Nassau County Parks, Recreation and Museums
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County Park System
Nassau County manages more than 70 parks, preserves, museums, historic properties, and athletic facilities comprising 6,000 acres throughout the county. These range from the 930-acre Eisenhower Park in East Meadow to the beautifully renovated 2-acre Centennial Park in Roosevelt to the Garvies Point Museum and Preserve in Glen Cove.
The parks system provides a tremendous variety of experiences for residents and visitors. Eisenhower Park features the Nassau County Aquatic Center, one of the finest swimming facilities in the country, along with three excellent 18-hole golf courses, including the championship "Red" course. In summer, Eisenhower’s Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre is a center for entertainment, including a full schedule of concerts and classic movies under the stars.
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Museums & Preserves
Garvies Point nature preserve consists of 62 acres of glacial moraine covered by woodlands, thickets, meadows, and two ponds with a 2,000 foot shoreline along Hempstead Harbor. With 5 miles of nature trails, visitors can enjoy many points of interest including the Garvie Family Cemetery.
Meanwhile, the Sands Point Preserve offers visitors access to an historic and magnificent North Shore property with a variety of trails and buildings, bordered by the Long Island Sound.
Those facilities are joined by numerous other preserves and museums operated by the county, such as Tackapausha in Seaford, which provides a window into many of the natural habitats of Long Island. The African American Museum in Hempstead has a steady schedule of exhibits and programs celebrating both local and national African American artists and historic figures, while the Cradle of Aviation Museum chronicles Long Island’s many contributions to American aviation.
Old Bethpage Village Restoration, a living history museum, gives the visitor a glimpse into Long Island life in the 19th century, and also hosts several weekend events, as well as the very popular and entertaining Long Island Fair.
In a densely populated area like Nassau County, the parks system plays a critical role in preserving open space, providing outlets for physical activities, and generally enhancing the quality of life. The government of Nassau County encourages all residents to make use of the wealth of wonderful assets in the county’s parks system.