Sands Point, 127 Middleneck Road
516-571-7900
Admission: Sands Point charges $5 per car and $2 per "walk-in" Monday - Tuesday and Thursday - Sunday; Wednesday free.
Click here for Google map
The 216-acre
preserve, located by the Long Island Sound, is dominated
by the massive Hempstead House and nearby Castlegould stable, but also includes a second
mansion, “Falaise,” that was built by Capt. Harry Guggenheim around 1923. (Guggenheim was the founder
with his wife, Alicia Patterson, of Newsday.)
Falaise, located on a cliff above the Long Island Sound and based on a 13th-century French Norman manor house, is open for tours between June and October, Thursdays through Sundays each hour from noon to 3 p.m. (fees: $6, adults, $5 seniors; please note that children under 10 are not allowed in Falaise).
Distinctive features of the house include an enclosed cobblestone courtyard, thickly mortared brick walls, steeply pitched roofs of heavy tile, and a round tower. The Medieval atmosphere is continued inside the house by the arches, thick wood beams, textured plastered walls, and carved stone mantels.
Falaise is also furnished with antiques, many from the 16th and 17th centuries, and includes wood carvings, sculptures, Renaissance paintings and several important pieces of modern art.
Please call for fees and other information.
In addition to its stunning buildings, Sands Point provides six nature trails that meander through diverse habitats of woods, fields, pond and beach in a beautiful North Shore community along the Long Island Sound. The preserve is an interesting mix of natural and landscaped areas. Forests, meadows, beach and cliffs, lawns, gardens and a freshwater pond provide habitats for a variety of plants and animals. The proximity of different habitats affords the visitor a varied outdoor experience within a relatively limited area. Nature Trails provide access to the preserve and highlight specific points of interest in self-guiding literature.
