Long Island is preparing to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary with a celebration of the region’s pivotal role in the Revolutionary War and its lasting impact on the nation. From secret spies to presidential visits, this milestone offers groups a chance to relive history right where it happened.
George Washington’s Culper Spy Ring Audio Tour.
Brewster House.
Raynham Hall Museum in Oyster Bay.
Culper Spy Day events.
Three Village Historical Society.
Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site.
The Washington Spy Trail
During the Revolutionary War, Long Island was largely under British control, but ordinary citizens risked everything to aid George Washington. The famed Culper Spy Ring gathered intelligence that helped turn the tide of the war. Today, visitors can learn the stories of these daring patriots along the Washington Spy Trail.
Located on the North Shore’s Route 25A, the trail—which Washington himself traveled in 1790 to thank the patriots who helped him—takes groups deep into the intrigue of invisible ink messages and encoded secrets. Tour Raynham Hall Museum in Oyster Bay, where Robert Townsend passed along critical messages, and the Conklin Farmhouse Museum in Huntington, where the Conklin family lived and worked while David Conklin was imprisoned by the British. In Stony Brook, Caleb Brewster spied on British forces from the Brewster House while nearby Anna Smith Strong cleverly signaled messages with laundry hung on a clothesline nearby.
Other must-see stops along the trail include the Setauket Presbyterian Church, site of the Battle of Setauket and burial ground, and the Thompson House, where spy names remain recorded in a doctor’s ledger. Culper Spy Day events and exhibits at the Three Village Historical Society bring the Culper Spy Ring to life for modern audiences.
Presidents & Poets
Long Island also nurtured some of America’s greatest leaders and literary voices. Theodore Roosevelt called Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay home, and today visitors can explore the National Historic Site and “Summer White House” where Roosevelt shaped his presidency. Literary giant Walt Whitman was born in West Hills, and the Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site preserves his manuscripts and celebrates the legacy of one of America’s greatest poets. At Joseph Lloyd Manor in Lloyd Harbor, Jupiter Hammon—one of America’s earliest published African American authors—penned works that spoke powerfully of freedom and faith.
From spies and soldiers to presidents and poets, Long Island 250 offers groups an unforgettable way to experience America’s story. Plan your journey and join in honoring the past while celebrating the future at discoverlongisland.com/longisland250.
Photo credit: Discover Long Island.
Long Island is an accessible, four-season destination with diverse regions that each offer group-friendly attractions, dining, lodging, and recreation all in one place. Learn more in “One Destination, Many Shores: From glitz to golf, Long Island offers groups a wealth of culture, history, and coastal adventures.”
