Rock Hall Museum
199 Broadway, Lawrence, NY 11559
Wednesday through Saturday – 10 a.m. Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays
The Museum is open by appointment. Please call the office for available dates and times at least 24 hours in advance. For Museum announcements and updates, please refer to the Town of Hempstead website, Hempsteadny.gov or the Friends of Rock Hall website, Fr
iendsofRockHall.org. Maximum group size for appointments will be 8 visitors and masks are required for all guests. Museum Grounds open daily until 4pm. Free general admission
(516) 239-1157
Enrolled on the National Register of Historic Places
A New York State Revolutionary War Trail Site
One of the finest pre-Revolutionary War homes on Long Island, Rock Hall was built in 1767 for Josiah Martin, a wealthy West Indian plantation owner. The Georgian-style home belonged to two of the area’s most famous families, the Martins and Hewletts. In 1948, the Hewlett family deeded Rock Hall to the Town of Hempstead. After an extensive restoration, it opened as a museum in 1953. Rock Hall is also affiliated with the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities (SPLIA). The museum offers guided tours, programs of historic interest, special lectures and an educational presentation. Current exhibits include Rock Hall Archaeology, a permanent display of 18th and 19th-century artifacts excavated from the grounds and cellar of the museum. The Warming Kitchen, Cold Storage Room and Wine Cellar offer fascinating views of the rarely seen working areas in an 18th century plantation-style home. The Friends of Rock Hall is a voluntary organization that works closely with the museum to sponsor programs of interest. The Friends also raise funds to purchase furnishings and to sponsor historic research. Memberships are available starting at $20 per individual, with paid members entitled to a 10% discount on Museum Gift Shop purchases.
