Suffolk County Historical Society

Suffolk County Historical Society Founded in 1886, to collect, preserve, and interpret the ongoing history of Suffolk County, NY Over 20,000 historical artifacts are cared for in the museum.
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Permanent and changing exhibitions are used to interpret important themes in Suffolk County history.

Free Concert Event!HISTORY THROUGH MUSIC SUMMER CONCERT SERIES!Sonido Clasico ~ Latin Jazz Orchestra!Saturday, June 20, ...
06/13/2026

Free Concert Event!
HISTORY THROUGH MUSIC SUMMER CONCERT SERIES!
Sonido Clasico ~ Latin Jazz Orchestra!
Saturday, June 20, 2026 - 1:00 PM
Free Concert with Museum Admission
($5 adult, $3 senior, $1 child)
Limited Seating! Call Now to Reserve Your Seat! Advance Registration Required: 631.727.2881 x100
Join us for a celebration through music, featuring the renowned Sonido Clasico Latin Jazz Orchestra! Founded in 1998 by guitarist Carlos Castillo, Sondio Clasico preserves the Golden Age of Latin music, performing authentic arrangements inspired by the legends of the big bands in New York from the 1950s. Director/arranger Carlos Castillo guides the band with the influence of Machito’s Afro Cubans, Tito Puente, and all the great jazz legends of the past.
Mr. Castillo has performed with the La Playa Sextet, Machito and the Afro Cubans, the Tito Rodriguez Orchestra,the Tito Puente Orchestra, and the Joe Cuba Sextet, and among his appearances on classic recordings are Ray Barretto's "King Creole" (1966) and Machito and Dizzy Gillespie's "Afro Cuban Moods" (1975).
Supported in part by the New York State Council on the Arts and by Suffolk County Economic Development.

SCHS Photo of the Week: Eleanor Fullerton at Blooming Rose Arbors, LIRR Experimental Farm, Medford, c. June 1916, by Hal...
06/12/2026

SCHS Photo of the Week: Eleanor Fullerton at Blooming Rose Arbors, LIRR Experimental Farm, Medford, c. June 1916, by Hal B. Fullerton [Autochrome glass plate]. (Image from Harry T. Tuthill / Hal B. Fullerton Collection of the Suffolk County Historical Society Library & Archive. Copyright (c) Suffolk County Historical Society. All rights reserved.)

The story behind the image: https://createsend.com/t/d-1D4DFA3A83BF06DF2540EF23F30FEDED

Holiday Closure: The museum will be closed on Friday, June 19, in honor of the Juneteenth Holiday.
06/12/2026

Holiday Closure: The museum will be closed on Friday, June 19, in honor of the Juneteenth Holiday.

REGISTER SOON! America 250 Lecture: “Bearing the Nation: Enslaved Women, Labor, and the Creation of the United States” w...
06/12/2026

REGISTER SOON! America 250 Lecture: “Bearing the Nation: Enslaved Women, Labor, and the Creation of the United States” with Melanie Cardone-Leathers. Saturday, June 27, 2026 – 1:00 PM. $8, members free. Includes refreshments.

Registration and prepayment required: 631-727-2881 x100.

Slavery is often told as a southern story, but in revolutionary-era New York, the largest slave-holding state in the North, enslaved women were central to households, farms, and cities, sustaining patriot families and local economies. This presentation explores how enslaved women on Long Island and across New York cooked, labored, and raised children whose enslaved status followed their own, all while navigating war and an unequal legal system. Drawing on archival records, the presenter will recover the lives that history has overlooked and challenge the enduring myth of a “gentler” northern slavery.

Suffolk County Historical Society Museum
300 W. Main St., Riverhead, NY 11901
631-727-2881 x100
www.suffolkcountyhistoricalsociety.org

*Mark Your Calendar*!!! AMERICA 250 EXHIBIT: Visions of Freedom EVENING RECEPTION: Thursday, June 25, 2026, 6:00 pm - 8...
06/12/2026

*Mark Your Calendar*!!! AMERICA 250 EXHIBIT: Visions of Freedom EVENING RECEPTION: Thursday, June 25, 2026, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. ($5 admission, members free. Light refreshments will be served.)

In Visions of Freedom, a Multimedia Exhibition by Women Sharing Art, over 30 talented artists bring together diverse perspectives to explore what freedom means in the American experience. Through deeply personal expressions and varied artistic languages, from richly textured mosaics and luminous glass pieces to evocative photographs and expressive paintings, the exhibit celebrates both historical ideals and contemporary interpretations of liberty, identity, and possibility. Drawing on each artist’s unique background and voice, the works invite viewers to reflect on the many dimensions of freedom in a nation shaped by diverse cultures, struggles, and stories. Visions of Freedom is not only a visual display of craftsmanship across media but also a thoughtful dialogue about the ideals at the core of America’s ongoing journey.

