Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium

06/02/2026

🌙🚀 Junior Astronomers Workshop 🚀🌙

July 13–17
$250 | $225 Members

Blast off on an exciting journey through space! Junior Astronomers will explore our solar system, learn how to use a telescope, identify constellations visible from Long Island, discover how astronauts will return to the Moon through NASA’s Artemis program, and much more.

This hands-on STEAM workshop combines interactive activities, experiments, and crafts with immersive live and pre-recorded fulldome presentations in our Planetarium theater for an out-of-this-world learning experience.

Registration is open for children entering 3rd–5th grade.

✨ Space is limited—register today! ✨

https://www.vanderbiltmuseum.org/portfolio/junior-astronomer-summer-workshop/

06/01/2026

Pride is history. Pride is community. Pride is ongoing.

This June, we celebrate, reflect, and uplift LGBTQ+ voices—today and always.

05/30/2026

Behind the scenes at the Reichert Planetarium, a little stellar teamwork is underway. Planetarium Director Dave Bush and Planetarium Education Coordinator Rachel Goralski spent part of today giving some extra care to our beloved Konica Minolta Infinium-L star projector — affectionately known as “Konnie.”
Today’s mission: removing the covers, replacing star lamps, and cleaning delicate electrical contacts to help keep our night sky looking its very best. It’s careful work, but it’s all part of making sure the stars shine beautifully for every audience who visits the dome.
A lot happens behind the scenes to create the magic overhead — and today, Konnie got the attention it deserves.

05/27/2026

Bank of America ‘Museums on Us’: June 6-7

The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum is once again proudly participating in Bank of America’s year-round Museums on Us® Cardholder access program. The next opportunity: Saturday and Sunday, June 6-7.

Visitors to the Museum simply present their Bank of America®, Merrill® or Bank of America Private Bank® credit or debit card along with their photo ID on the first full weekend of every month to receive FREE general admission for themselves.

The offer is limited to only the Cardholder and excludes special exhibitions, ticketed Planetarium shows, and fundraising events. Not to be combined with other offers.

05/25/2026

Today, on Memorial Day, the museum is closed to the public as we pause to honor and remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. 🇺🇸

We wish everyone a safe and meaningful holiday.

We look forward to welcoming you back soon.

05/21/2026

The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum and Anthony Marinello of Dropseed Native Landscapes will host an interactive Pocket Prairie workshop on Sunday, June 28, from 9:00 to 11:00 am. Learn about Long Island’s grasslands and how to convert a section of lawn into a pocket prairie.

Participants will learn about Long Island’s unique grassland communities, discover what makes them unique, and why they deserve our appreciation and preservation.

Take-home kits will be available for an additional fee. Each kit includes a 3×4′ sheet of cardboard, a bag of cedar mulch, and 12 landscape plugs. All plants will remain under 3 feet tall, are native to Long Island, and will attract and support butterflies and songbirds throughout their life cycle.

Workshop only: $50/$45 Members

REGISTER Here:
https://www.vanderbiltmuseum.org/portfolio/create-a-prairie-in-your-yard/

Take-home kit (includes cardboard, mulch, and 12 plugs): $100/$90 Members

Visit us for planetarium shows, historic mansion tours, Shakespeare in the courtyard, school programs & much more. Visit today!

05/21/2026

Goldman Sachs Volunteers Transform Vanderbilt Gardens!

On May 18, fifteen volunteers from the Goldman Sachs CommunityTeam Works program did extensive work in the vegetable and flower gardens of Normandy Manor, the estate superintendent’s house at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum. They performed garden cleanup, built raised vegetable beds, transplanted flowers to other parts of the estate, and did new plantings at the gate to the estate.

The Museum is grateful to Goldman Sachs for its financial contribution toward necessary materials for the project. Through Community TeamWorks, Goldman Sachs employees contribute ideas, time, and expertise to drive tangible progress in local communities. Launched in 1997, this volunteering initiative enables Goldman Sachs to work in partnership with nonprofit organizations around the world to make a meaningful difference.

(Photo caption: Goldman Sachs volunteers build raised beds in the estate’s vegetable garden.)

05/18/2026

TWILIGHT SKY SHOW — THREE NIGHTS IN A ROW! 🌙✨
Step outside after sunset and look west. Tonight, Venus and the crescent Moon shine together in a beautiful twilight pairing.

Tomorrow, the Moon drifts closer to Jupiter — and by the third night, it will appear just past Jupiter, completing a stunning three-night journey across the evening sky.

Don’t miss it!

05/18/2026

Lecture: ‘Long Island and the American Dream’

Lawrence R. Samuel, a Long Island native and cultural historian, will explore regional history in a lecture at 7:00 pm on Thursday, May 28, in the Vanderbilt Reichert Planetarium – based on his recent book, Making Long Island: A History of Growth & the American Dream.

Samuel tells the fascinating story of the island’s development between the 1920s and 1950s, when it offered affordable home ownership for the middle class.

Register here:
https://www.vanderbiltmuseum.org/portfolio/lecture-making-long-island/