You can now donate online to the Vanderbilt Museum, click on the link below...
At the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, we're celebrating the centennial of our beginnings—William K. Vanderbilt II purchased the land for his landmark Eagle's Nest estate on May 27, 1910—and have planned an exciting calendar of summer events, programs and theater.
The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum is located in Centerport, New York on William K. Vanderbilt II's spectacular 43-acre, "Gold Coast" estate. Acquired in 1947, the museum opened in 1950. Vanderbilt's will stipulated that the estate was to be dedicated to the "education and enjoyment of the public" and "enhanced" as a museum. A planetarium was built by the county in 1970. The facility is the legacy of a man with the resources to conduct collecting expeditions worldwide. The great-grandson of railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt, William K. collected natural history specimens, ethnographic artifacts, fine and decorative arts. Today's museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
As a public institution, the museum offers visitors the opportunity to pursue Vanderbilt's passion - to discover personal interests for the pure pleasure of learning. Today, the museum sponsors a wide variety of public programs that promote an appreciation for the marvelous diversity of life on our planet.