Join Us for International Astronomy Day
The Vanderbilt Reichert Planetarium will celebrate Astronomy Day 2024 on Saturday, May 18, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. Astronomy Day at the Vanderbilt is part of an international celebration of educational programs designed to engage audiences in the awe-inspiring fields of Earth and space science. Activities are free to all visitors who pay general admission. Sponsored by PSEG Long Island.
This Vanderbilt STEM education event will include exciting science, take-home materials, and engaging discussion about science and society. Participants will create nebula spin art, investigate constellations, explore craters, and much more!
These fun activities introduce guests to the ongoing research happening at NASA in the fields of Earth science, planetary science, and astrophysics. Astronomy educators will perform free earth science and astronomy demonstrations for adults and children.
CLICK HERE to purchase General Admission Tickets for 5/18/24
CLICK HERE to view the Planetarium Show Schedule
Note: All planetarium show tickets include general admission (access to the exhibits in the Vanderbilt Mansion, Marine Museum, all grounds and gardens, and our Astronomy Day celebration).
Toolkits were developed for these demonstrations by the National Informal Science Education Network (NISE NET).
Members of the Astronomical Society of Long Island, an astronomy club based at the Reichert Planetarium, will display telescopes and give short presentations on how to use them.
Weather permitting, there will be solar telescopes available so guests may safely look at details on the surface of the Sun.
Us and Floyd: Two Live Shows on Saturday, June 1
Join Us and Floyd in the Planetarium for two dazzling live performances – in sync with two stunning Pink Floyd laser light shows: The Wall and Dark Side of the Moon.
Advance tickets online: adults $35, members $30; ages 15 and under $30. At the door: adults $40, members $30; ages 15 and under $30.
This tribute band strives to perform accurate recreations of the timeless music of Pink Floyd. These nine professional musicians grew up as avid Floyd fans and incorporate their knowledge of the band and its history into every live show. Their collective appreciation for Floyd is evident in the passion and precision of their performances.
Us and Floyd has been playing in New York area music venues and throughout the Northeast for many years. The band has performed at venues that include Mauch Chunk Opera House in Pennsylvania, The Space at Westbury, the Great South Bay Music Festival, New York State Fair, Citifield, and Foxwoods Casino. Visit http://www.usandfloyd.com/
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7:00pm: The Wall Laser Show, PLUS hits from Dark Side of the Moon
9:00pm: Dark Side of the Moon Laser Show, PLUS hits from The Wall
Planetarium’s New Show: Laser AC/CD
The Vanderbilt Museum’s Reichert Planetarium has premiered Laser AC/DC, which features the popular music of the legendary Australian rock band and is shown on Fridays through May 17 at 9:00 pm. Laser Grateful Dead has returned and is showing on Saturdays through May 18 at 9:00 pm.
AC/DC’s groundbreaking classic hard rock from the 70s, 80s, and 90s comes to life in this laser spectacular.
Songs include For Those About to Rock, Dirty Deeds, Money Talks, Hard as a Rock, Shot Down in Flames, and many more!
The Grateful Dead, considered by many to be America’s greatest cosmic rock & roll band. From kaleidoscopic psychedelia to homespun country rock, to epic live jams and beyond , The Grateful Dead created songs that are woven into the very fabric of music itself. Now experience “The Dead” on a whole other level – through laser light!
Songs include Touch of Grey, Fire on the Mountain, Truckin’, Scarlet Begonias, Ripple, and many more!
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Forest Bathing: Exploring Our Landscape in a New Way
Saturday, June 1, from 9:00 to 10:30 am
Join us for our first forest bathing experience at the Vanderbilt Museum. Based on the Japanese Shinrin-yoku, Long Island’s first certified forest therapy guide, Linda Lombardo, will lead a gentle 90-minute wander through the grounds. We’ll stop and connect with the land, the trees, and the water with invitations designed to slow us down, be present, and notice what we usually just walk past.
Our forest bathing event ends with a tea ceremony, something herbal that could be foraged from the land, and healthy light snacks.
Ages 18+. Please wear closed shoes and clothing suitable for being outdoors. Linda will bring organic insect repellent. You’re welcome to bring your own.
Space is limited. Advance registration is required.
$40 Guests/$36 Members
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To learn more about Linda visit www.wildheartnatureconnection.com
Maggie’s Mission Annual Gala Set for Vanderbilt Museum
Maggie’s Mission will hold its Seven in Heaven Angelversary Gala at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum on Friday, May 31, from 6:00 to 10:00 pm. The event will begin with live music and cocktails in the courtyard at 6:00, followed by a champagne toast in the celebration tent at 7:30, and an evening filled with love, music, and inspiration.
The annual event honors and celebrates Long Island teenager Maggie Schmidt’s love of life and children. Donna DeSousa-Schmidt and Steve Schmidt founded Maggie’s Mission in memory of their daughter in 2017. Proceeds help to fund pediatric cancer research, treatment, and support services for affected children and their families.
“We really try to make it a celebration of life,” DeSousa-Schmidt said. “As much as it is a fundraiser, we make it a celebration of Maggie’s love of life and children, centering the evening around things she loved. We want people to have fun and enjoy themselves.
“This year, in addition to boho-chic flower crowns, we’ll have a Coachella vibe going throughout the evening with face painting, decor, and more.”
Tickets are $250. Please RSVP by May 17.
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Tours Explore Vanderbilt Architecture and Collections
Take an intriguing walking tour of the Vanderbilt Estate with knowledgeable Museum educators. Learn about the history of the Eagle’s Nest estate; Warren & Wetmore’s design and exterior architectural details of the 24-room Spanish Revival mansion; and the striking ironwork of Samuel Yellin, considered the greatest iron artisan of the early 20th century, and visit the marine, natural history, and cultural artifact collections
Created by the Vanderbilt Museum Education Department, the first 2024 tour will be offered on Friday, June 28, from 12:00 to 1:00 pm. Others are scheduled for July 27, August 25, September 28, and October 20.
