I wanted to take my son and perhaps offer him some inspiration only to find out that they were…read moreclosed and did not seem as if they were ever really Open in the past. Even when you google the business stating its operational hours. When I called there was no response. Looking through the glass window it seemed very underwhelming. Shame.

While exploring the new Samanea mall in Westbury, I came across the MOUA.. Museum of Urban Arts…read more Intrigued, I walked in and saw a beautiful gallery of urban art (aka graffiti style art), from a plethora of artists. There must have been over 200 paintings, of all genres, many of which were created by extremely talented women artists. If I didn't have somewhere to be that evening, I could have spent several hours, if not the entire day, observing and admiring all of the details in each piece. When it comes to graffiti and urban art, it can be easy to dismiss the genre as just some quick phrases or tags created haphazardly with a spray can.. but the truth of the matter that these works and those like it require fine precision. Judging by the details of all the pieces on display, the artists featured also employ a multitude of applications and techniques beyond spray cans, such as pen & ink, paint brushes, stencils and freehand. With that being said, creating art using a spray paint can is extremely challenging and requires many years of practice to master.. so it is nothing to scoff at! Thank you MOUA for coming to Long Island and showcasing such incredible work! I look forward to coming back soon.

Took the kids to the museum, and they had so much fun exploring all the exhibits! The bubble…read morestation is always a classic and a huge favorite. I loved that the staff was right there, constantly cleaning up the extra bubbles and adding more soap to keep the fun going. The giant blue blocks section was so cool, too--the kids built a ton of different things and had a blast destroying them afterward! The old-school phones are always a fun classic, and they absolutely loved the animal section upstairs. It was a perfect day out for the family! ¡Llevé a los niños al museo y se divirtieron muchísimo explorando todas las exhibiciones! La estación de las burbujas siempre es un clásico y una de sus favoritas. Me encantó que el personal estuviera ahí mismo, limpiando constantemente el exceso de burbujas y agregando más jabón para que no parara la diversión. La sección de los bloques azules gigantes también estuvo genial; ¡los niños construyeron muchísimas cosas y se divirtieron un mundo destruyéndolas después! Los teléfonos antiguos siempre son un clásico muy divertido, y les fascinó la sección de los animales en el piso de arriba. ¡Fue un día perfecto en familia!

I had went to the Long Island, Childrens museum twice and absolutely loved it. I want the first…read moretime around with just me and my son. I was there for an hour and a half. He had a really great time and talk about a 2 to 3 hour nap. He didn't fully understand everything, considering he is 16 months old, but he did have a fun time while he was there. There is an area for children his age so he can play around there, but I was able to have him run around and play everywhere else. He didn't care for the bubbles area, but absolutely loved the sand corner that they have. There is a little sandbox for the kids so that way toddlers can go and play it if they wanted to. He loved going up and down the stairs and playing in the block area as well. When I first went, I didn't use what the library offered. Which if you put in that you have a library card, you and a child can get in for free for the day. My husband did come with us when I made the day through the library, but considering he got the library card and showed them that he had it, he was able to pay half the price. Which was nine dollars for us. Otherwise it would have been $18. It was a great time for my son and we were there for almost 2 hours as he was running around the place. If you do want to go more often, I know they offer a family packages. I also know that you can get a two-year package and a one-year package. The basic one-year package is $200. Which if that is the only thing you can afford is totally worth it. Especially on days where it is too cold to stay outside or it is raining. I know the other packages offer more stuff, but they are a little bit more expensive. This place is great considering that they do have events each week. That is great for all different ages. This is a place. I will definitely be taking my son more and once I have more kids will be taking them there as well.