In Our Gish Gallery March 1 – August 22, 2026

Suffolk County Historical Society Museum
300 W. Main St. Riverhead, NY 11901
631.727.2881 x100
www.SuffolkCountyHistoricalSociety.org

AMERICA 250 Lecture: William Floyd of Mastick: He Dared to Sign, presented by MaryLaura Lamont. Saturday, June 6, 2026 -...
06/03/2026

AMERICA 250 Lecture: William Floyd of Mastick: He Dared to Sign, presented by MaryLaura Lamont.

Saturday, June 6, 2026 - 1:00 PM.
Members Free; Non-Members $8. Includes light refreshments. RSVP and prepayment required: 631-727-2881 x100

William Floyd of Mastic (then, Mastick) risked his life, family, and lands when he signed the Declaration of Independence —one of only four New Yorkers to do so. This presentation explores his life and times, culminating in the historic signing of the Declaration on August 2, 1776.

Holiday Closure: The museum will be closed on Saturday, May 23, for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
05/21/2026

Holiday Closure: The museum will be closed on Saturday, May 23, for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

America 250 LECTURE: “Long Island and the American Revolution” presented by Noel Gish. Saturday, May 30, 2026 – 1:00 PM....
05/13/2026

America 250 LECTURE: “Long Island and the American Revolution” presented by Noel Gish. Saturday, May 30, 2026 – 1:00 PM.

Cost: $8; members free. Includes light refreshments. Registration and nonrefundable prepayment required: 631-727-2881 x100.

Few Long Islanders realize the important role our island played in the American Revolution--from signers of the Declaration of Independence, to the largest battle of the war fought on our soil, to a daring and successful spy ring and the bold whaleboat raids on British strongholds, Long Island stood at the center of the struggle.

Join us for an opening reception on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 1:00 pm for a new America 250 Exhibit: For the Blessings of...
05/01/2026

Join us for an opening reception on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 1:00 pm for a new America 250 Exhibit:

For the Blessings of Liberty - Suffolk County and the American Revolution.

Admission: $5 adults, $3 seniors, $1 children, members free. Light refreshments will be served.

On August 27th, 1776, the American army under command of General George Washington suffered defeat by the British at the Battle of Brooklyn. Washington's army retreated, and Long Island would be under British control for the next seven years – longer than any other part of America.

Nearly a third of Suffolk County residents were able to flee to the mainland, but for those left behind – by choice or necessity – those seven years would be filled with uncertainty, divided loyalties, curfews, raids and confiscation, forced labor, and demands of the ever-present British soldiers.

Through our collection of historical artifacts – some of which are on display for the first time – the Suffolk County Historical Society explores this crucial period in our county's history to examine the dear price we paid for the "Blessings of Liberty."

Suffolk County Historical Society MUSEUM
300 W. Main St., Riverhead, NY 11901
631.727.2881 www.SuffolkCountyHistoricalSociety.org
Gallery Hours: Weds. -Sat., 10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., excluding holidays.

BOOK & BOTTLE Lecture: My Grandfather & Albert Einstein, with Ron Rothman. Saturday, May 2, 2026 - 1:00 PM.Members Free,...
04/24/2026

BOOK & BOTTLE Lecture: My Grandfather & Albert Einstein, with Ron Rothman. Saturday, May 2, 2026 - 1:00 PM.
Members Free, Non-Members $8. Includes refreshments. Registration + non-refundable prepayment required. *Seating is limited!* Call 631-727-2881 X100 to reserve your spot!

Ron Rothman will recount fascinating stories about the unique relationship between his grandfather, David Rothman, and Albert Einstein, including the real story about Einstein's sandals, as well as other anecdotes, diary entries, and footnotes that provide insight into the summer of 1939 when Einstein spent the summer in Southold Town.

This event will include a Book Sale & Signing. The author will offer copies of his book for sale at $16.95 each (cash, credit, Venmo, or Apple Pay).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ron Rothman, a North Fork resident, is an artist, musician, shopkeeper, owner of Rothman’s Guitars and Rothman’s Department. Along with "My Grandfather and Albert Einstein," his first book, "Harmony, the People’s Guitar," is the only published book on the Harmony Guitar Co. and the instruments it produced.

Address

300 W Main Street
Riverhead, NY
11901

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm
Thursday 10am - 4:30pm
Friday 10am - 4:30pm
Saturday 10am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+16317272881

Website

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