Exhibits & Events

For full details and to register for any of the Suffolk County Historical Society's upcoming events, please call: (631) 727-2881.

UPCOMING JAZZ CONCERT!
THE NATE LUCAS ALL-STARS:
Featuring Nate Lucas & Friends!
Saturday, July 12, 2025 – 1:00 pm

Members free; Non-Members $5. Includes light refreshments. Reservation Required at 631-727-2881 x100.

As an accompanying program to our current "Harlem Blues & Jazz Band" exhibit, we will present another jazz concert performance, on July 12 at 1:00 PM, featuring "The Nate Lucas All-Stars" led by Nate Lucas, son of Max Lucas of Harlem Blues and Jazz Band. This talented ensemble - which includes Lucas on organ, John Smith on guitar, and John Cooksey on drums - will bring the sounds of Harlem to Suffolk County!

Harlem Blues and Jazz Band was formed in 1973, when a passionate music aficionado, Dr. Al Vollmer, recognized that a significant pool of the great NYC jazz musicians of the 1920s and 30s had retired as musicians. Motivated to revive their talents, Vollmer encouraged these talented artists to pick up their instruments once again, and Harlem Blues and Jazz Band was formed. The band was established not only to continue the legacy of the country’s greatest jazz ensembles but also to pay homage to the genre's roots: The Blues.

150 YEARS OF JEWISH COMMUNITY ON LONG ISLAND
An exhibit presented by the
Jewish Historical Society of Long Island

The first synagogue on Long Island was incorporated in 1875 in Lindenhurst. Celebrate 150 years of Jewish communal gathering in Nassau and Suffolk counties by visiting this stunning exhibit of historic Torahs, books, documents, and artifacts collected from around Long Island. Featured in the Suffolk County Historical Society Museum's Weathervane Gallery, now through November 2025.

HARLEM BLUES & JAZZ BAND
Exhibit showcasing the history of the
Harlem Blues and Jazz Band
Open in our Gish Gallery

Harlem Blues and Jazz Band was formed in 1973, when a passionate music aficionado, Dr. Al Vollmer, recognized that a significant pool of the great NYC jazz musicians of the 1920s and 30s had retired as musicians. Motivated to revive their talents, Vollmer encouraged these talented artists to pick up their instruments once again, and Harlem Blues and Jazz Band was formed. The band was established not only to honor the legacy of the country's greatest jazz ensembles but also to pay homage to the genre's roots: The Blues.

A SPORTSMAN'S PARADISE:
Man and Nature in Suffolk County's Past

From New York City's wealthy elite to the resident locals making a living here, Long Island has been recognized as a mecca for sportsmen (and sportswomen) for over 150 years, earning its own exhibition at the National Sportsman's Show from 1895 to the 1940s. Illustrating how hunting evolved from necessity to popular sport, eventually leading to the introduction of protective conservation laws, this exhibition will explore how the "sporting life" – through job opportunities, increased rail traffic, hotel and resort development, and eventual wildlife conservation – influenced our way of life on Long Island. Through an amazing assortment of hunting equipment, hand-carved decoys, duck boats, fishing gear, themed toys, clothing, magazines, and more, A Sportsman's Paradise explores all that Suffolk County offered to those who were seeking its natural rewards. Exhibit curated by Jamie Reason. Exhibit design by Joshua Cortez. In our Grand Staas Gallery January – October 2024.

SUFFOLK COUNTY: A TIMELINE EXPERIENCE!
New Permanent Exhibit Opens to the Public
June 3, 2023
Gallery hours: 10:00am to 4:30pm
(excluding holiday weekends)
Designed as the new core of the Suffolk County Historical Society Museum, this new interactive permanent exhibit, “a museum within a museum,” provides a comprehensive timeline of over 200 historically significant moments that shaped Suffolk County into the vibrant community it is today. From the geological formation of Long Island, to the arrival of its indigenous people, moving forward through history to modern times, our greatest residents and achievements figure prominently in this exhibition celebrating our history, our heritage, and our people. Our story is told through over 200 artifacts and documents, photos, digital screens, and interactive digital experiences that will delight every visitor, while walking guests through our history, century by century.

This exhibit is funded in part by the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, with additional support from Roberta Cooper in memory of James B. Cooper III and the Cooper Family.

MASTERS OF METAL:
Suffolk County's Early Silversmiths
In our History in the Hall Display Cases
In March 2020, the Suffolk County Historical Society secured a significant acquisition of over 100 pieces of silver crafted by Suffolk County's earliest known silversmiths. With works by Joel, John, and Paul Sayre, Elias Pelletreau, B. Coleman, and Col. David Hedges, this display case exhibit glistens with the handcrafted work of these fine eighteenth-century artisans. The SCHS Board of Trustees is proud to present this notable collection, exhibited for the first time.

Silversmithing was one of the earliest arts practiced in the American colonies. As early as 1638, just eight years after Boston had been settled, fourteen-year-old from Boston named John Hull is documented to have been apprenticed to his half-brother Richard Storer to learn the art of crafting in silver. The increase of silver coins available in the colonies added to the growing importance of silversmiths. Early American silversmiths were influenced by both Dutch and English designs, but eventually there evolved an “American” style – simple and sturdy in design, substantial in weight, and well crafted.

BE A WITNESS TO HISTORY!
The Suffolk County Historical Society invites you to be a witness to our living history. Please consider sharing your COVID-19 experiences for our historic archives. Email your stories to: librarian@schs-museum.org. Be sure to put "COVID-19" in your subject line and to include your location and contact information.

ONGOING

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE!
Please join the Suffolk County Historical Society and support local history preservation. Founded in 1886, SCHS is a non-profit organization that collects and preserves the rich history of Suffolk County. We operate a history museum, an expansive library and archives, and a multitude of events, programs, and educational lectures and workshops. Our unique and ever-growing collection of artifacts reflects more than three centuries of local history. Visit our website or call 631-727-2881 for more information.

SCHS PHOTO OF THE WEEK SERIES!
To subscribe to our popular Photo of the Week Series, send an email to librarian Wendy Polhemus-Annibell: wannibell@schs-museum.org.

OFF-SITE EXHIBITIONS

SUFFOLK COUNTY PINE BARRENS PICTORIAL EXHIBIT
On display at the Suffolk County Water Authority Education Center in Hauppauge. A standing display on loan from the Suffolk County Historical Society provides an overview of the history of the Pine Barrens and the critical role this region plays in the protection of Suffolk County's precious groundwater. The SCWA Education Center is located at 260 Motor Pkwy, Hauppauge, NY.