SITE IMPROVEMENTS HELP US BETTER SERVE OUR COMMUNITY!
While tens of thousands of school children and general visitors bring a wonderful sense of excitement and energy to the Museum every year, our buildings and grounds bear the brunt of this constant use and ever-increasing activity. LIM has initiated several important projects to help plan for the maintenance and enhancement of its 14 buildings and nine-acre campus. Please read more below, and follow this link to our donation page to help support this important work.
ALL VISITORS SHOULD HAVE AN ACCESSIBLE, ENJOYABLE, AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE!
Transforming the LIM campus into a more cohesive, engaging space better positioned to showcase the Museum’s renowned collections, temporary art installations, historic buildings, and beautiful outdoor areas.
Site improvement priorities include:
- Site accessibility and ADA compliance
- Signage and wayfinding
- Collections storage
- Enhancement and expansion of exhibition galleries
- Renovation of LIM Visitors Center & Gift Shop
- Construction of a natural outdoor Amphitheater
- Renovation of LIM Blacksmith Shop
- Energy usage and Green Energy alternatives
- Routine buildings and grounds maintenance
You will begin to see both subtle and dramatic changes to the LIM’s buildings and grounds in the months and years to come. Keep an eye out for exciting developments and contact us for more information or to learn about how you can help!
ABOUT THE PROJECTS
The LIM Visitors Center & Gift Shop Restoration Project
LIM Visitors Center & Gift Shop Awaiting Renovation
In 2018, the LIM was awarded a $300,000 SAM grant by then NYS Senator Flanagan, for the purpose of renovating our Visitors Center and Gift Shop. The grant, which is being administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY), will in part fund this hugely important project for the LIM and our community. Unfortunately, New York State has yet to make this funding available to the Museum, but we continue to advocate for its disbursement and encourage you to contact us at sabruzzi@longislandmuseum.org if you wish to help get in touch with NYS elected officials.
Closed to the public since 2009, a reimagined and renovated LIM Visitors Center & Gift Shop will:
- Set the tone for an inviting and interactive experience for museum visitors.
- Create the space and appropriate setting into which we can invite a diverse group of local and regional artists, craftspeople, and limited production makers to sell their wares.
- Turn the museum shop into a destination in its own right and help increase retail traffic in the Stony Brook Village area.
- Create jobs, both during the renovation and after the new building is open.
- Generate income that will aid the LIM in fulfilling its mission of inspiring people of all ages with an understanding and enjoyment of American art, history and carriages as expressed through the heritage of Long Island and its diverse communities.
The LIM Amphitheater Project
Future site of the LIM Amphitheater
As a way to further enhance the visitor experience, community engagement, and site accessibility, the LIM has initiated a project to transform the green space at the heart of its campus into a natural outdoor amphitheater through the mild regrading of the hill that leads to the Art Museum. This will allow the LIM to make better use of the Museum grounds, ensure that the property is accessible to all visitors, enhance the visibility of the Art Museum, improve parking and site safety, and further engage local music and theater organizations by providing an enhanced outdoor performance space. The Amphitheater will provide the community a functional and uniquely beautiful outdoor space to enjoy, something that has become even more important since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Core Benefits of LIM Amphitheater Project Include:
- Site Accessibility for Visitors of All Ages and Abilities
- Improved Parking & Site Safety
- Beautification of the LIM Site
- Enhancement of the LIM’s Education Programs
- Enhancement of the LIM’s Entertainment Programming & Fundraising Activities
Blacksmith Shop Restoration Project
Interior of Blacksmith Shop; Photo by Brian Kutner
Help us recover a vital resource to the LIM’s education programming by donating to the restoration of our 19th-century blacksmith’s shop. In February 2023, the Samuel H. West Blacksmith Shop sustained damage from high winds. While the building has been stabilized, it now requires significant repairs to ensure it is safe to reopen for visitors.
Although first built in 1834, the shop was completely reconstructed between 1875 and 1893 by Samuel H. West (1853-1938). West used the space for various trades, including farriery (horse-shoeing), wheelwrighting (wheel and wheeled vehicle making and repair), and blacksmithing. His business thrived until the 1920s, when the rise of automobiles severely impacted his trade.
The building was later acquired and relocated to the Long Island Museum in 1952, where it became a beloved attraction for visitors and schoolchildren.
Up until its recent closure, the shop had been a valuable tool for the LIM’s educational programming. Each year, thousands of students immersed themselves into the life of a turn-of-the-20th-century blacksmith and learned about their vital role in the community from farming to transportation.
The LIM is working with local architect John Cunniffe to complete the restoration, which is expected to cost an estimated $80,000. With your support, The Long Island Museum will be able to revive the program and ensure that the Blacksmith Shop can be enjoyed for generations to come!
