Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation & Museums

Admission: Beginning April 25, 2009, Sands Point will charge $5 per car and $2 per "walk-in" Monday - Tuesday and Thursday - Sunday; Wednesday free. On June 6, 2009, the Falaise mansion opens for tours four days a week (see information below).

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NEWS BRIEF: The Medieval Festival, this year presented by Medieval Scenarios and Recreations, Inc., takes place the weekends of September 5 - 6 and 12 - 13. During those days, the Falaise mansion is closed for tours (see information below).

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.

Click Here for link to Sands Point Preserve Website.

Medieval Festival, Celebrating its 30th Anniversary, Opens at Sands Point September 5 - 6, 12 - 13

Once again this September, the Sands Point Preserve will transport visitors back to the Middle Ages, complete with knights in shining armor, medieval archers and kings and queens, during the Medieval Festval, being held the weekends of September 5 - 6 and 12 - 13, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The festival, this year celebrating its 30th anniversary, is being presented by Medieval Scenarios and Recreations, Inc.

During the two weekends, the preserve's great lawn will take on the trappings of a Medieval village, with the imposing Castlegould and Hempstead House buildings providing the perfect architectural backdrops. Each day, the colorful festival begins with a procession of the royal court, followed by knights jousting on horseback with swords, maces and battle axes on the lawn behind Hempstead House. Visitors can also enjoy exhibitions of archery skill by Medieval bowmen, with members of the public invited to try their hand at this ancient sport. At the close of each day, there is a “storming of Castlegould” to free the captured queen, followed by a meeting of the royal court to determine the fate of the queen's kidnappers.

The historic atmosphere is enhanced with period entertainment, including instrumentalists, madrigal singers, a dance troupe and a traditional Maypole dance, as well as a Medieval-style puppet show performed by noted puppeteer Fred Greenspan. Other activities include a fashion show featuring the ornate costumes of lords and ladies, craftspeople demonstrating a variety of fine skills, games for children and adults and the opportunity for children to “fight-a-knight.”

During the Medieval Festival, all visitors to the Sands Point Preserve pay the festival admission of $10 for adults and $5 for children ages four to 12 (those under four are free with a parent). Falaise mansion and Hempstead House will be closed during festival weekends.

Perhaps the most impressive of the North Shore’s early-20th-century estates, Sands Point first served as the home for railroad heir Howard Gould and was later purchased by Daniel and Florence Guggenheim. The 216-acre preserve, located by the Long Island Sound, is dominated by the massive Hempstead House but also includes a second mansion, Falaise. In addition to the homes, Sands Point has beautiful walking trails, wooded areas and a shoreline. It is located at 127 Middleneck Road in Sands Point, about six miles north of Long Island Expressway Exit 36 (Searingtown Road). For more information, call (516) 571-7900 or visit www.kingdomofacre.org.

Falaise Mansion at Sands Point Opens for Tours on June 6

The historic Falaise mansion, one of the few mansions left from Long Island’s Gold Coast era, is opening on June 6 for tours four days a week, announced Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi.

The tours, which are given until October, are held Thursday through Sunday every hour from noon to 3 p.m. Fees are $5 per person for the tour, in addition to the entrance fee to the preserve ($5 per car and $2 per "walk-in").

Falaise was built on a bluff above the Long Island Sound in 1923 for Harry F. Guggenheim and his wife, Caroline, on what is now the Sands Point Preserve. The fascinating architecture of the mansion is French eclectic, based on a 13th-century Norman manor house.

Exterior features include an enclosed cobblestone courtyard, thickly mortared brick walls, a steeply pitched roof of heavy tile, and a round tower. Inside, a Medieval atmosphere pervades, with arches, thick wood beams, textured plastered walls, and carved stone materials. Falaise is also furnished with antiques, many from the 16th and 17th centuries, wood carving sculpture, Renaissance paintings, and some modern art.

The son of noted 19th-century industrialist and philanthropist Daniel Guggenheim, Harry Guggenheim was himself a businessman, diplomat and philanthropist who served as a Navy pilot in both world wars. Guggenheim’s lifelong fascination with aviation led to friendships with Charles Lindbergh, a frequent visitor to Falaise, and rocket pioneer Robert Goddard. Guggenheim also started up Newsday with his third wife, Alicia Paterson.

Perhaps the most impressive of the North Shore’s early-20th-century estates, Sands Point first served as the home for railroad heir Howard Gould and was later purchased by Daniel and Florence Guggenheim. The preserve is dominated by the massive English Manor house, Hempstead House, as well as the 100,000-square-foot stable, Castlegould.

New York State Provides Grant for Hempstead House at Sands Point

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation in October 2006 awarded a grant of $350,000 to aid the restoration of the historic Hempstead House on the Sands Point Preserve, which is part of the Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums. The award will be used to repair windows, limestone materials and steel lintels on the front facade of the 40-room Hempstead House.

A grand and imposing stone castle along Long Island’s Gold Coast, Hempstead House was constructed in the early 20th century by Howard Gould, son of the famous 19th-century railroad magnate and financier, Jay Gould. In 1917, Gould moved to Europe and sold the estate to prominent industrialist and philanthropist Daniel Guggenheim.

Nassau County was granted the property in 1971. At one time, the estate employed 17 house servants, numerous farmers and groundskeepers, a golf pro, a tennis pro, and a riding master.

“This award received from New York State will allow us to continue our restoration of Hempstead House,” said Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi. “It is fantastic that the Sands Point Preserve
has been placed on the New York State register of Historic Places and the Hempstead House has been given priority to be rehabilitated.”

“Our historic houses are visited by thousands of people each year and serve as museums and educational centers for the public to enjoy,” added Deputy
County Executive Peter J. Gerbasi. “The County’s focus is to restore and rehabilitate our historic properties through the development of partnerships and successful grant-writing.

"The recently announced EPF Grant received from New
York State and the funding received from the Environmental Bond Act will enable the County to continue the restoration plans to stabilize and preserve the Hempstead House. Nassau County will continue to restore this mansion as well as other buildings on the 216-acre preserve at Sands Point.”

In addition to Hempstead House, Sands Point includes one other mansion, Falaise, a Norman-style manor home that was constructed by Harry Guggenheim in 1923. Castlegould, a large turreted structure built on the order of Kilkenny Castle in Ireland was originally used for stables. The property also includes miles of beautiful trails traversing forests, meadows, cliffs, lawns, gardens, a pond, and three-quarters of a mile of shoreline.

The property also includes miles of beautiful trails traversing forests, meadows, cliffs, lawns, gardens, a pond, and three-quarters of a mile of shoreline.

Sands Point Preserve is located at 127 Middle Neck Road in Sands Point, two miles north of the Port Washington post office and six miles north of the Long Island Expressway (Exit 36, Searingtown Road).