A visit to Old Westbury Gardens is always a wonderful experience, but it's especially spectacular…read morein June when the roses are in full bloom. The gardens are beautifully maintained, the grounds are peaceful and relaxing, and every path seems to lead to another picture-perfect view. Based on many recent positive visitor reviews, people consistently praise the stunning landscapes, historic mansion, tranquil atmosphere, and endless photo opportunities. I'm giving it 5 stars because it's truly a beautiful place to spend a couple of hours. Whether you want to leisurely stroll through the gardens, take lots of photos, or do a little of both, about two hours feels just right. There's also plenty of free parking, which makes visiting easy. While the current admission price of $22 per adult feels a bit high, the beauty of the property and the overall experience still make it worth the visit. Throughout the year they host great special events, including classic car shows and an incredible illuminated pumpkin trail before Halloween that has become a Long Island favorite.

Had a great time at Old Westbury Gardens checking out the flowers in bloom. There were a lot of…read morepeople taking wedding and graduation photos. There was a Lego exhibit with all sorts of creations ranging from a monarch butterfly to hummingbird to snail on a mushroom. I definitely recommend checking Google maps using Google Earth view before you go because we ended up getting lost and couldn't find the entrance for 15 minutes. A lot of local libraries do offer Old Westbury Gardens passes so definitely check out your local library before purchasing tickets to see if they're available!

I spent most of my childhood in Connecticut and somehow I don't ever remember visiting the Peabody…read moreMuseum of Natural History. I was visiting the nutmeg for a wedding a few weeks back when I found myself in New Haven with some friends and some time to kill. We were going to get some food, but figured it was a good time to go and check out the museum before hand. From the second I walked inside this place, I did not expect it to be as big as it was. This place is absolutely massive and stretches across multiple floors and a bunch of different exhibits on each floor. You have large exhibits dedicated to dinosaurs, sea creatures, butterflies, and a ton of extremely old things on display. I definitely spent the most time in the dinosaur room as well as a room full of taxidermy. The taxidermy room had raccoons, bears, large cats, and most importantly, some of the cutest red pandas I've ever seen in my life. I ended up running out of time sadly, but the time I spent here was an absolute blast. Overall, the Peabody Museum of Natural History is such a cool place to spend a few hours. I had a blast checking out all the different exhibits and of course, I had to hit up the gift shop for a magnet and a Yale Peabody shirt. I can't wait to check back in again on my next visit to Connecticut.

Lots of Dino's which made the person I was with happy. Very little on Egypt for me but I'm…read moresurprised they had anything. Gorgeous gem collection. It's a free museum so you can't complain. It will keep you entertained for at least an hour or two. The AC was on blast for the number. They blocked the parking lot which was annoying.

LOVED spyscape! Amazing for family or group event. Clean facility and well coordinated from staff…read more It was a nice break from the hustle! The staff was beyond helpful finding a lost piece of jewelry! Forever grateful for their professionalism and diligence with recovery!!

This was such a fun and unique experience! I surprised my boyfriend with this for his birthday, and…read morehe absolutely loved it. The challenges, puzzles, and games really make you think--you definitely have to process the clues carefully! There are multiple levels to complete, and throughout the experience you're asked questions that determine what type of agent you are, which was a really cool touch. It was challenging, but in the best way. Now that I understand how everything works, I definitely want to go back and do it again to see if I can do even better! If you're looking for something interactive, different, and a lot of fun, I highly recommend checking this place out. We'll definitely be back!

So being a mom of twins I look for things to do to keep my kids entertained. That being said this…read moreis the place. I arrived at opening and it was so quiet. So much to see and explore. Buttons to push that kiddos would love. Planes to climb into and explore, videos to watch and friendly staff to chat with. Absolutely friendly staff that are willing to go above and beyond to explain things and make your kids say wow. If you have space lovers like I do there minds will be blown. I stayed 2 and a half hours and tired out my kids. There is also a playroom for the kids to explore space themed of course. A nice seating area to eat or order food. We brought a lunch and enjoyed it. There are tons of bathrooms so if you're with littles you don't have to worry rushing to find one. It's also in walking distance to a carousel, the LICM and fire museum. So if you want to do more plenty of spaces to explore. Not to mention how clean everything was.

