If you're a Long Island local and you lived here all your life, you know that finding things to do on the weekend can become quite difficult — short of commuting to neighboring New York City, there's not MUCH to do here. But I'm here to tell you that, if you dig a little deeper, you'll find that spending a weekend on Strong Island can actually be quite fun. Here are 10 fun places to visit on your next weekend in LI.
1. Bayard Cutting Arboretum
Bayard Cutting Arboretum is a state park near the water with an abundance of flora and fauna. Although there is no place to have a picnic, there is a bakery/cafe on site, and it's a great place to walk around with a snack on a nice day! The exotic plants are labeled around the property so that you can learn their names, and there is a walking path right along the water!
2. Vanderbilt Museum
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The Vanderbilt Museum is a beautiful old estate with a water view. It has several halls that resemble exhibits from the American Museum of Natural History. There are also tours of the house. and it even has a planetarium with several shows!
3. Cradle of Aviation Museum
With over 75 vintage aircraft and spacecraft, hands-on experiments, and a planetarium, there's plenty to do and see at this museum. Check with your local public library to see if you can check out a free day pass for your family (East Islip Public Library has one)!
4. Robert Moses State Park Beach
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With several fields, Robert Moses State Park beach has plenty of room for family fun, although it will still get crowded on summer days. Here, you can access the Fire Island National Seashore and the Fire Island Lighthouse.
5. The Big Duck
This is a well-known architectural landmark that also has a small novelty gift shop, definitely worth including if you're in the mood for touristy kind of day.
6. Wine-Tasting
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In the east of Long Island there are a lot of vineyards and tasting rooms to choose from; two that I can recommend are Bridgelane and Osprey Dominion!
Bridgelane Tasting Room has bottles, cans, and glasses of red, white, and rose, and has a five-wine tasting option for $15. There is a small seating area inside and a medium-sized picnic area outside that is dog-friendly, and even has lawn games! This is a great place to come and sit with friends and family.
Osprey Dominion is a larger venue with tastings of your choice, including pick any 3 for $8. The staff will tell you about the wines you select and will offer bottles of your favorites for purchase. You can take the bottles and plastic cups outside (no glasses on the lawn) to relax at tables near the vineyard - they also often have live music!
7. Lavender By The Bay
This is a family-owned lavender farm where you can buy various lavender products and enjoy a relaxing day among the relaxing purple fields - plus, it makes for a great Insta pic!
8. Long Island Ducks at Bethpage Ballpark
The Long Island Ducks is a minor-league baseball team that plays at the Bethpage Ballpark in Central Islip. Especially as a kid, this was one of the funnest baseball games I ever saw - with the mascot Quakerjack entertaining a crowd of cotton-candy eating fans.
9. Jones Beach Island
Although Jones Beach Island is a popular beach day destination, it's also known as a pretty cool concert venue. However, be warned, if there is a particularly high tide the floor section near the stage can flood!
10. American Airpower Museum
Another great aviation museum; it mostly consists of a hangar in Farmingdale. It's big, open and very cool!
What's on your Long Island bucket list?
