November 1, 2006

Suozzi Announces “Family Holiday Passport”

Guarantees Admission to all Nassau County Museums during the Holiday Season

CLICK HERE to download and view the Family Passport Event Calendar

East Norwich, N.Y – Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi today announced that for the first time, Nassau County will be offering the Family Holiday Passport, which guarantees unlimited entrance to all County-operated museums from November 18, 2006 through December 30, 2006

“The Family Holiday Passport is your ticket to explore Nassau County and spend time in our many museums. Nowhere else will you be able to find so many holiday outings for the whole family at such a low cost.” said County Executive Suozzi. “It is a great opportunity to do something together as a family during the holiday season.”

Many of the museums included are running special holiday programs that focus on their rich histories.  The cost of the pass is $25.00 for a family of five (two adults and three children 17 and under).  The Family Holiday Passport allows the family to visit all of the Nassau County operated museums as many times as they want and includes discounts to other Nassau County events.  If a family of five visited every museum just once and attended the discounted events, they would be saving over $120.00.  One visit to Old Bethpage Village Restoration or Chelsea Mansion pays for the all-access pass.

Nassau County’s museums and historic homes are some of the best kept secrets on Long Island. Historic icons like the poet William Cullen Bryant, an acquaintance of Charles Dickens; Benjamin Moore, the great-great grandson of the Clement C. Moore, author of “Twas the Night Before Christmas”; and the Guggenheim family once called Nassau County home.  Today, their homes, pieces of Long Island’s past, are now Nassau County museums open to the public.  The purpose of this program is to extend an invitation to families who are looking for fun holiday activities at rock bottom prices and also highlight Nassau’s fine museums.  Included in this package are the African-American Museum, Cedarmere, Chelsea Mansion, Garvies Point Museum, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, and Tackapausha Museum and Preserve. There are also special discounts for the “Battle of the Dinosaurs” exhibit at Sands Point Preserve.

Jose L. Lopez, Commissioner of Nassau County Parks, Recreation, and Museums, said, “This program offers a perfect opportunity for families to visit all of the wonderful cultural sites that Nassau County has to offer.”

The Family Holiday Passport is not restricted to Nassau County residents.  People living in any county or city can purchase the passport.  The Family Holiday Passport will be on sale from November 1, 2006 to December 16, 2006 at various Nassau County facilities.

For more information, the public can call the Nassau County Department of Parks and Recreation at (516) 572-0200.

The museums included are as follows:

 

• African-American Museum :  The African American Museum will celebrate Kwanzaa on Sunday, December 17. Activities, including performances by local artists and groups, start at 2:00 p.m. and a traditional candle lighting ceremony will be taking place at 4:00 p.m. The African American Museum is also open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The Museum will be closed November 23-24 and December 24-25.

• Cedarmere: Cedarmere was the Roslyn Harbor home of 19th century poet William Cullen Bryant, who displayed one of the first Christmas trees in the U.S.  The museum will offer special holiday programming including house tours, poetry readings and sing-alongs in the Great Room, decorated in the Edwardian holiday style. Also on display will be a traditional Victorian tabletop tree.  Cedarmere will welcome visitors during the weekends of December 2-3, 9-10 and 16-17 from 1:00 pm to 4 p.m.

• Chelsea Mansion : Chelsea Mansion, the 40-room residence built by Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Moore in 1924, is an example of the breathtaking architecture prevalent during Long Island’s Gold Coast era. Chelsea will be open Thursday through Sunday from November 24 through December 30 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Chelsea will be decorated for the holidays and will welcome visitors for house tours of the mansion’s first floor. St. Nicholas will visit to offer readings from “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” written by Clement Clark Moore, Benjamin Moore’s great great grandfather (call for schedule). The Library will feature an antique toy display.There will be a wreath making workshop (additional fee and reservations required) and a gift gallery.  Chelsea will be closed December 24-25.

• Garvies Point Museum : A magnificent 62-acre site set along the Long Island Sound, Garvies Point includes permanent exhibits and educational programs devoted to regional geology and Native-American archaeology. Garvies Point Museum will offer a Native American Feast, featuring Native American foods, spear throwing, artifacts, nature trails, dugout canoes, tool and fire making and related films, on November 18 and 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Throughout December, the Museum will show educational films related to Native American culture and nature subjects.  Garvies Point Museum and Preserve is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  It will be closed November 23 and December 24-25.

• Old Bethpage Village Restoration : Old Bethpage Village Restoration provides visitors with a unique opportunity to step back in time and experience life in a recreated mid-19th-century American village. The 209-acre village includes an assortment of homes, farms and businesses. On November 18-19 and 25-26 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. the village is hosting an 1863 Thanksgiving Holiday Demonstration. On the weekend of December 16 and 17 and Tuesday through Saturday evenings, December 26 through December 30 from 5:00 to 9:30 p.m., Old Bethpage will be hosting its annual Candlelight Evenings to give unique insight into the winter holiday as it was celebrated in the mid 1800’s.  The Village will be closed on November 23-24 and December 24-25.  It will be open only in the evenings on December 16-17 and 26-30. 

• Tackapausha Museum & Preserve: Tackapausha Museum & Preserve will host a Holiday Party for Wildlife on Saturday, December 9 from 1 to 3 pm., featuring a live animal show (2 p.m.), nature games, exhibits and crafts. Tackapausha Museum and Preserve is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.  The museum will be closed November 23-24 and December 25.

Passport holders will also enjoy a discount to:

• Battle of the Dinosaurs at Sands Point Preserve: This is an interactive exhibit that features robotic replicas of dinosaurs and hands on activities. Regular admission is $8.00 per adult and $6.00 child, butpassport holders receive a $4.00 per adult and $2.00 per child admission discount. The Battle of the Dinosaurs exhibit is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m..

 

Passport Sale Locations (Call for hours of operation)

Venue	Phone
African American Museum 110 North Franklin Street, Hempstead	516-572-0730
Cantiague Park, Hicksville	516-572-0730
Cedarmere 225 Bryant Avenue (just north of Northern Boulevard), Roslyn Harbor	516-571-8130
Chelsea Mansion Muttowntown Preserve, East Norwich	516-571-8551
Christopher Morley Park, Roslyn	516-571-8113
Garvies Point Museum & Preserve Barry Drive, Glen Cove	516-571-8010
Nassau County Aquatic Center, Eisenhower Park, East Meadow	516-572-0501
North Woodmere Park, North Woodmere	516-571-7801
Old Bethpage Village Restoration Round Swamp Road, Old Bethpage	516-572-8400
Sands Point Preserve 95 Middleneck Road Port Washington	516-571-7900
Tackapausha Museum & Preserve Washington Avenue between Merrick Road and Sunrise Highway, Seaford	516-571-7443
Wantagh Park, Wantagh	516-571-7460