"I feel the need, the need for speed."…read more Our family including the littles always enjoyed the annual Memorial Day Airshow featuring the Blue Angels at Jones Beach. Given the Cradle of Aviation Museum's proximity, I was surprised that none of my family's grown-ups had ever visited. Located in Garden City, the lesson here at this museum is that Long Island's aviation history is deep. Who knew that the majority of inventors and explorers of aviation began right here on the Island? If you're curious about this stuff, look it up, it's quite interesting. This museum is much larger than I thought, and houses original aircraft pieces as well as large replicas. There's also a ton of hands-on features and cockpits to sit in with instruments, knobs and buttons to fiddle with. We also attended one of the Planetarium's five hour-long shows in its giant, domed screen. Once the show started it garnered a few 'oohs' and 'ahhs' from the kids. It was quite tickling to hear their curiosities piqued. :-) A special note of thanks goes to all the docents, ready and eager to answer all our questions. And kudos to them for being exceptionally kind and patient with the littles. TIP: Free parking on premises

A Long Island gem. There's free parking, a paved path with views of sculptures and different visas…read more( about a mile), and multiple trails. In the museum building you'll find changing exhibits, works by famous artists from Long Island, and more. Most days there are tours of the museum's collection at 2pm and on Saturday's there is also a 1pm mansion tour.

So I've been here a couple of times and this is such a lovely space. Not only do they hold weddings…read moreat the mansion here there is a lovely paved path along the sculpture garden. There is also a hidden hike behind the woods that loops around the sculpt garden. It's about a one mile loop.

We got a Groupon for this place, which makes the price a lot more reasonable. They don't open until…read more1 pm on the weekends, and on Saturdays they don't even give guided tours. Instead, they give an "augmented reality" audio tour which is kind of hit or miss. The house was preserved for the historical significance of the Townsend family, one of which was a spy for George Washington. I didn't feel there was a ton of information on the family though. Pointing their phone at the different objects in a room turned on audio about them, but only a couple of rooms in the actual house were interactive. The rest didn't have signs, and one loan employee was around to answer questions at the end. The exhibit in the visitor center was nice though. I just don't think the AR experience was really up to replacing a person, both in amount of information and the uncanny valley, unnerving portraits. There is street parking and a nearby lot that are free on weekends. The gift shop is minimal. It was an okay spot to visit, but I would recommend coming on Sunday or whenever they offer actual tours to get a more thorough understanding of the house and the history of the people who lived here.

We went here on a winter weekend, and were fortunate to have the builsings to ourselves. The…read morehelpful staff took out modest admission fee and explained that they don't do tours on Saturdays but they do have tour devices using augmented reality. That means that when you walk through the buildings, you scan the cell phone device on important paintings and artifacts and they talk to you with further information about who or what they are. The small building that contains the entrance is packed with paintings, dioramas, documents and artifacts. Next you walk to the main house, built in the 1730's, and housing the Townsend family. At the time of the Revolutionary War, Samuel had to make room for a British colonel. In spite of the fact that he sympathised with the patriots, he maintained good relations with his "Guest." At the time of the war, the house had eight rooms. One of his sons was one of the leaders of the Culpepper Spy Ring, Placing the home on the National Registry of Historic Places. Each room was elegantly decorated, with the exception of the space for the enslaved housekeeper. In spite of the fact that we didn't get a formal tour, the staff member tagged along with us and kept up a spirited conversation - even giving us a bonus look at the Victorian wing which doubled the size of the structure. The house is said to be haunted, of course. Very highly recommended. The full set of photos can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/terryballard/albums/72177720323110655

Stopped here on a spur of the moment before we headed to the airport. Very cool grounds to explore…read moreand walk around. Didn't expect it at all and very pleasantly surprised.

Loved walking around it's a free stop very cool. Lots of poison ivy. But beautiful…read more Thy have two parking lots. Some hill walk. Beautiful views of the harbor in Roslyn. It had beautiful flowers blooming. Lots of area have shade but great breeze. Although the home wasn't open it has great garden areas good.