Tickets, which include general admission, are available for purchase ONLY at the door: Adults $16; seniors/students $15; children under 12, $14; and members free.
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Beth Laxer-Limmer, Associate Director of Education, said, “The grounds are beautiful during the summer and the walking tour is a perfect way to be introduced to the history of the estate. There is an abundance of beauty in the eclectic architecture and the unique details that reflect William Vanderbilt’s interests.”
William K. Vanderbilt II (1878-1944) spent summers at his Eagle’s Nest estate and mansion on Northport Bay between 1910 and 1944. He and his wife, Rosamond, hosted intimate gatherings and entertained well-known guests, such as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Pierre Cartier, Conde Nast, Charles Lindbergh, and the Tiffanys. Eagle’s Nest is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Journey Through Space? Step Right This Way.
The Reichert Planetarium – with full-dome video, surround sound, and 197 comfortable new seats – will take you on enthralling, immersive journeys through the Solar System.
On Friday and Saturday nights, you can enjoy two amazing astronomy shows and very popular laser music shows.
The Planetarium offers great daytime programming for children and adults Friday through Sunday
On Friday at 8:00 pm, it’s FREE to observe the night sky in the Observatory (weather permitting).
Show ScheduleName a New Chair in the Reichert Planetarium
When you name a new chair in the Vanderbilt Reichert Planetarium chair, you support innovative planetarium education and entertainment programming.
Observe a milestone, honor a loved one, or name a chair for your family or organization.
Dedicate | Celebrate | Recognize | Memorialize
Your nameplate will remain in place for the life of the seat. (It does not reserve the use of the seat.)
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Give a Unique Gift That Will Last a Lifetime
Looking for a fresh, unique, everlasting gift for a loved one?
Purchase and engrave a brick that will become a permanent part of the Vanderbilt Museum.
Your donation will help the Vanderbilt to bring outstanding science, history, and art education to more than 25,000 students annually.
Your brick will be installed and displayed in your favorite brick walkway around the Vanderbilt Mansion and Terrace, or on the 43-acre grounds of the beautiful waterfront Estate.
For more information, email jaimie@vanderbiltmuseum.org.
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‘Laser Taylor Swift’ Extended through September 1
Showings of the Vanderbilt Reichert Planetarium‘s wildly popular new show, Laser Taylor Swift, have been extended through September 1. If you were not able to see one of her shows on the Eras tour, Laser Taylor Swift is the next best thing!
With more than 200 million records sold, a shelf full of Grammys, and an army of fans, Taylor Swift is an inspiration for generations. This dynamic show takes her biggest hits and brings them to life in dazzling laser light.
Tickets: $18. (Free for Museum members.)
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Setlist: You Need To Calm Down, Love Story, Anti-Hero Exile, Look What You Made Me Do, Willow, Lavender Haze, I Knew You Were Trouble, Blank Space, You Belong With Me, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, Shake It Off.
‘Haunting Menagerie’, Museum’s First Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition
Wendy Klemperer
On Earth Day, April 22, 2023, the Vanderbilt Museum debuted Wendy Klemperer: Wrought Taxonomies, the first exhibition of outdoor sculpture at the historic summer estate of William Kissam Vanderbilt II.
Wendy Klemperer’s sculptures—a haunting assemblage of animal forms that span imaginary, endangered, familiar, and exotic species—celebrate natural history and the nonhuman world through evocative interactions with the surrounding environment.
Using materials salvaged from scrapyards, she composes ecological narratives that respond to the history and collections of Suffolk County’s first public park and museum. Her brilliant use of gestural lines captures the spectator’s attention and invites museumgoers to reflect on the relationship between an interest in animal life and the incessant push of human industry.
Wrought Taxonomies is the inaugural exhibition in the Vanderbilt Museum’s outdoor sculpture program and the institution’s second exhibition of contemporary art focused on the relationship between culture and animals. Visitors will see large pieces visitors as they stroll the grounds of the Vanderbilt, one of the few remaining Long Island Gold Coast mansions. Smaller pieces suspended from trees wait to be discovered along the Vanderbilt’s hiking trail. Other works will be found near garden areas and the Marine Museum.
The Vanderbilt Museum occupies the former Gold Coast mansion and estate of William Kissam Vanderbilt II, the great-grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt and a pioneer of American motorsport. Located in Centerport on the north shore of Long Island, it is renowned for its extensive marine and natural history collections, Spanish revival architecture, and picturesque parklands.
All sculptures are viewable with general admission to the Museum grounds. Educational programs and workshops associated with the themes and content of Wendy Klemperer: Wrought Taxonomies will be offered throughout the exhibition. Special thanks are due to the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, whose generous support made Wrought Taxonomies possible. The exhibition will run through April 2025.
Visitors are encouraged, during these weeks of mild autumn weather, to enjoy a picnic on the grounds.
Vanderbilt Wine Supports Education, Preservation
The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum has partnered with Old York Cellars to create a special selection of wines – your purchase will support the Museum’s preservation efforts and education programs.
Eagle’s Nest, the waterfront estate of William K. Vanderbilt II, is the home of the Vanderbilt Museum and Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium.
Help us preserve this vital piece of local and national history. STEM education programs are based on Vanderbilt’s marine, natural history, and cultural artifact collections. Educational planetarium offerings are provided to more than 25,000 schoolchildren each year. Please purchase wine today and support our mission.
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