Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium 180 Little Neck Rd., Centerport. 631-854-5579. vanderbiltmuseum.org Find us a Long Islander who hasn’t had the pleasure of visiting the Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium, and we’ll make sure to tell them that they’re missing out on a educational experience unlike any other! The museum features several educational exhibits that visitors can’t seem to get enough of, including a marine, natural history and ethnographic collections. The museum also offers a guided tour through the living quarters of the mansion. That’s one tour that you’re not going to want to miss!
2016: Long Islanders Voted Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium Best Museum on Long Island
Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium 180 Little Neck Rd., Centerport. 631-854-5579. vanderbiltmuseum.org For more than 60 years the Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium has been a must-see destination for every Long Islander. With countless exhibits and tours, visitors are easily immersed in the fascinating wonders of its marine, natural history, and ethnographic collections. Also the perfect venue for weddings, birthdays, and other special events, Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium is quite simply out of this world!
2015: Long Islanders Voted Cradle of Aviation Best Museum on Long Island!
Cradle of Aviation Charles Lindbergh Blvd., Garden City. 516-572-4111. cradleofaviation.org This local gem is dedicated to preserving Long Island’s rich aerospace heritage of discovery and inspiring future generations through science and technology. Curated by a team of volunteers comprised of WWII veterans to former Grumman employees, aviation enthusiasts and many more, a trip to the Cradle of Aviation museum is an unforgettable journey through time learning about our rich, vibrant past and the inextricably linked present and future.
2014: Long Islanders voted Long Island Aquarium Exhibition Center in Riverhead Best Museum on Long Island!
1. Long Island Aquarium & Exhibition Center 431 E. Main St., Riverhead. 631-208-9200. longislandaquarium.com 2. Cradle of Aviation Museum Charles Lindbergh Blvd., Garden City. 516-572-4111. cradleofaviation.org 3. Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium 180 Little Neck Rd., Centerport. 631-854-5555. vanderbiltmuseum.org
2013: Long Islanders Voted Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport Best Museum on Long Island!
2012: Long Islanders Voted Long Island Children’s Museum Best Museum of Long Island!
1 Long Island Children’s Museum 11 Davis Ave., Garden City. 516-224-5800. www.licm.com 2 Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center 431 E. Main St., Riverhead. 631-208-9200. www.longislandaquarium.com 3 Cradle of Aviation Museum 1 Davis Ave., Garden City. 516-572-4111. www.cradleofaviation.org