Vanderbilt Museum

About

The Vanderbilt Museum is a natural-history museum, historic mansion, planetarium and park located on the 43-acre summer estate of railroad heir and global explorer William K. Vanderbilt II (1878-1944). The estate, Eagle’s Nest, is an excellent example of the storied Long Island Gold Coast era, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Vanderbilt is engaged in education, collections, and programming. The state-of-the-art Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium is a popular year-round venue for education, live music, and entertainment, as well as for educational programming for schools. Plans for 2016 include opening the Under the Stars Café in the Planetarium, where a family can have a relaxing lunch or a couple can enjoy wine and cheese to enhance an evening visit. In addition, the Vanderbilt Gift Shop sells an intriguing variety of space and science-related gift items, books and toys for all ages. The Vanderbilt, opened to the public in 1950, just celebrated its 65th anniversary.